And now in our “That looks good, let’s copy that,” department… Samsung has announced Samsung Wallet, an Android app that replicates the functionality of Apple’s iOS Passbook app, including time and location-based notifications.
The app is currently a developer-only beta, with the public version launching soon. The Verge reports that Samsung has also signed a deal with MLB, as well as Walgreens, Belly, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com and Lufthansa for the app’s launch.
The Verge notes that the inspiration for Samsung’s Wallet clearly came from Passbook, even the amazingly similar app icon.
Apparently the app will not support near-field communications (NFC) payment technology, at least at first, as Samsung reports that retailers have been reluctant to fork over the dough required to install additional infrastructure to support NFC payments.
