Tag: wearable devices

Samsung smartwatch will support mobile payments

Samsung plans to launch a new smartwatch later this year

Samsung is planning to launch a smartwatch during the second half of this year and the company has plans to give the device the ability to make mobile payments. The South Korean company has been playing a larger role in the mobile commerce space in recent years and has announced that it will launch its own mobile payments service this year. Samsung Pay is expected to launch in the coming months and may come pre-installed on the company’s new smartwatch.

Wearable devices could become powerful mobile payments tools

Smartwatches are beginning to gain more attention from consumers. These devices function in much the same way that smartphones do, but they can be worn rather than carried. Wearable devices have somewhat limited functionality, but they could become powerful tools in the mobile commerce space. Because smartwatches are worn on the wrist, they are more accessible and can make mobile payments somewhat more convenient for consumers.

Device will come equipped with NFC technology and, possibly, Samsung Pay

Mobile Payments - Support from SamsungThe smartwatch that Samsung intends to launch will make use of NFC technology to make mobile payments possible. This technology allows digital information to be transmitted over short distances. NFC has served as the backbone of the mobile commerce space for several years and is used in many mobile commerce platforms. Some organizations have begun to move away from NFC technology in order to make mobile payments more accessible to those without NFC-enabled devices, but this technology remains the prominent aspect of the mobile commerce world.

Samsung will have to fight to compete with other companies that have established a lead in the mobile commerce space

Samsung has said that it plans to release its new mobile payments service at some point in July, but there is no clear release date at this time. Samsung has not yet announced a release date for its new smartwhatch either. The company is falling somewhat behind its competitors when it comes to mobile payments, but it may manage to catch up if it can provide consumers with an enjoyable and convenient service.

Smartwatch competition gets heavy with Montblanc’s wearables entry

The Swiss watchmaker has made a splash with its wearable technology…and the fight it picked with Apple.

Instead of making a smooth entry into wearable technology with its newly developed smartwatch, luxury watchmaker, Montblanc, has decided to dive in head-first and make a massive splash by taking a shot at the lifespan of the Apple Watch.

The watchmaker has taken the unique route of attempting to create device with a much more timeless appeal.

The design of the wearable technology involve an electronic wristband that attaches to classic luxury watches. This smartwatch has the ability to function as a pedometer, take selfies, and access email. According to the managing director for watches at Montblanc, Alexander Schmiedt, they, unlike Apple, have focused on providing a product that would last.

Schmiedt stated that “Our products should have very long life cycles,” and added that “That is not to say the Apple Watch is not a great product. I predict it will do very well, but I don’t think that customers are going to be ecstatic to throw away watches in one to two years when the technology is obsolete.”

The smartwatch from Montblanc comes with a price tag ranging from $349 to $17,000, depending on the model.

This actually represents price points that are not that far off the range being offered by the newly launched first generation of the Apple Watch. That said, according to Zuercher Kantonalbank analyst, Patrik Schwendimann, in the case of the Montblanc wearable technology, this remains a very appropriate, because “If it turns out to be just a fad, at least the consumer still has a nice, normal watch they can continue to wear.”

The idea is that the design of the wearables is elegant enough that regardless of whether or not smartwatches continue to be a hot form of technology, the Montblanc version of these mobile gadgets will make it possible to keep the watch and enjoy its function and elegance.

The Montblanc smartphone functions through a wireless connection with a smartphone and also allows the wearer to take advantage of activity tracking features, select from among songs and playlists that are playing and take images as close as photos or farther away for group shots. The device is compatible with a range of different types of smartphone, including those from Samsung and Apple.