Samsung Wallet vs Google Wallet: functions, safety and comfort

Google seems to have its hands in everything these days, and the recent release of Google Wallet shows that the company wants to be a one-stop shop for software and services. Google Wallet, which came out in July 2022, is really just an expansion of what was called Google Pay in most markets, which was a rebranding of Android Pay. In the United States and Singapore, Google Pay is still a separate app from Google Wallet. Google Wallet is now a way to pay online and store money in all other places. The most important parts of Google Wallet are all the basics you’d expect from a digital wallet.

Payment and card storage are obvious features, but there are also some less obvious ones, like travel and event tickets, digital identity documents, licenses, COVID-19 vaccination records, and loyalty cards. If your smartphone has an NFC chip, all you have to do to pay with Google Wallet is choose the right payment method and tap a reader. In June 2022, Samsung Wallet came out as a service that combined Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass into one. This made it easier for users to interact with the service and cut down on the number of apps they needed on their phones while keeping the same functionality.

When it first came out, Wallet was only available in six markets. Since then, it has been slowly making its way to other regions and countries. Information about Samsung Wallet is kept in Knox, which is Samsung’s secure environment. Knox stores encrypted information in non-volatile memory and protects it from malware and other attacks. Samsung Wallet is only available on Samsung Galaxy devices with Android 9 or later, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and going back to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Samsung Wallet doesn’t work on some lower-end devices because they don’t have the right hardware.

Samsung Wallet vs Google Wallet Availability

Google Wallet came out in mid-July, while Samsung Wallet came out in mid-June. But Google’s new app for making payments can be used in more places and on more devices. You can use Google Wallet in more than 60 countries, which are listed at that link, as long as you have an Android phone that supports NFC. It can also be used to tap-to-pay on Wear OS watches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, even though Samsung Pay is the default payment app. Even new Fitbit watches will have to deal with it. As for Samsung Wallet, you can only get it from the Galaxy Store, which means you can only download it on a Samsung phone.

It’s also the default way to pay with Samsung watches like the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. According to a press release from Samsung, Samsung Wallet was only available in six countries at first. As of January 2023, it is now available in 29 countries. With this expansion, Samsung has made its Wallet much more competitive on the global market than it was before. However, depending on where you live, Google Wallet may still be your only option, making this breakdown pointless.

Samsung Wallet vs Google Wallet Supported Devices

Device compatibility is one of the biggest differences between Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet. All Android phones and tablets can use Google Wallet. Since Google has owned Android since 2005, this isn’t a big surprise. The app also works on iPhones and iPads with iOS 10.0 or higher. If you have an older Apple device, you won’t be able to use it.

Samsung Wallet is an app that only works on devices made by Samsung. The app isn’t just for phones and tablets, though. You can find it on all Galaxy devices, like Samsung phones, tablets, Galaxy Watches, and Samsung TVs. Samsung Wallet works just like Samsung Pay did for in-store purchases on mobile devices and wearables. All you have to do is tap your phone or watch on the contactless card reader to finish the transaction. If not, you can use the app to pay online or inside the app.

Samsung Wallet vs Google Wallet Competing features

Samsung’s phones often get new features at the same time as Google’s, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Samsung Wallet has most of the same features as Google Wallet. However, it has a few extras that Google Wallet doesn’t have. At launch, both mobile giants added the following tools: loyalty and membership cards, gift cards, boarding passes, digital car keys for participating brands like BMW and Hyundai, and vaccination cards. Both Wallet apps will work to add digital IDs and driver’s licenses in the future. Google will probably start with American IDs, while Samsung will start with South Korean IDs.

The Android OS stores passwords and lets you tap to show them, so it makes sense that the two apps would have the same features. The same goes for driver’s licenses and IDs that are digital: The delay has less to do with the technology and more to do with whether or not states and countries will accept digital ID as valid.

Still, Google has only been able to bring this feature to one U.S. state (Maryland), so it is behind Apple in this area. Samsung said it would add IDs to its app starting in 2022, but we haven’t heard anything new since then. As for how they’re different, Samsung Wallet has Samsung Pass, which lets you store and use your passwords after your Samsung phone authenticates you with your fingerprint. Google has auto-password tools that aren’t part of Wallet, so you aren’t missing out on anything. Also, you can use a number of third-party password managers.

Samsung Wallet vs Google Wallet Security

Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet are apps that are made to store private information. Samsung Wallet can store more than just payment cards. It can also store all of your user names and passcodes. You don’t have to worry about security, though, no matter what app you use. Google Wallet keeps your information safe by encrypting it and putting it on a token.

In the same way, Samsung Wallet keeps your payment information safe with tokenization and everything else safe with encryption from Knox. You can set up biometric security on your device or use a passcode to protect the data on both apps. This means that you can use your fingerprint, a face scanner, or some other type of biometric ID to get into the Wallet.

Samsung Wallet: Pros and Cons

Google Wallet: Pros and Cons

Which one should you consider?

You might think it makes sense to use Samsung Wallet if you have a Galaxy device. In reality, there are more good things about Google Wallet. It might not store your user IDs and passcodes, but it works with more banks and card providers, is available in more countries, and can be used at most stores. Samsung Wallet now has Samsung Pass, but that’s pretty much it. The Wallet itself is similar to Google’s, but you can only add fewer cards and use it at fewer stores. It will do what it’s supposed to, but you might like Google Wallet better.

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