Samsung Pay is limited to the company's flagship devices and select mid-range models, but that may not be the case for much longer. According to Gadgets 360, Samsung held "internal talks within the company and with OEMs" to bring Samsung Pay to non-Samsung devices.
The key difference between Samsung Pay and Android Pay is that the former supports both NFC and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission). MST mimics a card swipe, making Samsung Pay compatible with POS machines that don't have NFC built-in. The technology is enabled by a proprietary chip that's built into the rear panel of devices like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy A7 2017, and it looks like Samsung wants to integrate the chip in other manufacturers' devices.
It would certainly be a welcome move — Samsung Pay works at most offline retailers — but it's hard to see other manufacturers integrating Samsung's proprietary tech in their devices.
Samsung wants to turn Samsung Pay into an ubiquitous payments service.
An alternative would be an accessory that enables full-fledged Samsung Pay on non-Samsung devices. The company is said to be exploring both options, with a go-to-market timeline slated for mid-2018.
Gadgets 360 also notes that Samsung Pay will be heading to the company's mid-range phones. The service is available on the Galaxy A7 2017, but it could be making its way to devices in the Galaxy C series, and possibly the Galaxy J series.
In its Q2 2017 earnings, Samsung noted a sales decline in the mid-range and budget segments, and one way to counter that would be to bring Samsung Pay to these devices.
Would you be interested in using Samsung Pay on a non-Samsung device?
