PARTNER NEWS: Sony’s Wena watch strap, launched in the UK this week and designed to bring smartwatch features to traditional mechanical timepieces, uses NFC hardware and the mWallet 2GO full service mobile wallet platform from NXP to power its contactless payments feature... More
Discover cardmembers can now make payments on the move with Garmin Pay — Discover — “Garmin Pay, which is powered by FitPay, is available on Garmin’s latest active lifestyle smartwatches… Discover cardmembers can use Garmin Pay at any merchant retail location that accepts both Discover and contactless Near Field Communication (NFC) transactions. Once a payment card is added to Garmin’s virtual wallet — which can be done through the Garmin Connect mobile app — users can tap and pay with just a few quick touches.”
Louis Vuitton’s new Wear OS luxury smartwatch fully revealed — PhoneArena — “Besides the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 processor, the newest platform for smartwatches, Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon sports a 1.2-inch circular Amoled display (390 x 390 pixels resolution), 1GB RAM and 8GB internal memory… The smartwatch comes with NFC (near field communication) technology that will allow users to make payments on the fly using Google Pay.”
The NFC Forum has released a new candidate technical specification that is designed to enable a single antenna in an IoT device to be used to manage both NFC communications and wireless charging... More
Customers of Dutch bank ABN Amro can now connect a wide range of Mastercard-certified wearables to their bank account and use them to make both standard, low value contactless payments and also, by entering a PIN at the point of sale, higher value transactions beyond the contactless limit as well... More
Kate Spade’s second Wear OS watch gets a serious tech upgrade — Engadget — “The Scallop Smartwatch 2 packs GPS, NFC and heart rate sensors onboard — all things its predecessor didn’t have. But it still retains the scalloped edging around the face like before, and further incorporated the pattern to the edges of this generation’s straps.”
Garmin collaborates with Daimler to bring connected features to Mercedes-Benz vehicles with the Vivoactive 3 GPS smartwatch — Garmin — “In addition to providing heart rate data and a driver’s stress level, the Vivoactive 3 GPS smartwatch will be exclusively modified for Mercedes-Benz customers with custom branded materials and display screens. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is one of the company’s flagship smartwatches and is packed with features that include built-in indoor and outdoor sports apps, smart notification alerts delivered right to the wrist, and a contactless payment solution to make secure payments from the watch thanks to Garmin Pay.”
Tory Burch launches its Classic Gigi as the brand’s first touchscreen smartwatch — Tory Burch — “This new piece is a state-of-the-art smartwatch that balances fashion and function with features that include heart-rate tracking, swimproof functionality, payment methods, untethered GPS and more… Powered with Wear OS by Google and Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC, the new ToryTrack Gigi Touchscreen Smartwatch is compatible with both iPhone and Android phones.”
Hello Misfit Vapor 2 — Misfit — “Vapor 2 provides users with an elevated smartwatch experience boasting new features such as two different size options, new and improved heart rate tracking, standalone GPS, and NFC support… Misfit Vapor 2 launches on the heels of and is powered by the new Wear OS by Google.”
Watchmaker Fossil has added a Wear OS smartwatch to its range of NFC-enabled wearable payments devices... More
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has partnered with wearable transactions specialist Fidesmo to provide smartwatch and wearable device makers with a single payment system-on-chip (SoC) solution that comes with built-in support for Mastercard payments... More
Armani Exchange Connected is the company’s first smartwatch with Wear OS, NFC, heart-rate, more — 9to5Google — “The Armani Exchange Connected is the first touchscreen watch from the company… The watch offers features such as NFC, heart-rate tracking, a swimproof design, and built-in GPS.”
ANZ launches smartphone ATM access in an Australian first — ANZ — “ANZ today announced a new way for customers to access cash on the go, using only their smartphone or watch at 2,400 ATMs across Australia… There are more than one million ANZ customers currently using digital wallets loaded with an ANZ-issued card. Between October 2017 and August 2018, ANZ customers made more than 57m mobile payment transactions worth more than A$1.83bn. This was an increase of more than 150% in transaction numbers from the same time a year earlier.”
Huami announces launch of new Amazfit Verge smartwatch — Huami — “Digital wallet functionality in conjunction with UnionPay and Alipay, combined with integrated one-touch public transportation payment in over 160 cities in China, [helps] users capture the convenience of full digital transactions (through NFC and QR codes). The Verge can be also used as entrance access device utilising NFC technology.”
Diesel takes wearables to new heights by introducing next generation touchscreen smartwatch — Diesel — “New features include heart rate tracking, NFC payment capabilities, and GPS tracking… Make purchases via your NFC-enabled smartwatch using Google Pay. Alipay available in China.”
Google’s redesigned Wear OS might make smartwatches worth buying again — Mashable — “Previously, if you wanted to use Google Pay on your smartwatch, you’d need to launch the app, which was a multi-tap process. Now, you can make a payment much quicker. It’s not as quick as double-pressing the side button on the Apple Watch to fire up Apple Pay, but it’s way faster than the old way.”
Announcing Falster 2, Skagen’s next generation of touchscreen smartwatch — Skagen — “Falster 2 features integrated NFC technology, allowing users to make hands-free payments via Google Pay and access participating public transit systems using their device.”
Runway ready — Michael Kors — “Our newest smartwatch: a storied style, now with Google Fit, heart rate tracking, mobile payments and swimproof capabilities. Customize the watch face or swap out the strap to make it your smartwatch, your way… Wave your wrist and go with Google Pay’s NFC technology.”
Stay connected no matter where you are with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch — Samsung — “Galaxy Watch brings users all the benefits from the Galaxy ecosystem creating a seamless experience with SmartThings, Samsung Health, Samsung Flow, Samsung Knox, Samsung Pay, Bixby and with partnerships like Spotify and Under Armour.”
Fossil unveils its most tech-packed touchscreen smartwatch to date — Fossil — “Exclusively compatible with Google Pay (transit and pay currently available in select countries), NFC prevents users from having to pull out their card every time they need to complete a transaction. With a few taps, your card is ready on watch to streamline any checkout experience. Security is an obvious consideration, and users set up a unique lock code on their watch to help protect from any identity or data theft.”
