By Mike Clark[1] • • nfcw.com[2]
Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 4[3], Galaxy Z Flip 4[4], Galaxy Watch 5[5] and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro[6] all offer NFC functionality, while some also include ultra wideband (UWB) capabilities and the phone maker’s own MST magnetic stripe emulation technology.
According to specifications[7] posted[8] by Samsung, the two new foldable phones both offer NFC “and/or” MST — the company’s proprietary ‘magnetic secure transmission’ technology that can emulate a magnetic stripe card[9] when the device is presented to a swipe terminal.
The company dropped MST[10] from devices on sale in the US in January 2021 in favour of NFC for contactless payments, though it continued to include the technology in some markets including South Africa, India and the UK.
MST is likely to be present on the Fold 4 and Flip 4 in certain markets only because Samsung warns “payment solutions and available features may vary depending on country, carrier and service providers”.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also equipped with UWB hardware.
The two new smartwatches both feature NFC.
The devices were announced at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on 10 August and will be available at retailers from 26 August.
• NFCW maintains a list of NFC-enabled handsets and tablets[11].
Next: Get your free registration to Contactless World Congress, a new kind of event for a new kind of world.[12]
