Samsung Pay could end up on even more devices, starting with the Galaxy J series phones in India, Mashable reports.
Samsung Pay lets you save credit cards, gift cards, and other payment methods onto your smartphone and then use it when paying. Your phone mimics your cards right down to the magnetic signal, so it works in most places that accept credit cards thanks to Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC). Just tap your device against the payment terminal and you're generally good to go.
But only if you've owned a premium smartphone. Samsung Pay generally only features in pricier phones like the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy s7 Edge, though it has also come to the Galaxy A line and Samsung Gear S watches.
Now, according to Mashable's sources, Samsung has quietly been adding the technology to cheaper phones too, and plans to experiment with the idea in India -- where Samsung Pay recently launched -- in the next few months. (Mashable correctly reported the launch of Samsung Pay in India with anonymous sources as well.)
Why India, instead of other Samsung Pay countries like South Korea, Australia, the US, UK, Brazil, and China? For one thing, Counterpoint analyst Tarun Pathak told Mashable that out of the 85 million Samsung smartphones in India, 25 million are the cheaper Galaxy J devices.
Another possibility: last November, India was the subject of a banknote ban that prohibited 500 rupee and 1,000 rupee bills from circulating. In the midst of this currency upheaval, new payment methods like Samsung Pay could help make buying things easier.
Should the experiment be a success, perhaps Samsung's payment service will spread more quickly to other countries where less expensive phones are key, or to cheaper devices in places where Samsung Pay already exists.
Samsung declined to comment.