HIGHLIGHTS
* All three new features will be available as standalone applications.
* Samsung Wallet app offers both Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass benefits.
* Samsung is ready to unveil next-gen Galaxy Watch models next week.
South Korean electronics maker Samsung on Thursday announced that its Wallet and Thermo Check apps are coming to the Galaxy Watch series. In addition, the WearOS based smartwatches in the line to get instant messaging app WhatsApp.
“A range of new apps for its Galaxy Watch series will bring more responsive, adaptable and multi-functional smartwatch experiences for Galaxy users. With Samsung Wallet, Thermo Check and WhatsApp, users can do more than ever straight from their wrist,” said Samsung.
Samsung had last year integrated its Pay and Pass services into one app, called Samsung Wallet, for its smartphones. The app is now coming to Galaxy Watch series.
It will debut with the new Galaxy Watch series, which is set to arrive on July 26 at its Galaxy Unpacked Seoul. The Samsung Wallet app enables users to make payments, store identity documents, and more.
Samsung said, the Thermo Check app would allow users to measure the temperature of their surroundings, from meals they are about to eat to water they are about to swim in, all without any physical contact required.
Like the Samsung Wallet app, the Thermo Check will be available first on the upcoming Galaxy Watch devices. It would later be available for the Galaxy Watch5 series.
As for WhatsApp, it is now available for the company’s WearOS-based smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch5 series and Galaxy Watch4 series.
The app will let users continue conversations, reply to messages by voice and even answer calls, all without needing to take out their phones, said Samsung.
WhatsApp for smartwatches was announced on July 19. It is available only on devices running Wear OS 3 or later. The app has been rolled out worldwide.
The WhatsApp Wear OS app was launched as beta during Google’s developer-focused I/O conference. Wear OS, is Google’s operating system for wearables.
Samsung Galaxy smartwatches are already quite powerful and feature-rich, which makes them a good Apple Watch alternative. The team has now announced three new features that will make them even better.
These smartwatches are now receiving Samsung Wallet, Thermo Check, and WhatsApp support. Here is what this means and when you can expect to receive them.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Update Brings Three New Apps
The latest blog post from Samsung has revealed Galaxy Watch users will receive three new apps in the near future. These are Samsung Wallet, Thermo Check, and WhatsApp. The update aims to make these smartwatches a lot more functional and useful for users.
Samsung Wallet is an app that delivers both Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass functionalities. It is a single app that helps users with payments and managing IDs, tickets, boarding passes, passwords, and more.
The app has been available on Galaxy smartphones for quite some time and is now finally coming to Galaxy Watches. It will save users from the hassle of taking out their smartphone whenever they need to make a payment or show one of the documents/tickets.
Thermo Check is a new feature from Samsung. It is powered by the Skin Temperature API, which is part of the company’s Privileged Health SDK. It will help users measure the temperature of things around them without requiring physical contact.
It utilizes advanced infrared technology available on the Galaxy Watch to make this work. Samsung says this new feature will debut on the upcoming Galaxy Watch and then expand to older models, including the Galaxy Watch 5 series. It means we will hear more about the feature at next week’s Galaxy Unpacked event.
Lastly, Samsung is bringing WhatsApp to Galaxy Watches. The support is part of the standalone WhatsApp app release on Wear OS 3. This is the reason you will find the app on many other smartwatches, too.
It is already available for users of Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4. The app supports initiating chats, making phone calls, and sending voice messages directly from the smartwatch.
This new announcement from Samsung has come right in time for the next-gen Galaxy Watch 6 series launch on July 26. The new smartwatches are widely speculated to be powered by the Exynos W930 processor.
The physical rotating crown is expected to make a comeback this year on the Classic variant. The reports suggest these watches will also support recording irregular heart rhythms.
At the same event, the company will also take wraps off the next-gen foldable Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. Other products expected to be unveiled at the event include the Galaxy Tab S9 tablet series and Galaxy SmartTag 2 object tracker.
Samsung Wallet, Thermo Check and WhatsApp Are Coming to the Galaxy Watch Series
A range of new apps for its Galaxy Watch series will bring more responsive, adaptable and multi-functional smartwatch experiences for Galaxy users. With Samsung Wallet, Thermo Check and WhatsApp, users can do more than ever straight from their wrist.
* Samsung Wallet: Last year, Samsung Wallet combined Samsung Pay with Samsung Pass to consolidate more of users’ wallets on their smartphones. Now, Samsung Wallet will come to the new Galaxy Watch series too. With the all-in-one Samsung Wallet app, users can easily make payments, provide IDs and pull up show tickets2 right on their smartwatch.
* Thermo Check: Thanks to the new Skin Temperature API — a part of Samsung’s Privileged Health software development kit (SDK) — partners can now take full advantage of the Galaxy Watch’s advanced infrared technology for temperature measurements. The new Thermo Check app allows users to easily measure the temperature of their surroundings, from meals they are about to eat to water they are about to swim in, all without any physical contact required. It’ll be available first on the upcoming Galaxy Watch devices and later expanded to Galaxy Watch5 series.3
* WhatsApp: In a new expansion of the unified Wear OS ecosystem, Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch4 users can now use WhatsApp’s first-ever smartwatch app. The app will let users continue conversations, reply to messages by voice and even answer calls, all without needing to take out their phones.
Through the introduction of these new features, Samsung Galaxy Watch series will gain more versatile functions and a more streamlined usability.
With still more to be unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked on July 26 at 8 p.m. KST / 7 a.m. EST, Samsung continues to make more of the wider app ecosystem available on its Galaxy Watch series and maximize users’ experience.
Faqs
1) How is the Thermo Check of Samsung galaxy watch series ?
Ans) Thermo Check could probably be the most talked about feature in the upcoming weeks. Its app allows users to easily measure the temperature of their surroundings, from meals they are about to eat to water they are about to swim in, all without any physical contact required.
The app will use the watch’s infrared sensors combined with the new Skin Temperature API – a part of Samsung’s Privileged Health software development kit (SDK) for temperature measurements.
It will be available first on the upcoming Galaxy Watch devices and later expanded to Galaxy Watch 5 series.
2) How is Samsung Wallet of Samsung galaxy watch series?
Ans) Samsung combined Samsung Pay with Samsung Pass into one consolidated unit, Samsung Wallet.
The company has now announced that Samsung Wallet will come to the new Galaxy Watch series too.
“With the all-in-one Samsung Wallet app, users can easily make payments, provide IDs, and pull up show tickets (requires Samsung Wallet-enabled Galaxy phones running Android 9 or later) right on their smartwatch,” the company said.
3) What is WhatsApp on WearOS?
Ans) Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4 users can now use WhatsApp’s first-ever smartwatch app as a new expansion of the unified Wear OS ecosystem.
The app will let users continue conversations, reply to messages by voice, and even answer calls, all without needing to take out their phones. The app was first announced by Google at I/O 2023, and was launched by Meta CEO.
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