After Samsung and Apple joined the mobile payment market with their Samsung Pay and Apple Pay services, LG became the next major smartphone maker to confirm its plans for joining the growing mobile payment segment, and previously confirmed that the so-called “LG Pay” service is on its way for a market debut in 2016. Recent rumors have suggested that the Korean company will introduce LG Pay during Mobile World Congress 2016 along with the highly anticipated LG G5, but according to fresh reports, LG Pay’s debut has been delayed until the second quarter of the year.
Although LG’s mobile payment method will undeniably compete with Samsung‘s own service, it’s becoming more obvious that LG isn’t necessarily doing things the Samsung way. Unlike Samsung Pay, LG Pay will not require a smartphone, and instead, it will rely on an electronic credit card replacer which was previously spotted in a handful of leaked pictures, and has been referred to as the “White Card”. Unlike Samsung Pay which was introduced along with 2015’s flagship phones – the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge – LG Pay will reportedly not be officially introduced at the same time as the company’s upcoming premium smartphone planned for an MWC debut.
Up until now it was believed that LG will announce LG Pay at the Mobile World Congress, where the LG G5 will make its first official public appearance. However, according to an unnamed LG representative cited by Telecompaper yesterday, the company has decided to push back the official launch of LG Pay until sometime in the second quarter of the year. Reportedly, this decision was made in order to avoid drawing attention away from the launch of the LG G5, which will apparently be promoted by LG Electronics’ telecom branch and Korean carrier “LG Uplus” on the MWC show floor.
The LG representative added that LG Electronics “feels a sense of urgency to lift its mobile business”, which means that a lot of the company’s efforts have gone into making sure that the LG G5 will be a success. If focusing the public’s attention towards the LG G5 means pushing back the launch of LG Pay until the next quarter, then the company seems to be willing to make this step. Whether or not these reports are correct remains to be seen in less than a couple of weeks from now once MWC 2016 is underway.