This week, Google announced that Android Pay had launched in the UK. After being a US only product since its launch, the search giant is finally bringing it to other parts of the world. Which is great to see. However, that left many people wondering where Google may go next. Well, that would be Australia and Singapore. As mentioned in their announcement of Android Pay launching in the UK.
Google is also working to add more features, banks, stores and countries to Android Pay “in the coming months”. We’ve already seen Android Pay become a bigger success than Google Wallet ever did, which is a good thing to see. The team behind Android Pay wants to make it “even easier to pay with your Android phone around the globe.” Which can’t be done overnight, as there are different regulations and such in each country. On top of that, they need to work with the banks and stores in that country and get them working with Android Pay, so that users can actually use it.
For those that may not know what Android Pay is, it’s Google’s second attempt at mobile payments. Google Wallet was around for quite a while, but never really gained any steam. Partially due to the US carriers backing SoftCard, their own mobile payment system. When SoftCard ended its run, Google bought some of the technology that SoftCard used, and was able to bake it into Android Pay and relaunched it last year (transitioning from Google Wallet to Android Pay). Android Pay works with Android 4.4 KitKat and above. It allows you to simple take out your phone, and tap to pay. Of course, your phone also needs to have NFC. So devices like the OnePlus 2 won’t work with Android Pay. With the built-in fingerprint sensor and Android 6.0 or later, you can also use the fingerprint scanner to authorize the purchase, making it even more secure, and much easier than having to remember a pin number.
Android Pay is available in the US and the UK, and it’s exciting to see it coming to other countries in the near future. Hopefully Australia and Singapore won’t have to wait to long.