Samsung Galaxy Fit4 App Shows Wallet Option, Hinting at NFC Payments

Samsung has put a Galaxy Fit4 Manager app on the Galaxy Store, and one of its listing screenshots shows a “Wallet” entry in the menu. GSMArena and Android Police, citing SamMobile, read that as a sign the unannounced fitness band could pay at store terminals through Samsung Wallet using NFC (near-field communication, the short-range radio behind tap-to-pay).

If that holds, the Fit4 would be the first band in Samsung’s Fit line with an NFC chip, according to GSMArena. Samsung has said nothing official about the device or its launch.

What the app listing reveals

The Wallet option is easy to miss. GSMArena notes it sits low in the menu, partly hidden behind the app’s bottom navigation bar. Paying with a stored credit or debit card from a band would need NFC hardware, which is why the menu item drew attention.

The same screenshots point to other software features. GSMArena says they show built-in apps, tiles and watch faces that owners can customize, and the site believes the band probably has a speaker.

Two of the images show the battery at 100% with an estimated 4 days and 3 hours of use left. GSMArena hopes that figure is a placeholder, since Samsung advertised 13 days of battery life for the Galaxy Fit3 at its launch in February 2024.

Reports differ on the NFC question

The evidence is not settled. The Fit4’s filing with the FCC, the U.S. agency that certifies radio devices, lists Bluetooth connectivity and does not mention NFC, according to GSMArena. The outlet says it wants confirmation from other sources before treating payment support as real. Android Police also stresses that the feature has not been confirmed on actual hardware.

On looks, Android Police reports the Fit4 appears identical to the model before it. Rumors cited by GSMArena say the band will come out this year.

What it means for fitness tracker buyers

Tap-to-pay is still uncommon on simple fitness bands. Android Police points out that Google’s recently introduced Fitbit Air and Fitbit Edge trackers cannot make payments at retail terminals, even though Google runs its own Google Wallet service. Garmin’s CIRQA also lacks NFC and cannot use Garmin Pay.

Prices for those rivals, as listed by Android Police:

• Fitbit Air: $100
• Fitbit Edge: $180
• Garmin CIRQA: $200, close to what many smartwatches cost

Android Police notes that an NFC chip would add to the cost of a band, and brands in this category try to keep prices low. Samsung has not announced a price for the Fit4. Android Police says earlier Fit models were affordable at their list prices.

For buyers who want to leave a phone or wallet at home during a run or a gym session, payments would be the main difference between the Fit4 and those competitors. Until Samsung confirms the hardware, the Wallet entry in the app is the only sign of it, and the FCC filing does not back it up.

What happens next

Samsung has not set a launch date. GSMArena reports that rumors put the release this year, and that the Fit3 is due for a replacement after arriving in February 2024. Whether the shipping band includes NFC should become clear once Samsung lists full specifications.

Sources: GSMArena, Android Police