Major League Baseball Triples Passbook Acceptance as Samsung Launches Look-alike Wallet App

[MacRumors]

GigaOM reports that Major League Baseball is expanding support for Apple's Passbook app, announcing that the digital tickets will be accepted at 13 stadiums this season, up from just four last season.

MLB was one of Apple's launch partners for Passbook in September, with mobile tickets accepted by the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. They are being joined this season by the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. Three further teams are due to join, but have not yet been named.

Tickets can be purchased using the free AtBat app and then stored in Passbook.

Not to be outdone, Samsung today announced Samsung Wallet, an Android app which mirrors Passbook's functionality, right down to time- and location-based push notifications. The app is currently a developer-only beta, with the public version launching soon. The Verge reports that Samsung has also signed a deal with MLB, as well as Walgreens, Belly, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com and Lufthansa for the app's launch.

The company showed off a few features of the new app during its developer keynote, and it's quite clear that Samsung took its design inspiration for Wallet from Apple's Passbook (even down to the icon that Samsung used).

Interestingly, the app will not support near field communications (NFC) payment technology for the time being, despite Samsung's existing partnership with Visa's PayWave service. Samsung says that retailers have so far been reluctant to invest in the additional infrastructure to support NFC payments, making NFC support for Wallet a lower-priority feature.

Article Link: Major League Baseball Triples Passbook Acceptance as Samsung Launches Look-alike Wallet App

[daneoni]

Oh Samsung, how very typical.

[Tiger8]

Samsung never copies!

/sarcasm

[KdParker]

Why would samsung need to copy that stale/boring iOS?

/sarcasm

[KPOM]

Can't they at least attempt something original, like a different icon? I'm also surprised they didn't incorporate NFC. I guess its primary usage is still sharing racy videos with your SO.

[Jsameds]

It's so ironic that on one hand they will shout until they're hoarse spouting "We don't copy Apple" and then this on the other.


I mean, come on Samsung, at least make it not completely and absolutely blatantly obvious!

[samcraig]

Not surprising that Samsung would copy the model if its one that is gaining adoption in the industry. I still question the actual adoption rate of Apple's passbook anyway - but that's another matter.

But yes- Samsung is clearly copying and putting their own spin on Apple's passbook.

[0815]

What would Samsung do without Apple ... where would they get the inspiration from? Is there a single Apple design or idea that they didn't clone for cheap? I somehow fail to see where Samsung innovates, something many people claim they do (and no, giant phone screens are not innovation)

[The Phazer]

Apps for Passbook in the UK store - still five. No new ones launched since Starbucks.

Of those five two are American airlines with no significant UK presence.

[Amacfa]

Samsung does this in every product field: TV's, Appliances, Cellphones - and steal business away from American companies. Sad.

[Radio]

U know who cares?

The passbook app is mostly garbage.

[Rogifan]

In before someone says Apple didn't invent the digital wallet.

[madsci954]

Tim Cook: Ready the lawyers!

[Radio]

I'm insulted that u guys weren't pissed at apple for selling this as an iOS 6 feature !!!!!!!!


Seriously a feature !!!!!?!?!?!!?!!


Don't get mad at Samsung - get mad at apple !!

[AustinIllini]

Keep ripping on passbook - Until it works and people want to use it!

[lanirugzo]

I hate these copycats!

[PBG4 Dude]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

In before someone says Apple didn't invent the digital wallet.

9/3/2002 - Microsoft Launches New E-Wallet

[duffman9000]

I'm shocked, shocked to find that Samsung would copy Apple so closely.

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by PBG4 Dude

9/3/2002 - Microsoft Launches New E-Wallet

Disney already launched Wall-E

[0815]

Originally Posted by duffman9000

I'm shocked, shocked to find that Samsung would copy Apple so closely.

the droids will claim that this is the natural evolution of things and it would have happened anyway and Apple did only the obvious thing that everyone else was already thinking about - this goes for the idea, the implementation and the icon - therefore Samsung did not copy because Apple did not do anything but stealing the obvious idea.

[Mr.damien]

Originally Posted by Amacfa

Samsung does this in every product field: TV's, Appliances, Cellphones - and steal business away from American companies. Sad.

Sad but your justice let them doing so. So it means the US support them.

[Mac21ND]

At a loss for words, so I'll use Samsung's:

Per their vision statement:

"This new vision reflects Samsung Electronics’ commitment to inspiring its communities by leveraging Samsung's three key strengths: 'New Technology,' 'Innovative Products,' and 'Creative Solutions.'"

Right...

http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsu...le/vision.html

[TheJae]

Originally Posted by KdParker

Why would samsung need to copy that stale/boring iOS?

/sarcasm

The irony is that, it's exactly what the judges will decide.

[0815]

Originally Posted by TheJae

The irony is that, it's exactly what the judges will decide.

Wasn't that the verdict in the UK case where the judge basically said, that the Samsung device is too boring, too complicated to use, too unusable and therefore does not qualify as a copy, even though it is made to look like the 'original' ....

[XboxMySocks]

It makes me laugh really hard that this doesn't use NFC. I guess they finally realised that it's a useless technology, except for sharing homemade porn.