Among the piles of phone announcements at Mobile World Congress, Samsung stepped aside to show off its new Wallet app, a new feature designed to store events tickets, boarding passes, membership cards and more. The feature, which doesn’t include NFC tap-to-pay capabilities, will be available in Samsung’s own app store “in the near future.”
If it looks and sounds a lot like Apple’s Passbook, it is. Samsung Wallet has clearly taken inspiration from the Cupertino company right on down to the icon (though how many ways can you design a wallet icon, really?). Samsung Wallet has the ability to alert users when that pass is available to use—like when they arrive at an airport—and provides changes in real-time.
An SDK and API guide is currently available to third-party developers, who can then integrate their app with Wallet pending Samsung’s approval. In similar fashion to Passbook, passes saved in your wallet will display a barcode, which can then be scanned.
Samsung said it chose not to go the NFC route because “retailers prefers barcodes,” and don’t have to “install any new infrastructure to support it.” Wednesday’s unveiling was strictly for developers, so perhaps we’ll hear more about the feature during Samsung’s Galaxy S IV event on March 14.

Disguise your little one with the help of a themed costume
From avocado halves to hoppy bunnies, costumes speak to every child's unique spirit. And we've collected our favorite options.

Add magic to your living space with these string lights
String lights add personality and soft light to your living space. Here are some of the best.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!

Your beard will look sharp if you're using these beard trimmers
Facial hair can be a serious hassle. Shaving every day can result in razor burn and it can be difficult to get the exact look you want for your beard. That's where having an awesome beard trimmer comes in. This accessory makes grooming and shaping your beard easier than ever.