Roger Fingas
Apple Japan has posted a new video ad for the iPhone 7, pushing one of the unique local advantages of using Apple Pay.
The spot, dubbed "Race," features two men running through a busy Japanese city, staying virtually neck-and-neck until they reach a subway turnstile. At that point one of the men pulls out an iPhone 7 Plus, charges 3,800 yen to his Suica card via Apple Pay, then gets on a departing train before the other man can find his pass.
Unlike others, Japanese iPhone 7 models support Sony's FeliCa mobile payment platform, which is extremely common in the country and usable not just at subway stations but many places beyond. Other smartphones support the technology as well, and it's likely that Apple Pay would have had an uphill battle for acceptance without it.
FeliCa is also built into Japanese versions of the Apple Watch Series 2.
Apple Pay's international reach has expanded considerably in the past year, most recently reaching Spain. Apple is still working on solving the problem of U.S. retail adoption however, hoping to push it from a current 35 percent to two-thirds by the end of 2017.
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9 Comments
Hmm Hindi song in background
They need to advertise security more than speed. It's convenient, but not a lot faster than using your card. I use Apple Pay almost exclusively for purchases (over 90% now) and I do so because the merchant no longer sees my real card number.
I've had to replace my credit card twice in my life because the number was stolen and someone attempted to make purchases on it. Apple Pay GREATLY reduces the possibility of this ever happening.
90% of my brick and mortar purchases are at three retailers, none of which currently accept Apple Pay. :(
Having lived in Japan for 7 years, speed is important at the ticket wicket, otherwise, you're backing up the line and you'd have a lot of irked people behind you. There's not nearly so much fraud or crime in Japan as in the U.S.
Apple Pay requires Finger Print via TouchID - the AD shows just holding the phone - Totally incorrect AD...