Apple’s Eddy Cue has revealed a few new details about the Apple Watch at an NBA game in Oakland, California on Friday. The Apple executive, who is in charge of internet services and software at the company, detailed how Apple Watch owners will use Apple Pay.
Cue says that in many ways Apple Pay will be easier to use with the company’s wearable device than with an iPhone because a user will not have to authenticate every time they want to make a payment. The Apple Watch will automatically authenticate when you pair it with your iPhone. This will allow consumers to make purchase without re-authenticating as long as the wearable device has not left their wrist.
The process after that is similar to using Apple Pay on an iPhone. Simply bring your watch up to an NFC-enabled credit card reader and the payment will go through. According to a report from CNET, Cue explained the feature as follows:
“You don’t have to authenticate on the phone. Your watch has to be unlocked, and your phone can unlock your watch. If I took my watch off and gave it to you, it would know and no longer work. If I wanted to pay right now, I could pay with the watch and not have to take the phone out of my pocket.”
The report also suggests that the company may add a higher security mode that would require a user to authenticate each time they try and make a payment. The company has also ensured that you can’t accidentally make a payment with your Apple Watch. In order to confirm the payment, users must tap the button on the side of the device.
We also know that the Apple Watch will work with the iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c. Using the same technology, those customers will also be able to make payments using their Apple Watch. However, the iPhone 5 and 5c lack Touch ID which means that you will simply have to use a PIN code to pair the two devices.
Apple is expected to provide more information about the Apple Watch at its “Spring Forward” media event in San Francisco. The keynote begins at 10am PST / 1pm EST on Monday and the company will be live streaming the event from their website.
