Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wearables
  3. News

Apple Watch to use skin contact for secure Apple Pay purchases

Trevor Mogg
By

apple watch hands on 10
Image used with permission by copyright holder
With the launch of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and Apple Watch, the tech giant is finally entering the world of contactless payments, made possible with the devices’ incorporated NFC technology.

However, following the big unveil in Cupertino on Tuesday, some commentators were questioning the level of security offered by Apple’s smartwatch when it comes to making such payments, especially given the lack of a Touch ID sensor, which the iPhone will use to authorize in-store purchases.

Recommended Videos

Well, it seems like we now have the answer. According to a Cult of Mac report, skin contact is at the heart of the Apple Watch’s security system. No, this doesn’t mean you’ll have to get up close and personal with the store assistant to perform some bizarre pre-purchase payment ritual every time you buy something. In fact, it’s all to do with keeping the Apple Watch on your wrist.

Related

Related: How the Apple Watch will redefine the smartwatch space

It works like this: Each time you put on your shiny new watch, you’ll be required to enter your PIN. This opens up the device for NFC payments, allowing you to use it to purchase items from stores (that support Apple Pay) as you go about your day.

The sensors on the underside of the device can detect if the watch is removed from your wrist. If this happens, you’ll have to re-enter the PIN when you put the device back on in order to re-enable its contactless payment functionality. As you can see, this should, in theory, prevent anyone other than you from using your Apple Watch to make in-store payments (unless they know your PIN, that is).

Related: Apple Pay – what it is and how to get it

Now there will be those who are already thinking of the severed-arm scenario, but really, the chances of a criminal lopping a limb off in order to purchase a double chocolaty chip frappuccino at a nearby Starbucks seems, to put it mildly, highly unlikely. So let’s just dump that theory right now.

Although the skin-based system makes it sound as if you’ll have to enter your PIN each time you put on Apple’s new wrist-based gadget, it’s possible there’ll be an option in the watch’s settings that lets you opt out of mobile payments, thereby disabling the PIN process – much in the same way you can turn off the iPhone’s passcode.

The tech giant unveiled its first smartwatch earlier this week. The device is set to hit stores in early 2015 starting at $350.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Apple Watch SE 2: What we want to see from the next budget Apple watch
should buy the apple watch series 6 or se and apps

When Apple first announced the Apple Watch SE alongside the Watch Series 6 in 2020, I was intrigued. After all, it was a cheaper version of the latest smartwatch with the right amount of hits and misses. I bought the Watch SE for myself earlier this year, and while it is an overall champ, there are a few things that Apple can work on and improve with the Watch SE 2, which is expected to be announced in 2022. Here are five things we would like to see from the Apple Watch SE 2.
1. A bigger display
Apple Watch Series 7 (left) and Series 6 (right) Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The big selling point of the original Apple Watch SE was that it looked exactly like the Watch Series 6. Users could get the latest hardware with some limited software features like an always-on display.

Read more
6 weeks in, I see the value in committing to the Apple Watch Series 7
ECG on the Apple Watch Series 7.

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch you can buy today (provided you own an iPhone), and six weeks into wearing the Series 7, my opinion about it as a smartwatch hasn’t changed — it’s effortlessly simple to use, metronomically reliable, and completely customizable.

Now that I've worn it for a decent length of time, it has gathered plenty of health and activity data, and Apple Health has started to show the value in committing to wearing the Apple Watch every day. Because I think the Series 7 is excellent and encourage people to buy one, I want to show what you get long-term when you really invest in it. So has it been worth it, and is there any real value in the health data it presents?
Everyday wear
For the Apple Watch to collect its data, you have to wear it, and that’s not going to happen if it’s annoying or uncomfortable. With the right band, the Series 7 practically disappears on your wrist, so even those who don’t enjoy wearing a watch will quickly get used to it. And the variety of bands available means that if one doesn’t feel right, there will almost certainly be another that will.

Read more
How to set up fall detection on Apple Watch
The Apple Watch's Fall Detection Feature.

The Apple Watch fall detection feature was introduced with the Apple Watch Series 4 as part of Apple’s commitment to your health and well-being. Tightly integrated with your iPhone, it allows the Apple Watch to detect a hard fall, notify you with a vibration tap on the wrist, and sound an alarm. You can choose to contact local emergency services or dismiss the alert by pressing the watch's digital crown, tapping Close in the upper-left corner, or tapping the I'm OK button. Fall detection works only with the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5.

Read more