Google announces the return of Wallet on Android 13, with the intention of making it a virtual wallet equivalent to what Apple offers on the iOS side.
During its I/O conference, Google also presented new products. We were treated to the Pixel 6a, but also to a preview of the future Pixel 7, Pixel Watch and Pixel Tablet.
This is one of the most important announcements of the Google I/O 2022 conference, on the software side. During the presentation of Android 13, the Mountain View firm brought the Google Wallet application, which consists of a virtual wallet, back to life. This is also the most remarkable novelty of the next evolution of the mobile operating system.
Google Wallet is a name that may already ring a bell. This is not surprising: it is an application that existed ten years ago. Unveiled in 2011, it was a payment solution for mobile phones. Succeeding Google Checkout, it existed for a while before being replaced by Google Pay in 2018.
A true replica to Apple Wallet
The rebirth of Google Wallet is accompanied by a reorientation of its role: here, the application is intended to be a wallet similar to Apple Wallet on iOS. Internet users can put their bank cards (for Google Pay), their vaccination certificates, their loyalty cards, their transport tickets and even their car keys. All in one place.
It will even be possible, in countries that allow their dematerialization, to include identity documents or administrative papers, such as the license. The exact range of Google Wallet capabilities will vary from country to country, depending on what is possible or not. The United States, for example, should have access to everything, but in France, it could be more restricted.
We know that on the side of the European Union, and in particular in France, we observe with some circumspection the arrival of companies like Google and Apple to manage such sensitive parts. We saw it with the contact tracing application – Google and Apple offered a solution, but France preferred to switch to a sovereign solution.
The same reluctance is found with regard to the storage of administrative documents. We also know that the European Union wants its sovereign application, with a project halfway between a wallet, a safe and FranceConnect. Under these conditions, it is plausible that the version of Google Wallet that will be offered in Europe will be reduced.
Google Wallet, significant novelty of Android 13?
The success of Google Wallet will depend not only on the quality of this redesign – we can assume that the ergonomics and the user experience will be pleasant, as with Apple Wallet –, but also on the range of its functionalities and, also , its good integration with the French ecosystem, in particular banking, to make it an essential crossroads.
Google Wallet appears to be the big feature of Android 13. The other changes are more modest. Elsewhere in the Google ecosystem, some developments should be noted: the “Near Me” function to find what you want around you, the look to replace “OK Google” or even a virtual bank card generator on Chrome.