Samsung today officially unveiled their new NFC-based technology that, if you can believe it, is not tied to mobile payments. Called TecTiles, it’s Samsung’s way of bringing near field communications to the masses. What does it do for Android? Whatever you want, really.

Users can carry one in their pocket/wallet with contact information and share that with new friends and associates. Want to make it so your phone goes to silent and turns on the alarm clock? Put one by your bedside. Have a private WiFi that you’d like to share? Put on in the office and have co-workers tap it on the way into the meeting.

Here are a few scenarios where TecTiles would work:

Change phone settings (Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, ringer/media volume, screen brightness, etc.)

Send a text message

Share a contact or business card

Show an address on a map

Foursquare or Facebook check-in

Post a tweet or follow a contact on Twitter

Essentially 1-inch squares of paper with NFC chips embedded inside, the back of a TecTile is adhesive and can be placed anywhere. Users are able to program the TecTile with whatever command they want and use it over and over. Available in bundles of five, Samsung is going to be selling these in your local carrier retail stores for $14.99 per pack. The best part of this? You do not have to have a Samsung Galaxy S III to take advantage of TecTiles!

Samsung NFC-Enabled Android TM Smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S ® III on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon

III on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon Samsung Galaxy S ® II on T-Mobile

II on T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus TM on Verizon, Sprint and GSM Unlocked

on Verizon, Sprint and GSM Unlocked Nexus TM S ® 4G on Sprint

S 4G on Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® Blaze ® 4G on T-Mobile

Samsung Mobile Puts; All The Pieces in Place to Bring NFC To The Masses

Inexpensive, easy to use Samsung TecTiles™ Programmable NFC Tags can be customized to launch apps, send text messages, share contact information, change phone settings and more, with an NFC-enabled Galaxy smartphone

DALLAS — June 13, 2012 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) is helping consumers realize the potential of NFC technology today with the creation of Samsung TecTiles™ and the TecTile™ programming application. With the largest user base of NFC-enabled devices in the United States and TecTiles available in all four major carrier stores and at major online retailers at the launch of the Galaxy S III, Samsung is ensuring NFC becomes a part of daily life.

With a simple tap of an NFC-enabled phone to a TecTile, consumers are able to automate everyday functions of a smartphone including sending a “headed/at home” text message, silencing the phone when entering a meeting, setting an alarm, and dimming the display when going to bed.

Samsung TecTiles will transform how businesses large and small engage with consumers. On premise, TecTiles enable consumers to check-in on Facebook® or foursquare®, connect to Wi-Fi® or download content. Off-premise, businesses can use TecTiles as a way to market to and engage with consumers by enabling reward programs and to download discount offers or content.

“With millions of NFC-enabled Samsung Galaxy smartphones currently in the market and the arrival of our flagship device Galaxy S® III, Samsung saw an opportunity to expand the value of NFC beyond mobile payments,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and worldwide[1]. “The launch of Samsung TecTiles is another example of Samsung’s ability to innovate new products and applications that improve the way we use our mobile devices for everyday tasks.”

Samsung TecTiles are easy to program with any NFC-enabled smartphone and the free application, which can be found in the Google Play™ marketplace. TecTiles can be reprogrammed as often as needed to complete any of the following functions on an NFC-enabled phone:

Settings & Applications

Change phone settings (Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, ringer/media volume, screen brightness, etc.)

Launch an application

Join a Wi-Fi Network

Show a message

Communication

Make a call

Send a text message

Start a Google Talk™ conversation

Share a contact or business card

Location & Web

Show an address on a map

Open a web page

Foursquare or Facebook check-in

Social

Automatic Facebook “Like”

Update Facebook status

Post a tweet or follow a contact on Twitter

Connect on LinkedIn®

Samsung NFC-Enabled Android TM Smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S ® III on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon

III on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon Samsung Galaxy S ® II on T-Mobile

II on T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus TM on Verizon, Sprint and GSM Unlocked

on Verizon, Sprint and GSM Unlocked Nexus TM S ® 4G on Sprint

S 4G on Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® Blaze ® 4G on T-Mobile

Pricing/Availability

Priced at $14.99 for a pack of five, TecTiles programmable NFC sticker tags are now available for purchase online and in-store at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The Samsung TecTiles app is now available for download at the Google Play store.

© Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC. Samsung, Galaxy, Galaxy S, and TecTiles are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Android and Nexus are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company names, product names and marks are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

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