Google launches own Apple Pay rival

PanARMENIAN.Net - While you were preoccupied with all last night's Apple hype - yes, there's a new iPhone 6S - Google slipped out a new mobile-based contactless payment service, Android Pay, Digital Spy said.

A reworking of its past mobile payment platform Google Wallet, the imaginatively named Apple Pay rival works in much the same way as its iPhone-locked counterpart, making use of NFC tech to do away with traditional coins and cards.

Before you go whacking your Samsung Galaxy S6 against M&S's payment terminals in elation, though, we've got some bad news for you - Android Pay is currently exclusive to the U.S.. Sorry.

Already playing nice with more than 1 million stateside locations, September 10 marks the start of a slow introduction of the service.

Currently available only to a select, lucky few, the payment platform should hit all U.S.-based Android handsets running Android 4.4 or later in the coming weeks.