WPcentral notes that the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update introduces support for Apple’s Passbook iOS app, allowing users to load coupons, tickets, boarding passes, etc, designed for Passbook into the Microsoft Wallet app.
While the Microsoft Wallet app will be able to load the various coupons and loyalty cards usually reserved for Passbook, it’s still a little unclear exactly what’s going on behind the scenes. Microsoft appears to be allowing users to download the Passbook files and rendering its own card for Microsoft Wallet, but the report speculates Windows Phone won’t be able to tap into the push notifications Apple’s uses to update cards like on iOS.
There seems to be some confusion over whether or not Mircosoft is officially supporting Passbook in one way or another, but with a developer preview of Windows Phone 8.1 rolling out today, I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this soon.
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Way to copy what everyone else has already done. I don’t think people want 3-4 digital wallets. How about putting some effort into supporting the digital wallets already out there? That’s what I’d like to see.
Sounds like this is a step to supporting other wallet apps to me.
Microsoft looks like they are going back to their old business model of copying Apple than trying to outdo them, which didnt seem to work well under the Balmer reign.