Google looking to Apple’s Passbook for upcoming Wallet features

During a Q&A session hosted on YouTube this afternoon, Robin Dua, head of project management for Google Wallet, rattled off some new features that the platform may soon feature, as MobileBurn first noted. Going beyond just paying for an item, Dua said he hopes Google Wallet gains the ability to store gift cards, travel itinerary, receipts, tickets and more—replacing the need for a physical wallet. Google Wallet currently allows you to pay for items, with the help of all major credit cards and store loyalty cards. The features Dua rattled off this afternoon certainly remind me of something in particular.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1pxkQ1mFjNA]

At its World Wide Developers Conference in June, Apple unveiled its card management app called “Passbook“. Passbook allows customers to store boarding passes, movie tickets, store cards, and other passes containing QR codes, barcodes or visual, scannable codes. Apple went further by adding Passbook integration into iOS 6. For example, when you walk into a movie theater, a card or ticket could automatically be displayed. Google also displayed a similar interest in the geo-features. While the Passbook app is present in the iOS 6 beta available to developers, it is not full-fledged. It is missing the ability to actually pay for an item. We are sure to hear more in the coming when NFC debuts on the sixth-generation iPhone.

Google Wallet has been the only mobile payment solution to take off thus far. A slew of carriers are said to be working on their own mobile payment solution called “ISIS“, which could add some competition to Google’s dominance. However, even with Google’s stronghold, the adoption of the payment service looks to be slow. With Apple’s upcoming entrance into the mobile payment market, Google may be looking to step up its game. Apple’s solution is said to be a “game changer.”

According to a report earlier this summer, Google is looking to give Google Wallet a revamp. The features named today could be what the revamp is all about. You can check out Dua’s full talk below for some more perspective: [MobileBurn]

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pxkQ1mFjNA&feature=player_embedded”]

Here’s how to get Passbook work within the iOS 6 beta.