In an April deal, Samsung users in Malaysia snapped up 4,000 free Starbucks Frappuccinos during a two-hour window. In the Philippines, Samsung users got special deals on Radisson hotel rooms. Users in Singapore can receive deals such as 10 days of free access at a local gym, a discounted treatment at a spa or 50% off a box of doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts. In the third quarter, Samsung plans to start a service providing customized video content on its devices to users in Southeast Asia, Mr. Wodtke said.
Signs touted offerings such as gift cards for Starbucks and fashion e-commerce site Zalora, as well as a free electronic version of a local newspaper. But Mr. Tan left without making a purchase.
Samsung's offerings are "more of an add-on or a feature, but they're not really something that would push me to buy a Samsung S4 or S5," Mr. Tan said, referring to the company's flagship Galaxy smartphones.