Samsung offers its customers the VIP treatment

As well as being able to make calls, launch apps and play music and videos, Samsung's Galaxy smartphones can now tap into a host of exclusive features, quite literally.

And that's because the company has teamed up in the US with sports and entertainment firm AEG to offer Galaxy-branded smartphone owners access to special rewards, offers and experiences and all they have to do to redeem them is tap their handset against a poster at an AEG-affiliated venue.

It's a clever promotional move and one that could do a lot to enhance the 'halo' effect of Galaxy devices as a premium brand among the company's other handsets. And that's how both companies are pitching it as creating a 'premium experience' for customers and one that it hopes will help it stand out from Apple.

But it's also another attempt to highlight potential uses for Near Field Communication (NFC), a technology that Samsung and a host of other Android device makers support and which many hope will become a key feature if and when smartphones become virtual wallets.

'At Samsung, we're committed to creating new and surprising experiences to reward our owners for being part of the Galaxy family,' said Colleen McDuffe, Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Samsung Telecommunications America of the new partnership. 'With AEG, we're able to give our Galaxy owners a unique and rewarding experience at the nation's most popular arenas, theaters and clubs across the country.'

The experiences include free music downloads when going to see a concert, automatic upgrading of seats at a venue and even the chance to enter the VIP lounge. And all phone owners have to do to take advantage is to download the Samsung Owner's Hub app from Google Play.

The offers are available to owners in the US of the Galaxy S5, SIV and SIII smartphone and the Galaxy Note 3 and Note II phablets.

Full a full list of the AEG venues supporting the initiative, click here.