Walmart to give 740,000 U.S. store workers free Samsung phones

FILE PHOTO: A Walmart sign is seen inside its department store in West Haven, Connecticut, U.S., February 17, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walmart Inc said on Thursday it would give nearly half its U.S. employees free Samsung phones by the end of the year so they can use an app the company has developed to manage shifts, clock in and stay in "constant communication."

The world's largest retailer, which employs nearly 1.6 million people in the United States, said more than 740,000 workers would receive Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro smartphones, cases and protection plans. Currently, most people share company devices.