As I expected: you don't appear have a clue on what a smartcard actually is.
> My phone requires a password (which I can set to be arbitrarily secure, not 4-digit PIN (LOL)) or a fingerprint (which is something noone can steal, unlike a credit card... or at least I'd notice it's missing much sooner!)
Anyone can steal your fingerprint, and you can't reset your fingerprint like you can with a password or PIN.
A smartcard will self-destruct (wipe the key material) after a number of unsuccessful PIN entries, so the chance of someone successfully guessing the PIN is ~1:3333 for a 4 digit PIN with 3 attempts.
This is good enough for banks to offer fraud insurance, in the off-chance that your card gets cracked your bank will reimburse the damage.
> optionally entering your PIN which you share with every POS terminal / shop) and get a password.
Yes, but that would still require physical access to your card. So they'll need to have both your card and your PIN. At that point you'll need to have your card/account blocked ASAP anyway. Your bank will supply you with a new card and PIN, which is a way better solution compared to cutting off your fingers and attaching new ones ;-)
> My phone requires a password (which I can set to be arbitrarily secure, not 4-digit PIN (LOL)) or a fingerprint (which is something noone can steal, unlike a credit card... or at least I'd notice it's missing much sooner!)
Anyone can steal your fingerprint, and you can't reset your fingerprint like you can with a password or PIN.
A smartcard will self-destruct (wipe the key material) after a number of unsuccessful PIN entries, so the chance of someone successfully guessing the PIN is ~1:3333 for a 4 digit PIN with 3 attempts. This is good enough for banks to offer fraud insurance, in the off-chance that your card gets cracked your bank will reimburse the damage.
> optionally entering your PIN which you share with every POS terminal / shop) and get a password.
Yes, but that would still require physical access to your card. So they'll need to have both your card and your PIN. At that point you'll need to have your card/account blocked ASAP anyway. Your bank will supply you with a new card and PIN, which is a way better solution compared to cutting off your fingers and attaching new ones ;-)