NFC-capable devices are slowly making their way into Canada, the Nexus S, BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and the upcoming TELUS Samsung Galaxy S II X. A device with NFC gives you the ability to pay for items via mobile device – manufacturers and carriers are adopting this technology with the bigger idea to eventually make your mobile device your “digital wallet”.
A new report by Informa Telecoms & Media says that by 2015 the number of NFC handsets that will be shipped worldwide will rise to 630 million, this represents 40% of all new mobile devices. To put this into contrast, in 2011 the total combined shipments is estimated to be 44 million. According to the report the peak adoption rate for NFC will not happen until 2013, then steadily increase into 2015. Informa says the leading platform will be Google’s Android OS, but doesn’t mention anyone else – perhaps we’ll see more from RIM, eventually Apple and Microsoft Windows Phone.
As for the money flowing through your device, $2.4 billion (USD) by the end of this year to over $71 billion (USD) by 2015. In Canada we have the Big 3-owned EnStream (Zoompass) who’ll be coming out with an NFC app “early next year”, then Google will launch their “Google Wallet” next year too.
Informa analyst Guillermo Escofet stated “We expect a modest growth of the mobile NFC market for the next two years, but this will change as many of the leading players introduce NFC-enabled handsets, spurred to enter the market by fear of Apple’s and Google’s ambitions in the sector… Google has already played its hand, overshadowing moves by carriers in its home territory, the US. Apple is still waiting in the wings, leaving everyone guessing.”
Source: Informa
Via: IntoMobile
