Cell phones these days are getting packed with more and more tech. First it was cameras, then light sensors, proximity sensors, gyroscopes, etc, etc. Now the big hype is about NFC or Near Field Communication – a wireless chip that is capable of reading other NFC-capable devices. While other countries out there have been using this technology for a while, the U.S. has yet to adopt this technology into their mobile devices. With the arrival of the Google Nexus S, which packs this new chip, that could all change.
iSuppli is aware of this trending tech and has made the prediction that in 2014, 13% of all phones will have NFC Capability. up from 4.1% as of 2010. That’s about 220.1 million phones! AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are already looking to the future and have established a joint venture to create a mobile payment system called ISIS that utilizes NFC technology.
Not only are the carriers getting involved, but Google itself has recently acquired Zetawire, a mobile payment start-up company. Is the cell phone eventually going to replace your credit cards? It just might, and if it does, there is one thing for certain – you don’t want to leave your phone at home again.
[via iSuppli]
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