ABI Research has released a new study about the potential of microSD to help NFC-enabled mobile payment take off.
ABI’s study, “Near Field Communications: Embedded and Aftermarket Contactless Applications for Mobile Devices and Other Consumer Products,” splits NFC IC forecasts into three key NFC markets: mobile handsets, computer and consumer electronics, and peripherals for mobile handsets.
According to ABI, these three markets combined will help drive significant NFC uptake, and NFC ICs will approach 300 million shipments in 2015.
“Mobile handsets remain the key market for NFC but increasingly the potential of the technology is driving NFC into other devices and form factors,” says principal M2M analyst Jonathan Collins. “The potential to offer NFC to handsets with microSD slots is helping to change the mobile handset landscape for many NFC vendors and supporters.”
Mobile networking operators remain the gatekeepers for mass NFC handset rollouts, but over the next five years the emergence of microSD cards alongside other offerings such as active and passive contactless stickers will provide mobile users with initial access to mobile contactless payments, says ABI.
These options also provide a more direct route to potential consumers for financial institutions looking to deliver contactless mobile phone payments. ABI finds these changes will provide renewed incentive for handset vendors and their major network operator customers to start delivering embedded NFC handsets. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/nfcnews-4.gif)
