Where Does NFC Stand?

[uselessrobot]

Thanks to the success of the iPhone and the fact that executives and middle managers are still infatuated with everything Apple, the company has clout. Apple has the power to dictate how things will work. You'd think Google would have some leverage as well, but the iPhone always gets prioritized over anything else. Microsoft, unfortunately, is a non-entity in the mobile world.

For this reason, it doesn't matter how good Google or Microsoft implements anything, because everyone's going to wait until Apple does it. When that happens they then go out of their way to ensure it specifically plays nice with them. As a bonus this reinforces the It Just Works[SUP]TM[/SUP] messaging Apple keeps spouting.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, like a battered spouse, keeps bending over backwards to appease carriers who almost seem to be intentionally sabotaging Windows Phone.

 

[inteller]

The readers are all generic. They'll support Isis/Softcard, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or RFID-embedded credit cards.

The thing is that Google strongarmed the carriers with Google Wallet, and then they immediately pushed back and wanted a piece of the pie. Microsoft wasn't in a position to strongarm anyone at all, and so they had to work with the carriers (to their own detriment, as nothing has happened there yet). Apple, on the other hand, is big enough to be able to strongarm the carriers again for exactly what they want.

Apple has an increasingly shrinking marketshare. They are treading on their legendary status and that's about it. If carriers wanted to block this on the phones they sold they could certainly do it these days. We need a good ole fashioned carriers vs Apple war cause in the end the carriers would lose if Apple started selling direct.

 

[DavidinCT]

We have NFC on Android for couple years now. Nothing useful out of it.

Yea, NFC has been a total failure in the US at least. Word were that NFC would be used for payment a long time ago, same with Android. Yea, Apple job copied the tech and put their own spin on it, sure but, I hope they actually DO SOMETHING with it more than a file transfer service on your phone

It would be nice to be able to use this and not really need to carry a wallet around accept for my license to drive and cash. Of course that is too much to ask, just make the tech work...

So far NFC a joke, maybe this Apple pay thing will work out and slowly work on WP devices....or at least make a standard for all mobile devices...

 

[jhoff80]

Apple has an increasingly shrinking marketshare. They are treading on their legendary status and that's about it.

First of all, you're just plain wrong.

comScore reported is survey results for US smartphone market shares and it shows that even though Apple's iPhone 5c and 5s are almost a year old that the company gained market share for the third consecutive month and in four of the past five months. From a year ago when Apple had 40.4% of US smartphone share based on a three month average it increased to 41.4% in April and 42.4% in July.

Apple's iPhone Gains US Share Even Before iPhone 6 Launch - Forbes

Secondly, you're kidding yourself if you think that actually matters in this situation. Even at 20% of the market they'd still have the strength to be able to push the carriers around far more than Microsoft can at less than 5%. I'd love to see Microsoft do their own payment system WITHOUT needing carrier support. I just don't think they'll be able to manage it unless the carriers give up on Softcard entirely.

 

[foxbat121]

The readers are all generic. They'll support Isis/Softcard, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or RFID-embedded credit cards.

Reader hardware could be generic but the payment system behind it is not. I have seen readers that only support ISIS but not Google Wallet and vise versa.

 

[foxbat121]

First of all, you're just plain wrong.

Apple's iPhone Gains US Share Even Before iPhone 6 Launch - Forbes

Secondly, you're kidding yourself if you think that actually matters in this situation. Even at 20% of the market they'd still have the strength to be able to push the carriers around far more than Microsoft can at less than 5%. I'd love to see Microsoft do their own payment system WITHOUT needing carrier support. I just don't think they'll be able to manage it unless the carriers give up on Softcard entirely.

What your quoted article didn't say is that Android phones are still > 50% of smartphone market share in US. Globally, it is even bigger margin (80% vs 15%, see here iPhone v. Android Market Share - Business Insider). Yes, recent quarter shows Android dropped around 1% of market share in US while iPhone gained about 1%.

 

[RumoredNow]

Reader hardware could be generic but the payment system behind it is not. I have seen readers that only support ISIS but not Google Wallet and vise versa.

Right... It's like an ATM.

​It will read any card, but only allow access to those on the same network(s) the particular machine in subscribed to.

 

[HeyCori]

NFC isn't new. NFC payments aren't new. Many parts of the world already has a good handle on NFC. It's largely the US where it's such a problem. Everyone is vying to control NFC payments and instead all it's doing is limiting adoption. There just needs to be one standard that works on any NFC device for any platform. As long as NFC continues to be broken up by software/device/OS, the situation will continue to be a mess.

 

[JW888]

Does anyone know where WP 8.1 is with Mobile Payments? I see the "Tap to Pay" option in the NFC settings screen but this area seems to be notably silent. I understand I need a special SIM, I assume AT&T has these now that iPhone 6 is available. According to Wallet App documentation, that is all that is needed.

Anyone know if this is working?

Not now.....should be soon

 

[mjrtoo]

It's dead.

 

[RumoredNow]

Not now.....should be soon

View attachment 82829

Pffft... I've heard that from software companies before. It means don't bug us, but don't hate us. There is nothing provably factual about such statements.

 

[ashram]

Not now.....should be soon

View attachment 82829

they have been saying that since the Icon was released on verizon (i believe it was initially advertised in store with ISIS support...but I could be wrong)

 

[Bodeanicus]

Apple has an increasingly shrinking marketshare. They are treading on their legendary status and that's about it. If carriers wanted to block this on the phones they sold they could certainly do it these days. We need a good ole fashioned carriers vs Apple war cause in the end the carriers would lose if Apple started selling direct.

What planet are you living on? Apple is absolutely crushing it. The banks also know that iPhone users have money due to the cost of entry to just own one. There's no way anyone is going to say "no" to Apple Pay.

 

[mjrtoo]

What planet are you living on? Apple is absolutely crushing it. The banks also know that iPhone users have money due to the cost of entry to just own one. There's no way anyone is going to say "no" to Apple Pay.

Wanna bet

 

[FinancialP]

I can't speak for you guys but here in my part of the states, NFC payments are accepted everywhere.

 

[Bodeanicus]

Wanna bet

Absolutely.