OPINION: The news that Malaysian manufacturer Fonelabs is to produce two million NFC phones in 2010 is the first sign that the issue of a lack of NFC handsets is beginning to be resolved.
As well as Fonelabs’ X-Series, handsets from Samsung, Sagem Wireless, Toshiba, LG and Nokia were on show at Cartes last month — but, to date, Fonelabs is the only company to actually put NFC phones into large-scale production.
For the major phone manufacturers, there’s a big difference between developing pre-production and limited run models and entering full scale mass production. Will other handset manufacturers follow Fonelabs’ lead?
Sarah Clark, Editor
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The supposed "issue" of lack of NFC handsets is not an issue at all. If a workable business model existed, handsets would have appeared long ago. Unless and until the banks and carriers figure out how to work together, phone-based NFC solutions (including SIM) will continue to elude us all.