NFC ‘Tapping Behavior’ on iOS Far Behind That of Android, Says NFC Supplier

Near-field-communications “tapping behavior” on Android smartphones for digital wallet payment and other services is far outpacing that of iPhones even with deployment of the latest versions of the iOS 11 operating system, said Davor Sutija, CEO of NFC components supplier Thin Film Electronics, on an earnings call last week. Sutija estimated 80 percent of the NFC tapping activity is emanating from Android phones, “even in markets where the percentage of iOS is significantly higher,” he said. He blames the lag in iPhone NFC engagement partially on the need for iOS users to download an app and open it “to have the NFC experience,” he said. “Many in the industry believe this usability will become better as apps get deployed among users more widely and potentially with improvements in usability and future releases.” There’s growing momentum in the use of NFC for payments, and that’s “driving recognition of the importance of consumer behavior,” he said. But for NFC deployments on smartphones to be successful, they need to be “as frictionless as possible,” he said. Apple didn't comment.