nfc

Nokia has revealed its first NFC-enabled (Near Field Communications) 3G cell phone, the 6212 Classic.

For those who forgot or didn't know, NFC is a wireless technology developed by Nokia that provides easy interconnectivity between the two devices and allows for fast and convenient data interchange. The handset should be available for 200 EUR in Europe and Asia in the Q3 2008.

BenQ presented its two new smartphones at MWC, the NFC-capable T80 and the lower-end T60.

The first model features a 2.2" display, 3Mpix camera, microSD slot, uses Near Field communication technology, and is DLNA compliant.

The T60 is an ordinary smartphone equipped with a 2Mpix camera and the largest screen among all handsets thinner than 10mm.

Inside Contactless announced that they expect 1-2 million NFC-enabled phones shipping outside of Japan in 2008. They provide NFC chips for manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and LG for global distribution, and to Kyocera Wireless for their U.S. models.

However, currently the company supplies chips for NFC trials, but hopes to start commercial launches in the U.

British carrier O2 came up with the idea of using NFC-enabled cell phones as mobile wallets.

Users will be able to make purchases, access events and even use public transport by touching the phone to a reader. The company announced it will hold a 6 month trial starting November 28, 2007, where 500 participants will each be given a Nokia 6131 NFC handset bundled with O2 Wallet including virtual cards (Oyster and Barclaycard) with NFC functionality.