As contactless payment systems bloom in the mobile world, so is Sony Ericsson. They are hooking up their Xperia smartphones to include NFC chips and therefore contactless payments.
With everyone and their cousin getting into the mobile payment arena, Sony Ericsson was not going to be left behind. They are creating smartphones with the NFC ( Near Field Communication ) chip packed in with all those other features. A deal was struck with NXP Semiconductors to provide Sony Ericsson with the PN65 setup for their Xperia smartphones. The system includes software, a radio controller and the embedded secure element. The system happens to be the same that Google chose for the Samsung Nexus S 4G. NXP was the group who began promoting the NFC ideas to the world through their “NFC Forum”. They are considered the number one contactless vendor, using RFID ( Radio Frequency Identification ) for their products. This is the same technology used by Walmart for their inventory purposes.
The new NFC chip can be used like a credit or debit card. It can also be used for synchronizing contact lists, transferring small files and more. It looks like Sony Ericsson is gearing up for some new uses for the small NFC chip. They are quoted as saying, “…the integration of near field communication into our Android-based Xperia portfolio is another step in delivering the most entertaining smartphones.” . They were referring to their leadership in mobile gaming. They are the company who has also made the Sony Playstation Phone, a mix of both communications and mobile gaming. Sony Ericsson claims to be ready to introduce to the world “new, exciting and creative” events with the use of NFC. It sure beats just using it for a digital wallet.
The complete NFC setup for the Sony Ericsson Xperia smartphones will be accomplished on the Google android mobile operating system. This is a shooting star in the world of mobile platforms, as there are at least 400,000 new smartphone activations per day with this free software. The android platform handles adobe flash files as well for great internet browsing. Sony will have android in their smartphones in at least the 2.3 “Gingerbread” version.
The NXP Semiconductor company is definitely a good choice for Sony Ericsson and their Xperia handsets. NXP is a global company located in over 25 countries. They pulled in revenues of $4.4 billion dollars last year. Large banks such as the Bank of America, Wells Fargo and others are gearing up for the NFC revolution and their own place in the digital wallets of Americans. Sony Ericsson is going to be ready.
