| | | Well, that cuts both ways, right? If the allure of a 5% discount on most purchases makes the NFC (or other) options broadly appealing and increasingly accepted, Apple will similarly be shooting themselves in the foot if they ban or otherwise prevent their users from not being able to use them.
Absolutely, if NFC based payments standardize and gain traction, Apple will have to fall into the fold. But so far, that seems like a big if. The market is too fragmented.
Look at Ultraviolet for digital movies. Even though all the big players save Apple want it to succeed, it's not clear which way the wind is blowing. But if it does work, despite Apple, they can join in and bring their user base.
Apple likes lock-in and proprietary services. And when it comes to rolling out new services, their loyal, well-heeled userbase provides incredible leverage. That said, I'm not as bullish on mobile payments as you (or Moonray). Seems like an offering that will add convenience to iPhone users, like Passbook or Siri, but doesn't seem to me to have any really consumer pull behind it. I left my wallet at home once and I managed to live at Starbucks for a day. If that's supposed to be the appeal of payments by phone, i think the physical credit card will have a long life ahead of it. |
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