According to a study from Retrevo, a shopping and review website specializing in consumer electronics, iPhone owners appear more excited for near-field communication (NFC) technology than Android owners are.
Retrevo explains NFC as a technology that “puts a chip in devices, like cell phones, that makes it possible to, not only use your phone to make purchases in a store, but ultimately replace a lot of other things you normally carry around in your wallet like a bus pass, library card, insurance cards, and lots of other things.”
The study asked respondents this question: “Are you waiting for NFC (mobile wallet) compatibility on the next cell phone you buy?”
In response to this question, 44 percent of Android owners and 35 percent of iPhone owners said, “No, I’m not interested in a phone with a mobile wallet.” Meanwhile, 32 percent of Android owners and 25 percent of iPhone owners said, “I don’t know what NFC or mobile wallet is.”
Twenty-four percent of Android owners and 40 percent of iPhone owners said, “Yes, I want to be able to pay in the store with my cell phone.”
Retrevo found that phone operation system (OS) providers, and not credit card companies, could be the most popular source of mobile wallets because of smartphone owners’ trust.
The study asked respondents, “Which companies would you trust to provide a mobile wallet?”
In response, 46 percent of Android owners, 45 percent of iPhone owners and 36 percent of all phone owners said Google. Apple received 27 percent of the response from Android owners, 61 percent of iPhone owners and 33 percent of all phone owners.
Master Card, Visa or American Express was the answer for 40 percent of Android owners, 34 percent of iPhone owners and 32 percent of all phone owners.
AT&T, Verizon or other cellphone carriers got a response from 28 percent of Android owners, 27 percent of iPhone owners and 26 percent of all phone owners.
None of the above was the response given by 22 percent of Android owners, 15 percent of iPhone owners and 33 percent of all phone owners.
Retrevo also found that 53 percent of consumers are not interested in a phone with a mobile wallet, while 26 percent don’t know what NFC or a mobile wallet is and 21 percent are interested in paying for things in stores with their cellphones.
Marketers will have to overcome trust issues, according to Retrevo, as half of those who said they were not interested in mobile wallets cited trust issues with the companies they might have to provide access to.
Source:
http://www.retrevo.com/content/blog/2011/06/iphone-owners-ready-mobile-wallet-will-apple-deliver
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