While mobile operators continue to push for the SIM card to become the de facto secure element in NFC phones, some banks and other service providers are still seeking alternatives.
The products that continue to draw the attention of a number of banks include microSDs, as well as iPhone attachments–the latter using either microSDs or embedded secure chips as secure element.
Of course, there are no strong signals yet that microSDs, either as part of phone attachments or working in full NFC handsets, will challenge SIM cards or embedded chips as the primary secure element in contactless-mobile phones. At present, the microSDs generally carry higher costs, face logistical problems and still lack standards.
