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Near Field Communication and all contactless technology

Samsung today announced two new Android phones for its Galaxy line that support NFC as an option. 

Telefónica (O2) UK will not launch NFC this year and will only trial other mobile-wallet services–not launch them commercially–before the end of 2011, a spokesman confirmed to NFC Times.

NXP Semiconductors' sharply lower forecast for NFC phone shipments for 2011 comes as little surprise to many, who point to delays in handset shipments and failure by many mobile operators to firm up their NFC business plans.

Contactless payment continues to grow rapidly in the United Kingdom, but transaction volume is still low, and it remains open to debate whether 2011 will be a tipping point for the technology.

Mobile operator Orange UK and payment issuer Barclaycard face challenges as they seek to get their “Quick Tap” service off the ground, say UK analysts.

Orange UK and Barclaycard today announced their much-anticipated commercial launch of NFC, a mobile-payment service called “Quick Tap.”

MasterCard Worldwide’s certification of a Gemalto SIM card product to carry its PayPass application in NFC phones is believed to be a first by a major card scheme.

Mobile operator Orange UK has launched one of the first contactless prepaid payment cards–with the application also likely to be available on NFC phones later this year.

While many doubt that telcos and banks will ever agree on a business model for NFC and complain about the continued lack of phones supporting the technology, two major players in the United Kingdom–Barclaycard and Orange UK–are preparing for a commercial launch.

It seems just a matter of time before Telefónica O2 UK launches NFC commercially.