200m NFC phones in 2012

There will be 200m phones with built-in NFC technology by the end of 2012, according to the new edition of Deloitte's Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions report. "Even if 2012 turns out to be no more than a 'transitional year' for mobile payments, the NFC chips will not go to waste," say the management consultants. "There are thousands of applications of NFC — from gambling, to games to healthcare — that could build up a head of steam over the course of the year, even if the media continues to focus on the 'digital wallet'."