ABI: Smartphones accounted for 80% of NFC devices shipped in 2013

Smartphones accounted for four out of five NFC devices shipped in 2013 but that market share will drop to under 60% in 2017 as NFC becomes widely adopted in computing products, peripherals, speakers, digital cameras, printers, domestic appliances and automotive products, ABI Research reports.

ABI Research's John Devlin
DEVLIN: Foresees “another wave of interest” in NFC

Overall, NFC was included in a total of 345m devices in 2013 with the greatest level of adoption being in mid-tier smartphones, where close to half of all devices are NFC-enabled.

“This is to be expected as the high-tier smartphone category is heavily influenced by Apple, which remains the notable exception for NFC adoption,” ABI says.

“Much has been made of Apple’s decision not to add NFC and prioritize Bluetooth Low Energy for the time being,” practice leader John Devlin explains. “However, ABI Research’s latest figures show that, in terms of connectivity, NFC is increasingly being adopted in an expanding range of products and will continue to grow.”

“In addition, the volume of announcements and agreements relating to the launch of NFC-based payment services in all regions indicates that there will be another wave of interest in 2014-15.”

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