The next version of the Nokia Lumia 610 will reportedly feature near field communication technology, which allows users to pay for purchases using the latest Nokia (NYSE:NOK) handset. The upcoming version of the Nokia Lumia 610 is scheduled to be released into the European market within the next quarter and will become the first smartphone using the Windows Phone OS to use NFC technology.
Nokia revealed that the smartphone was already certified for use with the Visa PayWave and MasterCard PayPass. The NFC-enabled Nokia Lumia 610 will be offered initially through Orange.
Aside from mobile payments, the NFC technology can also be used as an option to Bluetooth when the Nokia Lumia 610 communicates with other NFC-enabled devices. According to the product marketing head of the Smart Devices business unit of Nokia, Ilari Nurmi, the addition of NFC technology into the Windows Phone OS allows the company to lead the market with the support of Orange.
The NFC technology will be brought by Nokia to its lineup of devices and it will also facilitate connectivity for users with the increasing number of NFC-enabled devices, Nurmi added.
Aside from the Nokia Lumia 610, the company also aims to enable service providers to create NFC solutions for its smartphone offering in the market.
Prior to the Nokia Lumia 610, the company has already used the NFC technology for its Symbian handsets in the past. However the latest version of the Nokia Lumia 610 is the first Windows Phone-powered smartphone to come with the NFC technology.
The use of NFC technology has gradually increased in the US market as more business, phone manufacturers, banks and service providers are working with each other to promote the technology and encourage its use among consumers. However a number of other major devices still have to adopt the technology, which may result to its slow adoption in the market.
Offering NFC technology on the Nokia Lumia 610 may allow Nokia to progress in the market that is currently being dominated by its competitors.
