Google Tests Near Field Communication

The Nexus S is one of the first phones to support Near Field Communications technology being trialled by Google in 2011. (Wikimedia Commons)

Google will begin testing its Near Field Communication (NFC) based mobile payment system within the next four months, reports Bloomberg.

The trial will be taking place in New York and San Francisco across selected retailers allowing consumers to make financial transactions with a wave of their mobile phone.

Mobile devices equipped with an NFC chip such as the Samsung made Nexus S released in late 2010 will apparently provide shoppers with an alternative to traditional payment methods by allowing them to wave their mobile phone near an NFC enabled register to complete a transaction.

At present NFC is in its infancy in terms of market acceptance with a limited number of mobile devices supporting the technology, in addition no universal standards have been established making big players such as Apple hesitant to embrace NFC.

Apple have held back on supporting NFC in the next iPhone anticipated later this year due to there being no clear set standard, reports The Independent.

The Independent also reports that Apple is exploring its own NFC implementation that will integrate with iTunes and that it’s likely to emerge in a new handset some time in 2012.

Despite Apple’s hesitancy, it is expected NFC will be supported in future Android handsets.