Sony and HID Global today set out a plan to unite FeliCa and near-field communication (NFC) in notebooks. The technique should work with both formats and will give portables a way of paying for items or signing in just by bringing a card or another device up close, whether they’re using the Japanese-focused FeliCa or more universal NFC. Details and availability won’t be known until next year.
The plan is targeted at computers but could significantly impact phones as well. Outside of specialized fields, FeliCa has largely been limited to Japanese phones
All 2011 Nokia phones will use NFC, and Apple is rumored to be making NFC-ready iPhones for 2012.