Google Wallet Now Availalable On iPhone, No NFC Requirement

After dropping the NFC requirement for Google Wallet, the application is now available on almost all Android devices as well as the iPhone. Google Wallet’s iPhone availability could interrupt the card storage system that Apple already has in place on iPhones.

Apple’s Passbook and Google Wallet perform some of the same functions such as holding onto payment cards. Scanning coupons is also something that Google Wallet and Passbook are able to do, but there are definitely some differences in the two services.

Google Wallet does exactly what you would expect it to, which is act like a digital wallet whereas Apple’s Passbook is currently limited in its functionality and only works with a select few services and stores.

NFC was something that Apple users had been hoping to see in the iPhone 5S, but Apple has never actually seen a reason to include it. Since Google has the ability to gain a larger market-share with Wallet, expanding the service to iPhones by getting rid of the NFC requirement makes sense.

NFC usually operates by communicating with nearby electronic and NFC-enabled devices to share information including money. Without NFC, a device can still use Google Wallet — albeit in a limited way — by sending money to an email address.

In theory, this Google Wallet update makes the service operate in a very similar way to PayPal. Since there are countless users that dislike using PayPal but continue to use it for the easy direct money transfers, Google Wallet could now provide a great alternative.

Unfortunately, not having NFC does make Google Wallet limited and means that in-store payments will pretty much be impossible. So, if you are a die-hard NFC fan and love using it in supported stores, then getting an applicable Android device is still your best bet.

However, if you simply want a new way to store and manage funds, then Google Wallet’s expansion may be great for you.