1 in 5 smartphones to have NFC by 2014

20 per cent of smartphones, or around 300 million devices, will be equipped with near field communication (NFC) technology by 2014, according to a report by Juniper Research.

The firm’s projections are based on mobile phone operators stepping up services before the end of 2012.

The technology essentially allows contactless scanning of coded information, usually on posters or coupons.

A number of smartphones, such as the Google Nexus S, are pioneering the technology.