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Near Field Communication and all contactless technology

China-based phone maker ZTE indicated it will be targeting Europe with its NFC phones, although it did not specify models or release dates.

All handsets based on chip giant Intel’s current smartphone reference device will carry embedded secure elements in addition to supporting applications on SIM cards.

Phone maker ZTE has announced it will introduce a high-end Android phone supporting NFC at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Turkey’s largest operator, Turkcell, has introduced a second branded Android NFC phone model for its mobile wallet and has launched a new toll-collection application for the model.

France-based Inside Secure announced it has shipped 10 million NFC chips this year through Oct. 15 and told NFC Times that most of the chips come stacked with embedded secure elements that could support ID, payment and other secure applications.

UK-based payment card issuer and acquirer Barclaycard has joined the NFC Forum as a sponsor member, giving it a seat on the board of the standards and trade group, the forum announced today.

NXP Semiconductors, the largest supplier of NFC chips, has lowered its projection for total NFC phone shipments for 2011 to 40 million or less–substantially lower than the 70 million it had been projecting.

BARCELONA – The head of China-based telecom equipment maker ZTE told NFC Times the company will supply NFC-enabled phones in response to orders from mobile operators, but does not plan to include the technology in phones as a default feature.