Let me rephrase that: Global NFC Google Pay will never happen because it depends on the device’s ability to run Osaifu Keitai apps.
To which I’ll add: because Google can’t be bothered building their own software stack in Android OS Google Pay that replaces Osaifu Keitai.
Osaifu Keitai is a smartphone only software stack that has not and can not be updated for the smart wearables era. This shortcoming is driving some interesting solutions, discussed in a recent Reddit thread lamenting that Pixel went cheap instead of deep…again.
Does the US version of the Pixel 6 Pro have FeLiCa / NFC-F?
This is the #1 reason I haven’t been able to move away from iPhones… I almost pre-ordered a 6 Pro today, but this is too much of a deal for me. Does anyone know if the US model will finally be compatible with FeLiCa (sic)?Comment:
Reddit
All Pixels sold in Japan since the 3 have Mobile FeLiCa NFC-F. However, Google Pay makes limited use of it. Unlike Apple Pay, Google’s implementation is limited to just a few apps in Japan. They are going to need to do a top-to-bottom overhaul of Google Pay to make this available worldwide. Not this year. But maybe as they integrate Fitbit and produce a watch, that might be the kick they need to make it work.
Mobile FeliCa is installed and runs on Pixel models worldwide, however Pixel blocks the Osaifu Keitai stack from running except for Japanese models. Despite this stalemate on the Android side, we’ve seen a number of smart wearables with Mobile Suica released over the past year from Garmin and Fitbit. We’re also seeing signs that Suica support is coming to Wear OS. From a reader:
Suica appears to finally be coming to Google Pay for Wear OS. There’s strings like “FeatureRolloutsModule_ProvideSuicaSupportedonWearValueFactory,” “WearSuicaCard,” and “WearSuicaProvisioning” in the newest APK.
Wear OS, Garmin and Fitbit do without Osaifu Keitai by using Mobile Suica Lite which runs on Mobile FeliCa Cloud. This is fine for wearables but it does leave a service gap, Osaifu Keitai devices gets the full array of FeliCa services but wearables get a subset. This begs the question, what is the future of Osaifu Keitai when it’s limited to smartphones? Apple does without it which is why both iPhone and Apple Watch seamlessly deliver the same full set of Wallet services.
Only when Google does a top to bottom overhaul of Google Pay that replaces its current dependence on Osaifu Keitai can Global NFC Google Pay ever happen and allow Google to deliver a Pixel family of devices from smartphone to wearables, that truly rival Apple, feature for feature. We need that.
Google’s previous effort, the ill-fated Android Pay HCE NFC-F, along with cheap over deep premium Pixel devices, doesn’t instill confidence that Google cares about getting it right.