Certainly in the usa at least, android hasn't been able to make NFC happen. Apple's advantage in having a mobile "monoculture" as well as a flourishing payment system may prove to be what was needed all along.
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‘With iBeacon, Apple Is Going to Dump on NFC and Embrace the Internet of Things’
Hari Gottipati, writing at GigaOM:
Apple has avoided NFC, and all the rumors about NFC getting added to iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 are turned out to be false. Instead of NFC, Apple worked on alternatives using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. During the introduction of iOS 7′s AirDrop at WWDC in June, Apple’s mobile development chief Craig Federighi said, “There’s no need to wander around the room, bumping your phone,” referring how NFC phones need to be very close to transfer the data.
iBeacon has flown a bit under the radar thus far. Could be huge combined with Touch ID.
via Mobiles @ NCSU http://mobiclass.posthaven.com/find-apple-rejecting-nfc-in-favor-of-its-own-standard