Gizmodo mock up of Nexus S

We’re all wondering what exactly Android 2.3 will have in store for us other than another tasty title to use when talking about it. Thanks to the Web 2.0 Summit, Google CEO Eric Schmidt found it timely to mention that that Android Gingerbread 2.3 will support ‘near-field-communications to read RFID tags as well as communicate with other phones, payment systems and other possible applications.’ The word on the street is that Apple are developing this technology too for use in the next generation of iPhone. I can imagine it now. Apple iPhone adverts factually implying that contactless payment is their invention, much like they suggested copy-and-paste was for mobile devices. Just for clarity, Barclays in the UK offer it through their current cards and it is prominent in Japan too on mobile phones already (please correct me on this point if I’m wrong).

So, if Google can get a phone out there supporting this technology before Apple, along with an OS that securely manages it, they will certainly be onto a winner. For sure, if they can get some major retail chains to partner with them too, that would be awesome. Good ol’ Eric also said that NFC support, “will be in the new operating system, called Gingerbread, which will come out in the next few weeks.” I’m looking forward to trading in my Galaxy S for this newfangled technology. I sure hope that retailers make use of it, though.