Galaxy S27 could finally catch up to the iPhone for NFC payments

NFC has become ubiquitous on smartphones to the point where we don’t really think twice before tapping our phone to pay for something. However, not all NFC tech is equal, and if you happened to go to Japan, you’d quickly find out that NFC-based payments don’t work on your Android phone, even though they do on iPhones. That’s because Japan uses FeliCa-based payments, which Android phones globally don’t support. This could soon change, though, with upcoming phones like the Galaxy S27 series and others on track to support FeliCa globally next year onwards.

As per a report from Japan-based No-Genkin, Samsung Galaxy smartphones sold globally will soon be compatible with the FeliCa-based Suica app, thanks to a collaboration between Samsung and the East Japan Railway Company (JR East, the largest passenger railway company in Japan). This will allow international tourists arriving in Japan to use FeliCa-based apps for paying for transportation and shopping. Previously, FeliCa support was available only on iPhones and Apple Watches, and Android smartphones sold locally in Japan.

Further, JR East is also working to enable Samsung Pay as an in-app payment method for its Mobile Suica and Welcome Suica Mobile apps. This will allow international Galaxy users to use Samsung Pay to top up their Suica balances in the Suica app and purchase tickets and passes. This benefit will also extend to domestic users in Japan.

While most of the report focuses on JR East’s collaboration with Samsung, the key takeaway for us is that upcoming Samsung Galaxy phones in 2027 will support FeliCa-based payments. FeliCa (short for Felicity Card) is a high-speed, contactless payment tech developed by Sony Corporation with a specific focus on transaction speed. It is technically a subset of NFC, but it is different from the NFC standard we are familiar with.

Most of the world uses NFC Type A for payments and NFC Type B for passports. On the other hand, FeliCa is categorized as NFC-F/Type C under international standards. NFC Type A and NFC Type B support cloud-based tokenized transactions, whereas with FeliCa, the money resides on the secure chip, enabling offline validation.

While existing Android phones have the requisite hardware for NFC Type A, they are unlikely to have the secure elements needed to enable FeliCa support. Android phones sold in Japan are likely to support FeliCa already, but their global counterparts miss out, likely to save on cost and licensing complications.

The report notes that not all existing Galaxy smartphones will be compatible with FeliCa, as support is intended for internationally launched Galaxy phones from 2027 onwards. This marks the Galaxy S27 series as one of the first phones to support FeliCa, though phones launched further out could also support it.

FeliCa support represents a big deal for Android smartphones as it would be another step towards making these phones truly “global” smartphones, just like iPhones currently are. It remains to be seen whether other Android brands will follow Samsung’s lead and bring FeliCa support to their global releases, as this admittedly serves a very small subset of global users.

Thanks, Android Authority reader Dylan, for the tip!