With so much demand for the latest technology smartphones, companies are being required to add the latest software to their devices, so they can compete in the market place.

One such piece of technology is the NFC or Near Field Communications, which is a technology that enables your device to read (and write) information from objects with NFC chips inside, such as posters and T-shirts. However, the main purpose of NFC is to facilitate “wave and pay” mobile payments that in the future could lead to smartphones replacing credit/debit cards.

Now according to Juniper Research, one in five smartphones will carry NFC technology in just three years time, which equates to some 300 million estimated handsets.

In an article by IT Pro coming to us by way Tech Watch it is reported that the research indicates that the biggest adopter of NFC technology will be North America, which is no surprise, with half of those smartphones being in the US. In second place is expected to be Western Europe.

However, all those expecting to see the iPhone 5 come with NFC technology, may have to wait a little bit longer, as Apple have indicated that it is still too early in the technology’s development for it to be introduced on their next-generation iPhone.

With others mobile companies adding the NFC technology to their phones like Google and Microsoft (who are working on a new version of its Windows Phone software to include similar NFC tech). Could Apple be playing a silly waiting game by not adding this new technology to their iPhone 5? Please let us know your comments.