GoKawiilShimul Sood / Android Authority
TL;DR Starting in 2027, Samsung’s international models, such as the Galaxy S27 series, are expected to support Japan’s specific NFC-F (FeliCa) standard.
Samsung is working with East Japan Railway Company to enable Mobile Suica compatibility and Samsung Pay integration for easy balance top-ups.
This move would address a long-standing disadvantage where global Android phones lacked the offline, secure-chip hardware required for Japanese transit and retail.
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.
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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.
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