Besides the LG Viper 4G, Sprint will be getting at least nine other devices that run Google Wallet by years end, says Google's VP of Wallet and Payments Osama Bedier. During the Mobile Money: Delivering Innovative Mobile Payment Services panel in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress 2012, Bedier said Sprint will introduce "at least 10 additional phones" with support for Google Wallet this year. He also added that Google is still negotiating with other operators, manufacturers, and potential financial partners to broaden the reach of Wallet in the US.
With 22 of the largest retail chains in the US supporting Wallet purchases at over 300,000 MasterCard PayPass terminals, Google has a big head start. But that's no guarantee that the service will become the standard, as competitor Isis sets up to begin trials later this year. Isis already has the partners -- HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, Research In Motion, Samsung and Sony have committed to building devices that support Isis, and Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, Chase, CapitalOne and Barclaycard have partnered with them as well. That is going to be tough to compete against. With recent security issues plaguing Google Wallet, a partnership with Sprint alone may not be enough to keep the project afloat. We'll have to wait and see who can deliver a product that consumers want, and more importantly, a new technology that consumers will adopt.
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