Microsoft has unveiled a digital wallet and NFC technology as two of the key features of its forthcoming Windows Phone 8 OS which will be available on smartphones launching in autumn 2012. The company also said the wallet will need to work with a secure SIM from a mobile operator in order to handle mobile payments. Orange will use the wallet on NFC-based WP8 smartphones launched in France, according to Microsoft which also said it is talking to Isis, the joint venture between three leading US operators, about a launch in 2013. Microsoft's approach is in contrast to how Google has positioned its wallet which launched last year.

WP8’s wallet has two functions, says Microsoft. One is the SIM-based payment option while the second is to carry debit and credit cards, coupons and boarding passes as well as other important information a user might need. The second function is almost identical to how Apple described its recently announced Passbook which is seen as a stepping stone towards a mobile wallet except Apple’s announcement made no mention of mobile payments.

NFC will also feature in the next version of Windows Phone OS although Microsoft put more emphasis on content sharing than payments in its announcement. The company mentioned sharing photos, Office documents and contact information.

Microsoft hopes that Windows Phone 8’s close relationship with Windows 8 will give a boost to smartphones among consumers but also app developers. The WP8 announcement was made in San Francisco at the company’s Windows Phone Summit.

Among the other new features of Windows Phone 8 over its predecessor are bigger, sharper phone screens, more flexible storage, the Internet Explorer 10 web browser and improved maps and directions.