When the new Android 4.4 KitKat OS is rolled out, possibly today, it may include a substantial change related to NFC, according to Android Police.

Thus far, Google Wallet has been added to very few phones because it uses the secure element in NFC chips. As Android Police notes, carriers don't like that and have largely prevented the wallet app from being bundled.

While that's been passed off as a security concern by Verizon Wireless, widespread speculation holds that it's really meant to give an advantage to Isis, the joint mobile wallet venture between Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

Android Police notes rampant leaks suggesting the new Nexus 5 tablet will include the same NFC chip as the 2013 Nexus 7 — the Broadcom BCM 20793M — which lacks a secure element. That leads to further speculation that Google will have pulled an end run around the carrier blockage of its wallet, and that Google Wallet will work on any device running Android 4.4.

"It isn't clear yet how Android will be securing personal information if not in the secure element hardware," Android Police writes, "but maybe that's why it's taken so long to happen — it's just a really hard problem to solve."

Learn more about digital/mobile wallets.