Always enjoy reading your articles. Present questions and answers, and things to consider.
What did Apple really bring to the table? Not NFC, Not HCE, Not Tokens(they have been around), and Not EMV standards, Not the only smart phones with those items available. Even Visa has established a new MM Center in San Fancisco and invited all comers to develop API's for everyone and help them get certified.
Apple brought it's Card base and some security to leverage themselves into the movement. IBM will i believe bring the Cloud to make it work there and others are in the process or have developed the Apps and rails to run the Marketing programs for SMB's.

Apple never even invented the first user friendly computer, they took all the ideas from the Xerox R&D. They just make things better if they can from what others have started. They now have the clout to leverage that quality. And they are pretty good at that. JMO