I'll still say that a card-based system like Hong Kong's Octopus is easier than having to pull out your phone and fiddle with it every time you make a payment. (Octopus is stored value but can be set up for automatic recharge from your bank account.)
Having used both, I must say that Octopus can also be a pain for tourists who don't have a local ID/bank account.
But this is understandable since both are payment systems and if they were easy for tourists to use, then they would also be easy for money launderers to use.