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Another Report Suggests NFC Support for iPhone 6, Chip to Be Provided by NXP
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Yes, but pairing was a total PITA for some use cases with the old Bluetooth.
It's one of the things Bluetooth 4 addresses.
door/gate entry fobs can be replaced by NFC.... everyone always fixates on mobile payment with NFC, but there are lots of other applications for it. I am most excited about losing my various fobs with an NFC phone. It could replace car keys as well.
Maybe so, but then I guess it also depends on who you bank with, as so far the only bankcards in my wallet that references it, is my Natwest and barclays cc, my hsbc and halifax debit cards dont.
I will always disable NFC, and I encourage everyone else to do the same because the only security built into the protocol is a short range of transmission. Put yourself in a crowded train or bus, and tell me what security you have against a malicious person next to you. NFC, while a cool concept, is horribly implemented.
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My point is that what's important is the protocols and applications that sit behind the NFC radio - this isn't about the radio itself. The only reason all the existing NFC stuff works is because of protocols and applications. Apple hasn't felt that those are up to their version of snuff. If they are adding an NFC radio it's likely not because they've decided it's finally time to support all that already exists in the NFC world - it's more likely because they've come up with a new application that is served well by employing an NFC radio. NFC isn't what Apple will feel is the magic - they will feel it's what they've added behind it...
The things NFC does for mobile payments is pretty much already standardized and mandated by the entity that processes the payment and/or issues the cards. Apple can only conform. As far as mobile payments are concerned, all Apple's devices need to do is what a card does. Technically straight-forward and relatively simple. The problem is getting the issuer to trust Apple's devices security as much as they trust their cards. I don't see Apple doing anything beyond payments and public transport with NFC. This stuff already exists, there is nothing for Apple to do at the NFC end. On the User experience end there is a lot Apple can do.
Like having the NFC transceiver in a wearable.
Think about it, Apple tries to do things that are better than what already exists, if they can't do that they don't bother.
How is taking out your phone better than taking out your wallet?
Not having to take out anything because it is already on your wrist is better.
Unless, and just maybe, Apple processes the payments. Then they can make up their own set of new standard methods, applications, etc. Just because *you* don't see Apple doing anything beyond payments doesn't really mean *they* don't see something else/new they can do.
I agree that a wearable that can run the NFC part for you (and then tie back to the phone for deeper processing, presumably) would make more sense than digging your phone out. Maybe they allow both though - if you have the wearable it runs through that, otherwise, for those that don't, go digging.
The only advantage to digging your phone out, of course, is that if you can dig your phone out for everything you can dig your wallet out for, then you don't really need to carry both anymore...
We'll see what distills out, pretty soon...
Apple always claims that the reason they are late with a specific feature is that it was not possible to implement it properly until they implemented it.
They said this with voice dialing (the original iPhone lacked it).
They said this with 3G.
They said this with LTE.
They will likely make similar statements when they release the larger screen iPhones and when they release NFC.
The reality is that it's all about marketing. There has to be a good reason to upgrade. 3G was a good reason. LTE was a good reason. Siri was a so-so reason. Larger screens and NFC are good reasons.
HarryDevlin, Apple did not implement LTE with the iPhone 4S because at the time, the Qualcomm cellphone radio chip that supported LTE used way too much power in LTE mode. It wasn't until the Qualcomm started shipping lower power cellphone radio chips with LTE support that Apple finally got LTE on the iPhone 5.
I smell a proprietary solution in all this.
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Indeed. And larger screen, NFC, faster CPU (still dual core I bet) will generate enough buzz around to cover the fact that they still only put 1 GB of RAM in there.
I would love for anyone to ask in a QA after the keynote why there is still only 1 GB of RAM in the phone.
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Indeed. And larger screen, NFC, faster CPU (still dual core I bet) will generate enough buzz around to cover the fact that they still only put 1 GB of RAM in there.
I would love for anyone to ask in a QA after the keynote why there is still only 1 GB of RAM in the phone.