It seems that the catwalk Street firms make these predictions to create "buzz" and elevate their own profiles. They also have bottom lines that they are thinking about. I agree with you, not all of these predictions come to pass.
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Apple Predicted to Adopt NFC in iPhone 6 as Core Technology for Mobile Payments System
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It seems that the catwalk Street firms make these predictions to create "buzz" and elevate their own profiles. They also have bottom lines that they are thinking about. I agree with you, not all of these predictions come to pass.
I have NFC on my phone and I've used it at Toy R Us, Rite Aid, CVS and a few vending machines. Works like a charm every time.
Any technology, presented well to the end user, made easy to use and understand, will increase user adoption.
Video calling wasn't invented by Apple. But my daughter talks to her grandma on facetime all the time. And neither needed any kind of help getting it up and running.
Fingerprint sensors.. same thing.
I can see where if Apple understand the users problem/pain points, and can present a solution that is easy to use and understand, will be more likely to be used by end users. That the solution uses NFC underneath would be a matter of trivia.
Membership cards as a physical thing needs to die soon. Tesco have the right idea in the UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tesco-clubcard/id351841850?mt=8. There really is no need for a plastic card.
With regards to legal IDs/driving licences/passports - yes this is more difficult I imagine. But solving the payment problem is a good start to tackling the wallet problem.
Cash is a non-issue for me. If I had no need for payment and store cards I could happily stop carrying a wallet. I also don't keep receipts in my wallet. Scan into my phone and trash the physical version.
It most likely will not be perfect from day 1. But if I am no longer carrying a traditional wallet** and only a phone in 5 or so years from now I'll be a happy customer.
No, as the 'disc' or 'rod' would be required in addition to your phone. The beauty in having a payment platform integrated into the phone is you don't need anything in addition to the phone you likely already carry everywhere. You also have a pretty difficult to imitate security mechanism in TouchID (way better than a crummy 4 digit PIN that I have on my cards now).
Google Wallet already exists but in the real world it clunky IMO. It could be much slicker. Apple has dabbled with mobile payments in their stores: http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/apple-stores-new-self-checkout-nice-but-not-flawless/. Tim Cook has said mobile payments are an area of interest and one of the ways they'll be expanding TouchID in the future. Angela Ahrendts is rumoured to have mobile payments as a focus. The pieces are there.
**I'll probably always have my driving licence on my person - but just that wouldn't need a wallet.
There's a fairly large buzz about the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority dumping the current Metrocards and having smartphones used as payment devices as soon as 2016. Apple is about a big a part of New York City than any other company. I'd hardly think Apple using the iPhone would pass up the opportunity to become THE payment device in the Big Apple. I honestly don't see why Apple would not add an NFC chip to the iPhone or iPads. I doubt NFC chips are that expensive and Apple seems to have enough money to get whatever it needs. I'd have to say at some point in the near future Apple will add NFC chips and get the software ready to use them for mobile payments.
The aging Metrocard needs to be replaced as the fare payment system is outdated and relatively clunky. People have to use those stupid subway ATM machines or wait on long lines at some Metrocard booth to refill their fare cards. NYC takes a long time to do everything. The Metrocard was supposed to be replaced by 2015 and almost nothing is getting done. Apple needs to get moving with an NFC program and work with the MTA to get those Metrocards replaced as quickly as possible. If a working program with the MTA goes smoothly and proves reliable, I think a lot of businesses will get on board using NFC in NYC. I think it's a good shot for Apple to advance mobile payments using iDevices.
The aging Metrocard needs to be replaced as the fare payment system is outdated and relatively clunky. People have to use those stupid subway ATM machines or wait on long lines at some Metrocard booth to refill their fare cards. NYC takes a long time to do everything. The Metrocard was supposed to be replaced by 2015 and almost nothing is getting done. Apple needs to get moving with an NFC program and work with the MTA to get those Metrocards replaced as quickly as possible. If a working program with the MTA goes smoothly and proves reliable, I think a lot of businesses will get on board using NFC in NYC. I think it's a good shot for Apple to advance mobile payments using iDevices.
How does it work for drive throughs? Do they have a receiver that they extend to you that you wand your phone over?
Ok, so wake me up when it's dead then, and I mean everywhere. Apart from what I have already said, there is sometimes the need for cash, so we also need NFC accepting ATMs.
As I said, it's not hard to imagine why companies wants to adopt it, in particular companies who currently isn't making money from transactions.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Shell and Esso (in Canada) also use NFC-enabled tags several years ago for "Quick-Pay" systems, before eventually abandoning them for some reason? (Maybe Esso still uses one, I tend to go to Shell since it's closer to me)
Thinking more about NFC, one problem that still exists is you still need to stand in line for payment. As far as conventional stores. It would still be slightly faster once you use it.
It might be feasible having several terminals around the store unmanned. Then touch it for payment, show your receipt as you go out the door.
But even that would be more expensive for retails to implement additional terminals.
You are correct. Shell abandoned it, while Esso still has their SpeedPass payment service.
Why tap on some device when you can check out from anywhere within the store? If Apple adopts NFC, I have a feeling it's not to usher in the future, but to make things more convenient for consumers until the future arrives.
Disney World has NFC payments enabled throughout all their parks and properties. It's awesome. They give you a "Magicband" which is linked to a credit card and you can open your room door with it, pay for all items with it (by touching the band to a payment scanner). Works great although we still carry our wallets around the parks just in case.
Absolutely. They pass you the card machine and you can either put in your card and type or pin, or simply hold an NFC payment device next to it for a few seconds.
Yeah, its pretty neat, we were just there in March. Once we got ours sorted out, it worked really well, Id say about 95% overall accuracy (for reading the first touch).
Its a great example how many ways the technology can be used. Identification, scheduling, payments, security.
Total side note for parents: they come in a nice little gift box with your names on the packaging (and the bands), if you have little kids, theyll lose their minds
I wouldn't be surprised if it's only because it's Apple, and they happened to pick iBeacons. If they had adopted NFC instead, maybe it would become popular to use just because a popular brand would have used it? I guess we'll never know.
Apple ID most likely getting NFC by default, the Qualcomm radios used by apple are getting NFC.
1, also in Scandinavia WRT payment.
2, it's being mocked here at MR by many Apple enthusiasts because Apple still doesn't support it and downplays its importance.
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Because NFC is already supported by TONS of other consumer electronics manufacturers, mobile playment companies, camera companies etc. Unlike iBeacon, hah.
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1, it's used in Scandinavia EVERYWHERE. The FInnish state radio ran a half-hour-long program the day before yesterday intervieweing people who love it for micro payments because it really speeds up standing in the row.
2, the alleged "few benefits" include:
- much-much faster moving rows in shops
- the ability to much-much more seamlessly transfer images from your NFC-enabled camera to your tablet for a quick, large-screen review / share
- etc.
You're not getting it! There is no need for additional investments.
Currently, most debit and credit cards have an embedded chip that allows for contactless payments (depending on where you live, this could actually not be true at all). Just tap your card to a terminal and you can pay, this is called contactless payment. The adoption rate for this technology varies greatly around the globe. In some countries, contactless payments are old news, and in other countries it's still not possible. But the end result will be the same: in a few years time, pretty much everywhere around the world you will be able to make contactless payments with your card.
This is where NFC comes into play. NFC (in combination with a secure element on your phone or SIM, which is the equivalent of the chip in your card) makes it possible to emulate a card. What actually is so great about this, is that this technology leverages existing transaction infrastructure. There is no need to upgrade you POS terminal if you can already make contactless payments. The terminal won't see any difference between a phone or a card.
With NFC, it is possible to put every smartcard in your wallet (public transport, access card for work, payment cards, loyalty cards, etc.) on your phone, without the need for replacing or upgrading existing transaction infrastructure.
Very insightful post.
What NFC can do that BLE can't: replace the cards in your wallet without the need for replacing every POS terminal in the world (including public transport terminals).
Actually it is possible with Android.
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Oh, I dunno-- we've got two stock analysts and an anonymous source in an online investment rag all saying it's so. Once Isaacson comes out with a statement I'd say it's a slam dunk.
I wonder what Morgan Stanley's position in NXP is. Oh right.
Same analyst. Two months ago they claimed the market had undervalued NXP and recommended buying the stock. Now they're saying Apple could be using NXP in iPhone. I can think of two possible causal chains here, and I know which one I'd rate as "Overweight".
Why is entering a PIN on your own phone less secure than entering a PIN on a POS terminal that is not yours?
NFC payments and card payments are equally secure.
I know, it is very comical. Now, people who were blasting the NFC in the Samsung devices as a useless gimmick, will now rave how good the iPhone 6 will be with this new revolutionary adaption of NFC.
Why is this comical? Including technology that has no purpose (yet) is waste.
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There is no additional charge for contactless payments in any scheme specification or whatever I believe. Can you tell me where this is the case?
I think I need to drop some knowledge:
1) iBeacons is one-way, from the beacon to the device. Already a non-starter.
2) Bluetooth LE requires pairing which in the over-polluted 2.4Ghz spectrum is a horrendous experience.
3) WiFi is even worse since it's not secure until you have a password, and how do you get that in the first place?
Bluetooth and WiFi have even worse problems because they actually work over a long range. The last thing you need is someone capturing traffic to decrypt later (hence the *near* part in NFC).
People need to stop confusing the technology (NFC) with the implementation (whatever Apple does with it - hooking in TouchID, credit cards, etc..). They aren't the same.
As far as my reasons for why Apple hasn't included NFC:
1) Chassis only changes once every 2 years. The current design is already packed, and you need a rather large (but thin) NFC antenna to work. And every rumor out there says iPhone 6 will be bigger than the 5S.
2) Integration of NFC into wireless chipset (Bluetooth, WiFi) wasn't available until last year.
1) iBeacons is one-way, from the beacon to the device. Already a non-starter.
2) Bluetooth LE requires pairing which in the over-polluted 2.4Ghz spectrum is a horrendous experience.
3) WiFi is even worse since it's not secure until you have a password, and how do you get that in the first place?
Bluetooth and WiFi have even worse problems because they actually work over a long range. The last thing you need is someone capturing traffic to decrypt later (hence the *near* part in NFC).
People need to stop confusing the technology (NFC) with the implementation (whatever Apple does with it - hooking in TouchID, credit cards, etc..). They aren't the same.
As far as my reasons for why Apple hasn't included NFC:
1) Chassis only changes once every 2 years. The current design is already packed, and you need a rather large (but thin) NFC antenna to work. And every rumor out there says iPhone 6 will be bigger than the 5S.
2) Integration of NFC into wireless chipset (Bluetooth, WiFi) wasn't available until last year.
Thats certainly not the case in the UK.
Do you have anything to back that statement up?