Next-Generation iPhone Prototypes Reportedly Support NFC for Mobile Payments

[neilw]

This will be the event that causes NFC to go mainstream. Retailers who were taking a "wait and see" approach will dive in head first once it's in the iPhone.

iPhone 5 launch is going to be verrrry interesting.

 

[paradox00]

The whole fact of using it in smartphones and the Google Wallet.

Also, not the first implementation.

Apple's not about doing things first, they're about doing things right. Hopefully they do that here.

 

[adder7712]

yup. they came up with android all on their own. it doesn't even really resemble iOS at all

Because it doesn't.

 

[ChrisTX]

Am I the only one that doesn't think NFC is all that big of a deal? Other handsets have had this already yet it doesn't seem to be in place anywhere.

 

[Shrink]

Another thing stolen from Google Apple may as well just try and buy Google considering all the recent things they take from them.

I'm trying to understand the attitude expressed in the above quote.

It seems to say that if something is not TOTALLY original (and almost nothing really is), it should be criticized.

That a function, app, etc. may be very useful, efficient, fun, etc is not important. All that matters is that it it TOTALLY original.

Forgive my simpleminded naiveté, but this seems to me to be...how shall I say this politely, silly crap. Short of stealing intellectual property (please, let's not open that can of worms here!), there fact that some other company used NFC first does not render it useless or even embarrassing to employ it if it is useful.

But, then, I'm not sophisticated enough to denigrate the usefulness of a function, app, etc...just a simple mind who uses stuff made (legitimately) available.

 

[Bezetos]

I'm pretty sure the Japanese beat Google to it.

That's RFID, we're talking about standardised NFC payments.

 

[AustinIllini]

Am I the only one that doesn't think NFC is all that big of a deal? Other handsets have had this already yet it doesn't seem to be in place anywhere.

I think it's agreed among people here that Apple will tip the scales. It's not a big deal now, but it will be.

 

[Caliber26]

I believe we’ll see some smaller, incremental improvements with the CPU/GPU, and both cameras. The major hardware updates will be NFC, LTE and the new display (plus the change in the physical design). Wrap all that up with IOS6 (with the new maps, Passbook, all the tweaks to Siri) and that’s what we’ll see in October.

I suspect Apple will be making a huge effort to establish partnerships so they can hit the ground running with PB+NCF. A few major department stores, airlines, some “boutique” type stores like Starbucks, Apple stores of course. They love the angle of “...and you can do this _now_” vs. here’s a neat new feature, but you can’t really use it.

You hit the nail on the head. That's one of the many things I love about Apple.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Am I the only one that doesn't think NFC is all that big of a deal? Other handsets have had this already yet it doesn't seem to be in place anywhere.

That's like saying (before the iPhone was introduced in 2007) that having a smartphone isn't all that big of a deal because most people didn't have it. It's all about implementation.

 

[617arg]

iPhone + NFC = Beast mark in the palm.

haha - but it's so convenient!

 

[Orlandoech]

Nice. (Go Steelers!)

You mean go Bronco's. (I hate the Donkies FYI).

 

[JHankwitz]

Adding an NFC component to Passbook would be a natural step to eliminate the need to physically scan barcodes on the iPhone's screen, allowing users to simply wave their devices near readers to activate Passbook items.

I hope it will take a bit more than a simple wave to activate. They've already stopped putting circuitry in credit cards because a simple pass-by would activate and capture it.

 

[lixuelai]

That's RFID, we're talking about standardised NFC payments.

The Japanese uses this technology called Felicity Card aka Felica. You see it in other parts of Asia as well but the Japanese put it into phones. NFC is based on Felica and similar standards and adds improvements such as 2 way communication. In terms of actual use case aka mobile payments they are near identical.

 

[Caliber26]

Am I the only one that doesn't think NFC is all that big of a deal? Other handsets have had this already yet it doesn't seem to be in place anywhere.

Crazy as it sounds, I'm sure the inclusion of it on the next iPhone will change that. Everyone's always ready to jump on the iPhone-compatibility bandwagon. There's no way businesses will want to lose out on something like that.

----------

haha - but it's so convenient!

And that is exactly what the selling points will be: convenience and security. You gotta make it appealing somehow, right?

 

[AppleGuesser]

This will be the event that causes NFC to go mainstream. Retailers who were taking a "wait and see" approach will dive in head first once it's in the iPhone.

iPhone 5 launch is going to be verrrry interesting.

Indeed. NFC isnt new at all. However, it isnt mainstream at all either Apple will make it very mainstream if they add NFC and watch every major chain add the ability to use NFC

 

[Confuzzzed]

NFC together with passbook in iOS 6 will finally unburden our trouser pockets of unsightly bulges!!

 

[deftdrummer]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I am not stoked about NFC what so ever.

I have a bank, I get cash. I have a bank card and I can use that.

I am not interested in losing my phone AND wallet. A little worried about "grabbing" these signals out of the air and potential theft. I am least happy about what battery implications this & a bigger screen will bring.

Thanks but I'll keep using cash and my wallet can be full of credit cards.

 

[dashiel]

N/M someone else beat me to the punch

 

[rjtyork]

Hopefully this will be enough motivation for my family members to stop losing their iPhones. I'm getting sick of them borrowing mine all the time because they can't seem to remember where they left theirs. Thank god for find my iPhone. And will Costco have a pass in passbook that we can use?

 

[smellalot]

Thirty percent of all payments go to Apple

 

[tiguk]

I'm currently overseeing the largest NFC rollout in Europe (30,000 terminals)

Barclaycard and Visa are putting a LOT of money behind NFC, and many retailers are implementing the technology on the back of that. But it's not taken off yet as the market is too fragmented with everyone wanting a slice of the cake...

Like many things Apple does, it goes into a market/technology sector and refines the use case so it becomes mainstream. It worries less about the immediate commercial opportunity (a la Google Wallet) and plays the long game.

 

[adamryan1983]

Is it just me, or do those iphones in the picture look a little different?

It's just you.

 

[notabadname]

Very cool!

 

[metsjetsfan]

Thirty percent of all payments go to Apple

Haha i know its a joke but if that did happen all costs would be passed on to us the consumer.

 

[neilw]

Thirty percent of all payments go to Apple

Heh. Obviously (?), Apple will not take a 30% cut, but even if they take a 1% (or whatever) processing fee using their own payment processing system, you're looking at a potentially *huge* new revenue stream for Apple.