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Next-Generation iPhone Prototypes Reportedly Support NFC for Mobile Payments

When I first saw the information about Passbook, I was thinking NFC would be a possible lock for the next iPhone. The main features we saw would be for the previous phones, but if they have NFC, it will be much easier, and makes me wonder if more business would get on board for NFC payments once Apple releases a NFC enabled iPhone.

tiguk said:
There's a real fear about NFC as a technology. I'm a bit surprised to see it so frequently raised in a tech forum such as this, but for some reason there's a mistrust of paying for items using your phone like this.

Like the loss of credit cards, banks underwrite your any cash losses incurred through loss of an NFC card OR device, so there's really nothing to fear. In fact, you're better off than potentially losing the cash in your pocket.

And it's got to be better than losing your wallet?
Click to expand...

This also makes me wonder if NFC will only be enabled if there is a passcode/password lock on the phone, and there will be a switch for the NFC that would need to be turned on and off.
 
I want this BADLY.

I have tried a couple products that scan your store rewards cards and place them in your phone– to varying success. It really depends on how good the scanners are at the store you go to. Sometimes it wouldn't work. But I think most of those issues are largely resolved now.

Also, simply being able to pay with your phone is amazing. Definitely jealous of phones that can do that. Although, I have to say, this is more an issue of critical mass. Now that the #1 smart phone in the world will have it, it will finally be a reality for everyone.
 
DaffyDuck said:
It's done exactly the same way here in the US. The biggest concern is at restaurants and other venues where your card is handled.

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I'm thinking if Passbook takes off, some of these other forms of identification may be integrated later on. It'll take close cooperation between Apple and the industry to make that happen securely but there's no technical reason insurance cards, ID cards, etc could not be put into your phone.
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I can just see it now:

Police Officer: License and insurance please.
>hand him my iPhone<

No thank you. I'll keep some things separate.
 
rmwebs said:
The US is years behind on card technology, in the UK (and most of Europe) the cashier does not get to touch your card. You put it in a card reader on YOUR side of the counter and enter your pin. It then charges you, much like a cash machine.

All the cashier gets is a confirmation on their screen, no card numbers, names, etc.

It's highly uncommon to have to give your card to anyone these days, and its been this way for at least 8 years.
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While that's true, skimming can and does happen when you swipe your card yourself.
 
this is the nfc phone
nokia_6212_nfc_rfid_phone.jpg
 
AustinIllini said:
I don't think you really have to worry about that. There are still places that don't take credit cards, and surely there will be places that don't take NFC in the future. In some ways, you're right: Cash is king.
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This will be a slow transition.

I'm sure our grandkids will laugh at us for still using cash when they grow up in a cash-less era.

'I remember the old days where you would actually WAIT until you got to a restaurant, stand in line, have a real person take your order, pay with pieces of paper, and get these little metal circle things as change....

Now you kids all order on your cell phones before you even get to Wendy McKings's, swipe your cell phone, and your order is ready. Lines used to grow character, dang nabbit!'

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macslayer118 said:
I can just see it now:

Police Officer: License and insurance please.
>hand him my iPhone<

No thank you. I'll keep some things separate.
Click to expand...

You won't HAND him your phone, he will probably have an NFC reader on his flashlight, and wave it at your cell phone, your cell phone will ask you 'ALLOW OFFICER BARNEY FIFE TO ACCESS YOUR ID', you would click 'ALLOW', then the officer would go back to his car and click a button, and your ticket would appear on your cell phone, and a court date would appear on your calendar.
 
macslayer118 said:
I can just see it now:

Police Officer: License and insurance please.
>hand him my iPhone<

No thank you. I'll keep some things separate.
Click to expand...

Driver license will probably be the last thing to become mobile, but when that happens, the police will most likely have the appropriate device to check your license, etc. electronically without leaving your side of the vehicle.
 
I would advise turning off the NFC feature if it rears its head. As savvy as it sounds its pretty insecure.

A demo was carried out on the UK and card readers are pretty easy to come by therefore easy to capture peoples data by merely walking past them with a card reader. Target areas included the tube and highly populated areas. Peoples card details where easy gleaned of the reader. Forget who carried out the research but in the end they highly recommended not to use the technology as its a fraud haven and easily done.
 
a0me said:
The first Japanese feature phones with NFC and e-Wallet functionality were released in summer 2004, way before the Nokia handsets.

"NTT DoCoMo Introduces Revolutionary Mobile Wallet Service with First P506iC i-mode Smart-Card Handset"
http://www.nttdocomo.com/pr/2004/001189.html
"NTT DoCoMo to Market First 3G Smart-Card Handset F900iC"
http://www.nttdocomo.com/pr/2004/001200.html
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The NFC standard didn't exist back then so technically this wasn't NFC, but yeah, it was basically the same thing.
 
CplBadboy said:
I would advise turning off the NFC feature if it rears its head. As savvy as it sounds its pretty insecure.

A demo was carried out on the UK and card readers are pretty easy to come by therefore easy to capture peoples data by merely walking past them with a card reader. Target areas included the tube and highly populated areas. Peoples card details where easy gleaned of the reader. Forget who carried out the research but in the end they highly recommended not to use the technology as its a fraud haven and easily done.
Click to expand...

Do you think Apple would allow NFC to drain the battery by being on all the time? It's going to act just like any other app, one at a time.
 
CplBadboy said:
I would advise turning off the NFC feature if it rears its head. As savvy as it sounds its pretty insecure.

A demo was carried out on the UK and card readers are pretty easy to come by therefore easy to capture peoples data by merely walking past them with a card reader. Target areas included the tube and highly populated areas. Peoples card details where easy gleaned of the reader. Forget who carried out the research but in the end they highly recommended not to use the technology as its a fraud haven and easily done.
Click to expand...

NFC would probably be off until you unlock the phone. I'm hoping it also has notifications when any real NFC communication takes place.
 
JHankwitz said:
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.
Click to expand...
What do you mean stopped? I recently got one with it, and find it convenient at the gas station.

No pass by can activate a card that requires you to be an inch from the reader to use. Also I've noticed that if you have your bus pass in the same wallet, none of them would read.
 
CplBadboy said:
I would advise turning off the NFC feature if it rears its head. As savvy as it sounds its pretty insecure.

A demo was carried out on the UK and card readers are pretty easy to come by therefore easy to capture peoples data by merely walking past them with a card reader. Target areas included the tube and highly populated areas. Peoples card details where easy gleaned of the reader. Forget who carried out the research but in the end they highly recommended not to use the technology as its a fraud haven and easily done.
Click to expand...

That is for RFID chips. NFC adds a security layer as you will need to grant access to a request. So someone would need to merely walk past you, reach into your pocket, unlock your phone and enter a PIN (which I assume will be used to further secure the NFC process) in order to get any sensitive information such as CC numbers. And even then, the CC number transmission could be encrypted.
 
CplBadboy said:
I would advise turning off the NFC feature if it rears its head. As savvy as it sounds its pretty insecure.
Click to expand...

Your phone will have a say in what it transmits. Just having NFC on your phone does not mean that 'everything on your phone will be transmitted to anyone asking'.

I'd imagine there would be an interface where you have to PHYSICALLY hit a button on your cell phone to ALLOW someone to see your information / take your money / etc. And only 'VERIFIED' people could ask you - someone wouldn't be able to spoof being 'McDonalds', for example.

Because if not for that, of course nobody would use it.
 
JHankwitz said:
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.
Click to expand...

Funny you should claim that, as mine was just replace because Mastercard just added the functionality to my card.
 
DaffyDuck said:
It's done exactly the same way here in the US. The biggest concern is at restaurants and other venues where your card is handled.
Click to expand...

Most of them in the UK and from what I've seen in Canada also work the same way in restaurants etc, server enters the bill info, then hands you the payment machine, and actively looks away, while you insert your card, confirm the billing amount, enter your pin and conform the transaction - the server never touches your card :)
 
AppleGuesser said:
As savvy as a credit card sounds. It can be stolen anywhere, it sounds pretty insecure :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

If I lose my credit card, the numbers are right there to copy. This feature will wrap the credit card around encryption and most likely a password to use. This is a lot more safe than carrying around plastic.
 
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