No NFC in Next-Generation iPhone

[kirky29]

LTE in the UK would actually be perfectly timed. Bear in mind that most people will have their iPhone on a two year contract and LTE is due to roll out next year. This way if you buy into an iPhone 5 in September 2012 (and live in an area that's in the first wave of the rollout) you'll get a speed boost mid-contract rather than having to wait a year.

As for the rest you overlooked the biggest change - design. Quite frankly it's hard to see what Apple can do other than the items you listed. The camera is still one of the better ones out there, they're improving the screen (and not just size but quality too) and we're still a year away from the next big bump which will be the Cortex A15 and PowerVR series 6 SOC. Plus, of course, iOS 6 on top which brings a few big changes (maps being the obvious one including turn-by-turn) and several smaller but very useful changes (do not disturb is being underrated by the geek community IMO).

Without wishing to be rude, what do people expect? Unless Apple pull a fast one it's still too early for the big SOC bump we know is going to come with A15, the screen quality, camera quality and operating system are all top notch, battery life is likely to improve (A5 at 32nm seems the sensible guess and that would save a fair bit of juice, plus improved cellular radios)... what else would you realistically expect to make it in that would be a genuine game changer rather than gimmick? One thing I could maybe see them doing (and I wouldn't put money on this) is maybe dropping the price or increasing memory capacity but I don't think they really need to.

I guess the LTE makes sense, obviously I'm thinking about my needs, I live in the middle of Lincolnshire, we get no edge and certainly no 3G here! Only in a few larger places!

I do agree, ultimately there isn't much more they can do, it's just difficult to keep telling my friends and colleagues that the iPhone is the best... when so many other phones have these wow features (sure, most people probably never use them) but they still look great on paper!

Fully agree with the camera, main reason I stick with the iPhone, I honestly think it is the best camera out there, I didn't like the photos from my S3 much.

For me I'd like to see a capacitive button, I know many people don't want that but I personally do! I'd like to have gestures on the iPhone, again some people don't want that...I had it Jailbroken once and it worked fantastically.

I've been using iOS 6 since the first beta and it's great, some real good improvements but like I said above, it's becoming very difficult to keep my eyes focused on the iPhone.

Apple is very good at gimmicks...so maybe it's time they started doing some with the iPhone....Glowing Apple logo? ;-)

 

[tigress666]

There's no point. They are dead set on believing that everyone who is rationalizing here are the same ppl who were excited before.

What's funny is no one can provide a single example of such, but say that"everyone" does it.

Well, I will point out one thing... There were a lot of people all excited about NFC (some saying it was a must)... where are they now cause it seems now everyone is going, it's nothing. Sure, you say there are different people on this forum. So why were the people who didn't care staying quiet back then and why are the ones who wanted NFC being quiet now (This one is more telling because when people are upset, they like to rant).

Even if they are different people, they are staying quiet rather than lambast Apple for their decision. Or alternatively, they are like me. They were excited cause it was a new gadget but kinda realized it probably was going to be useless anyways.

I for one was excited mainly cause it was a new feature. But part of me kinda figured I'd probably not use it. So I could be accused of being all, "Oooh, NFC" and then saying, "No big deal" when it's said to not be implemented. Can't say I'm not disappointed, but really, I kinda got the feeling it would be one of those "shiny" things when new that I quickly forgot about and stopped using once the phone wasn't new anymore.

Honestly, I fail to see why it's easier to pay with my phone than a credit card. I already have a card that has a chip on it and I'll use the chip if the place has the reader just cause I like gadgets but it really is no more convenient than swiping the card. And I don't see how having to pull out my phone and turn it on to enter my pin so I can use NFC is more convenient than pulling out a card and swiping it and at worst having to enter a pin on their machine that already is up and ready for me to do it without me having to turn it on and get to the app to do that.

Really, I just wish the US was like the UK and you needed a pin for credit cards too. It's not that much more inconvenient and that would at least stop some opportunistic theft.

(personally, I hope Apple pulls out some surprise cause so far, nothing I hear about this phone is making me that excited. I may still get it just to have a faster phone/more RAM, and I suppose a better camera would be nice. And I'm coming from a 4, not a 4S).

 

[Monctonian]

Bluetooth people... Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) is inside the iPhone 4S and I bet inside the iPhone 5 (New iPhone).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonyk...urrent-iphone/

 

[saud0488]

whats funny is the fanboys say its overated and not taking off if its not in the next iphone, but if it is they will be going on and on about it how its the best thing since sliced bread

EXACTLY.

I'm sure it will be a next gen revolutionary feature in iPhone 6 with a cute name.

 

[boronathan]

Well, I will point out one thing... There were a lot of people all excited about NFC (some saying it was a must)... where are they now cause it seems now everyone is going, it's nothing. Sure, you say there are different people on this forum. So why were the people who didn't care staying quiet back then and why are the ones who wanted NFC being quiet now (This one is more telling because when people are upset, they like to rant).

Even if they are different people, they are staying quiet rather than lambast Apple for their decision. Or alternatively, they are like me. They were excited cause it was a new gadget but kinda realized it probably was going to be useless anyways.

I for one was excited mainly cause it was a new feature. But part of me kinda figured I'd probably not use it. So I could be accused of being all, "Oooh, NFC" and then saying, "No big deal" when it's said to not be implemented. Can't say I'm not disappointed, but really, I kinda got the feeling it would be one of those "shiny" things when new that I quickly forgot about and stopped using once the phone wasn't new anymore.

Honestly, I fail to see why it's easier to pay with my phone than a credit card. I already have a card that has a chip on it and I'll use the chip if the place has the reader just cause I like gadgets but it really is no more convenient than swiping the card. And I don't see how having to pull out my phone and turn it on to enter my pin so I can use NFC is more convenient than pulling out a card and swiping it and at worst having to enter a pin on their machine that already is up and ready for me to do it without me having to turn it on and get to the app to do that.

Really, I just wish the US was like the UK and you needed a pin for credit cards too. It's not that much more inconvenient and that would at least stop some opportunistic theft.

(personally, I hope Apple pulls out some surprise cause so far, nothing I hear about this phone is making me that excited. I may still get it just to have a faster phone/more RAM, and I suppose a better camera would be nice. And I'm coming from a 4, not a 4S).

I don't know where they are. What i do know is its not the same people saying nfc is crap now.

The whole apple sheep thing is easily disproven as I've done now by simply asking for examples. Silence from that group of generalizers is golden.

 

[Keniutek]

and right on cue, 99% of people here go from "I can't wait for NFC" to "NFC is overrated".

QFT. Wasn't that hard to predict either

 

[Dorv]

I don't know where they are. What i do know is its not the same people saying nfc is crap now.

The whole apple sheep thing is easily disproven as I've done now by simply asking for examples. Silence from that group of generalizers is golden.

Exactly.

I'm a Apple Fan, and I was really hoping for NFC in the new iPhone. While I'm sure their are myriad behind-the-scenes reasons why it wasn't included as many had speculated, I'm still disappointed.

 

[rodavilla]

Who is Jim Dalrymple that he turns the apple world around with a simple 'yep'?
Does he know Moses? read tea leaves? stare at the stars at night? Why do you treat him like he sits in on apple board meetings and knows all? Or is he just making educated guesses using the same rumors we all are reading? Any statistics on his 'guesses'? Does he just wait until the answer is more obvious before 'yelping?' And, most importantly, why doesn't anyone care what his sources are (if any)?

 

[apolloa]

Doesn't need NFC; it's a very immature, weak technology without any real standards. And NFC is sure not taking off without iPhone support!

Contactless payment solutions are sprouting up all over the place in many other various ways.

In the UK Mastercard and Barclay's I think have got behind it. So it is getting standards set and if the big finance companies are behind it then it will be successful.
You can even get a RFC sticker to put on your phone to use for NFC if you want.

 

[H. Flower]

So if we're not getting a streamlined form of NFC, what exactly is this phone going to offer to the market?

The bigger screen, LTE, maps are all catch up, right?

 

[aliensporebomb]

Ah

in before someone goes "good, I don't want the mark of the beast phone".

 

[MadDog31]

There was talk at my work of using NFC to allow us inside secured doors without having to swipe an ID card. THAT would be nice...

 

[boronathan]

Exactly.

I'm a Apple Fan, and I was really hoping for NFC in the new iPhone. While I'm sure their are myriad behind-the-scenes reasons why it wasn't included as many had speculated, I'm still disappointed.

That's why i said there's no point in arguing with that bunch. They're here to stir up trouble even though everything they say is disproven time and time again. They won't post that stuff in this thread again, but we'll see them saying the same thing elsewhere soon enough. It's what they do *shrug*

 

[wx4olf]

I reckon it's either a re-housed camera unit or sensor OR it is in fact NFC. Is'nt the placement fine in this spot? All the talk in the article about coils and signal... I think this position is good as it is never held by the user apart from landscape mode....umm...what a conundrum!

The Anandtech article concluded that the mystery chip is related to the new in-cell display tech being used. With that said I would still like to see some kind of nfc implementation in the new I phone however doubtful that may be at this time.

 

[ChrisWard1994]

Wouldn't say it's a definite no for the next iphone. In all the patents the chip is in the top left of the front, where the chip was spotted yesterday. I don't think apple would free up space in that location to use it for a different purpose. If the iphone is indeed unibody then the back will surely have the same antenna capabilitys as the band going around the phone.

 

[Reach9]

Well another reason to skip this upgrade, not that i needed another one.

Bring on the iPhone 7th gen!

 

[isoft7]

No NFC support would demonstrate very clearly Apples continuing inability to keep up with the rapid technological advances produced by their mobile competitors.

Eventually, that fact alone will be what topples the iPhone from market dominance.

People get bored, they want more, if you can't provide it to them, they will go elsewhere.

Apples future WILL be much like their past.

Enjoy the success while it lasts, it won't be forever.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Well another reason to skip this upgrade, not that i needed another one.

Bring on the iPhone 7th gen!

You realize you're probably only holding out for a faster SoC, right?

 

[rickdollar]

So if Jim Dalrymple says so that means not NFC? Is he always right with everything he says/predicts?

Yep

 

[Bezetos]

Doesn't need NFC; it's a very immature, weak technology without any real standards.

NFC is a set of standards...

 

[paradox00]

No NFC support would demonstrate very clearly Apples continuing inability to keep up with the rapid technological advances produced by their mobile competitors.

Eventually, that fact alone will be what topples the iPhone from market dominance.

People get bored, they want more, if you can't provide it to them, they will go elsewhere.

Apples future WILL be much like their past.

Enjoy the success while it lasts, it won't be forever.

Just like the lack of 3G and LTE did right? NFC right now is far less important than those two and people still bought plenty of iPhones with those technologies missing.

With some things, Apple waits until the technology is mature before jumping in. NFC in phones is far from standardized at this point. NFC functionality is only as good as the places iit's supported at. While I'd like to see it in the new iPhone, I'd really only want it just in case it actually catches on in the next couple years.

 

[Bezetos]

Just like the lack of 3G and LTE did right? NFC right now is far less important than those two and people still bought plenty of iPhones with those technologies missing.

FYI the lack of 3G was criticised in reviews of the first iPhone, same as the lack of MMS.

 

[Reef555]

Just guessing:

Apple doesn't want to pay the high price of a premium/small chip that they need for NFC?

Apple wants their 30% cut from someone in that financial chain (Visa, stores, middleman) Or cut out the middle man completely. They are trying to figure out a way to get a cut of the comission and the credit card/processing companies are saying "no way".

Long term it will hurt them if they dont get in on the action.

The credit card skimmers are scary enough. Imagine someone placing a NFC reader 'under the counter' (behind the counter, hidden by junk) and it's 1 ft from the real NFC scanner and it just starts picking up everything. They can break the encrption later. Hell, behind the counter, they can even plug the device in for power/Wifi and the employees will have no idea what it is. I have no idea how NFC stuff works, so correct me if the security is bullet proof, but I doubt it.

 

[mnemonix]

QFT. Wasn't that hard to predict either

And what to do YOU think of NFC?

Oh wait, you have no opinions on anything but the imaginary fanboys you conjure up so you can then diss to make you feel special in front of your 14 year old friends.

 

[Doombringer]

Apple SHOULD advance NFC. If they included it in the iPhone "5", the industry would take note and you'd see major movement there...

But now they've given it the axe this year, and it will take that much longer to gain much-needed momentum and adoption. It's a shame.

And yeah, it's funny to see the Apple fans pining for NFC switch to decrying it, now that it more than likely won't be included. "Pffh, I didn't need it anyway!" Wishy-washy.