Back in the days when everyone was referring to the iPhone 4′s successor as the “iPhone 5,” rumors popped up that Apple was planning to integrate near field communication (NFC) into its next mobile device. That product ended up being the marginally upgraded iPhone 4S, but now that the true iPhone 5 is almost here, those rumors are beginning to resurface.
AppleInsider.com has found pictures on a Taiwanese Apple fan site displaying a previously unleaked new part within the new iPhone model. Because NFC chips don’t exactly have giant lettering printed on them, it isn’t perfectly clear what this new trinket is. However, an increasing consensus is that it is indeed the addition that nerdy iPhone fans have been hoping for.
It could be the giant rest button that the NFC community desperately needs. Since first entering the mobile consumer market about a year ago with Google Wallet, the concept of contactless technology built directly into smartphones for mobile payments and more has been relegated to the background.
Google Wallet was never destined to be the catalyst for NFC adoption, though. Its highly limited partnerships with Sprint and Citi made it nearly impossible for the platform to spread its wings and fly. Then, however, there was Isis, a joint venture between Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. That showed promise, but it still hasn’t been rolled out to any significant scale.
Samsung has taken a different NFC approach, using the technology to promote features like phone-to-phone photo-sharing instead of mobile payments with the Galaxy S III. So if the iPhone 5 does indeed incorporate this nascent mobile innovation, the real question will be what its main focus is. Will Apple try to foster a brand new mobile payment platform or will its intentions be more about sharing content between iPhones? All should hopefully be revealed in a couple weeks when Apple is expected to officially unveil the new device.
Applepro (in Chinese) via Apple Insider
Source : geek[dot]com
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