Confirmed: Google's NFC Payments Service Launching This Summer, But What About Apple?

According to a leaked internal memo (from The Container Store), Google is planning on announcing its mobile payments service - "Google Wallet" - tomorrow. But, what does this mean for Apple? The news comes from This is my next, in an article that hit the Web last night. As you can see in the above image, one Google Wallet partner has confirmed the service's launch in an internal memo. While many of us initially expected an NFC capable iPhone 5 to launch later this year, a variety of recent reports have indicated that Apple is instead planning on debuting the technology in its sixth generation iPhone. Apparently, this is due to a "lack of a clear standard across the industry." Already, the Nexus S smart phone (a key iPhone competitor, which is powered by Google Android) is NFC capable, and now it would appear that Google is about to utilize the technology in launching its own mobile payments service, too. Could Apple let Google get away with this? Obviously, it would appear that this might give Google "the edge" over Apple - of course, one company would have adopted NFC, and the other would still be holding back. It would be understandable for commenters to express their frustration at Apple having reportedly decided to not release an NFC capable iPhone 5. However, it's important to recognize that currently, there isn't much an NFC capable device can do. As of this moment, a payments service hasn't really been established, and only a handful of other services are finding a use for NFC. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the technology is pointless, because there is a lot you'll be able to do with an NFC capable device, one day. But that day isn't today, and it's not going to be tomorrow, next week, or even next month. In short, there has to be something for an NFC capable device to interact with (don't forget, the "C" stands for communication, and it has to be two-way). And as of this moment, the Nexus S - with its NFC capability - is really just talking to itself. For this reason, I can understand why Apple may not announce an NFC capable iPhone at WWDC or its fall event - the company has its reasons for holding off on debuting the technology in an iPhone, for now. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And remember, you can check out all the iPhone 5 rumors in one place by heading over to our online roundup page, which we're continually updating!

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