According To Somebody In-The-Know, Apple's "Plans For NFC Are Unknown"
by Joe White
June 3, 2011
While we're not necessarily expecting Apple to debut NFC ("Near Field Communication") technology in the fifth generation iPhone, we do envisage a future iPhone adopting the technology in the near future. However, according NXP Technology (speaking at Computex), Apple's "plans for NFC are unknown."
Recently, Google announced its own NFC-payments service, "Google Wallet," which will premiere on the company's flagship Android smart phone, the Nexus S. And what's more, Google isn't the only company taking an active interest in NFC - according to Apple Insider, 80 percent of the smart phone industry is planning on adopting the technology, including Nokia and Research In Motion.
But what about Apple?
Originally, many of us were hoping for Apple to release an NFC capable iPhone 5. However, a variety of reports have suggested that Apple's fifth generation handset will be more evolutionary, as opposed to revolutionary - hinting at an iPhone 3GS style upgrade. Alongside these rumors are reports claiming that Apple will not debut NFC in the fifth generation iPhone.
Now, NXP Technology has confirmed that Apple's plans for the technology are "unknown." The news comes from a report by Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, and reached our eyes via Apple Insider, who reported earlier today:
But the major player absent is Apple, as NXP said the Cupertino, Calif., company's "plans for NFC are unknown." "Keep in mind, the opinions on whether the next-generation iPhone will include NFC have varied widely this year," White said, "as we believe Apple carefully evaluates this new technology and how to optimize it within the company's digital ecosystem."Obviously, there is a chance we will see an NFC capable iPhone launch this year. However, we don't think the announcement and coming launch of Google Wallet will push the Cupertino, CA company to accelerate its development of a mobile payments service. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, let us know your opinion in the comments.
