According to several online publications including Wired, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s upcoming iPhone 6 may feature NFC and mobile payments system.
More reports Apple will add NFC technology to iPhone 6
Apple has been rumored to add Near field communication (or NFC as it is called) for awhile. Every year rumors surface that Apple will finally launch a smartphone with the feature. A recently leaked schematic from GeekBar on Weibo showed a popular NFC chip and offered a possible connection that did not go beyond the claim.
One leaked circuit board purportedly show support for NFC. Earlier this year, a report from VentureBeat claimed the iPhone 6 would support NFC. Wired’s report also mentioned that a new payment system would be a significant feature in the iPhone 6. Just last May, Wired also reported Apple discussed with major retailers about a purported payment system. Another source added the Cupertino-based tech giant was talking to credit card companies. A similar report from Re/Code was also published.
Tim Cook talks possibilities
Apple’s chief executive officer Tim Cook even made a comment on the matter. He added, “The mobile payments area in general is one we’ve been intrigued with. It was one of the thoughts behind Touch ID […] it’s a big opportunity …”
Cook also previously mentioned the number of iTunes accounts with credit cards connected.
The company’s overall reluctance to bring NFC technology to iPhones has some wondering if Apple would launch a mobile payments system that relied on Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo iBeacon, something that could be used on current iPhones and the iPhone 6. There is also a filed patent that describes such a system with in-depth details on how it would work.
As more people use their mobile phones to shop and pay for items, the need for mobile payment systems will grow. If this is true, Apple could tap into a huge opportunity.
