iPhone 5 and iPad 2 will come with NFC built in

[zerocool84]

You'll no doubt be aware of our (well justified) distrust for anything that passes a tech analyst's lips, but this time's a little different. Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group cites "engineers who are working on hardware" for Apple's latest project in asserting what that project actually is: NFC capabilities are apparently being built into the next generation of iPhone and iPad devices. Contactless payments via NFC have been steadily building up in hype and adoption recently -- at least in the western hemisphere, the stuff is commonplace in Japan -- and Doherty predicts Apple will make its move into the field with some new hardware and an accompanying "revamp" of iTunes. The idea would be to allow the use of iTunes gift card balances and the credit card info Apple already has from you to make swiping payments at compatible retail outlets. Apple is said to be planning enticements, like loyalty credits and points, to get you using its service in the place of the competition, and there are already a couple of software patent applications from the company detailing other potential uses for the technology. All of which could mean absolutely nothing, of course, but this seems like an awful lot of smoke for there not to be a fire under it.

Whether you like Apple or not, iPhone and iPad having this will jump-start NFC everywhere here in the States which is good for the technology. Nothing carries brand-name power like Apple products so this should spring them up faster here.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/iphone-5-and-ipad-2-will-come-with-nfc-built-in-suggests-well-c/

 

[s44]

Nexus S and Gingerbread already have it... Which is a good thing, because Apple's particular implementation (Itunes gift cards!?) suggest that they're basically trying to monopolize money.

 

[MrX8503]

Considering Apple has all the iTunes credit cards to back it up, I can see how Apple could make NFC take off.

I find it funny that Engadget gets so much Apple hate, yet the only topics that sky rocket in comments are Apple articles.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Considering Apple has all the iTunes credit cards to back it up, I can see how Apple could make NFC take off.

I find it funny that Engadget gets so much Apple hate, yet the only topics that sky rocket in comments are Apple articles.

I know, some commenter on every article accuses Engadget of getting paid for Apple articles.

Back on topic, though, Apple is going to kill with this feature, iPhone owners will seek out businesses that use NFC for payments.

 

[cheezy321]

I can see it on the iPhone, but who the hell is going to lug around their ipad to make a payment in a store?

 

[Cuda1447]

I can see it on the iPhone, but who the hell is going to lug around their ipad to make a payment in a store?

A lot of people seem to carry them to look important/cool. You'd be surprised. College campuses are probably going to be littered with these things instead of laptops. Regardless of one being vastly more useful than the other. I could see NFC being heavily adopted on campuses across the country quickly.

 

[pm]

I used my phone to pay for things when I was relocated to Poland about 18 months ago and I thought it was pretty cool. It wasn't NFC though - it was based on SMS and phone numbers and the prepaid phone system that they had. But then I ran into the "Chip 'n Pin" system and decided that the Europeans are well ahead of the US in terms of credit card/debit card security as well as support different payment systems.

Since NFC is an extension of RFID, I wonder if those "Blink" RFID credit card readers already installed in a lot of stores (and used on Chase credit cards among others) will be compatible. If it is - and I would think it's not an electrical engineering issue but more problematicly a credit card cartel issue - then there's already a based of NFC readers in stores.

If they rolled out NFC, I'd be an early adopter.

I can see it on the iPhone, but who the hell is going to lug around their ipad to make a payment in a store?

I see a lot of them in airports, presumably people not trying to look cool but who are actually using them. Maybe it makes sense there. I can't imagine paying for anything with an iPad - it's too big - but I think it's a great idea for phones - all phones, not just iPhones.

 

[zerocool84]

I see a lot of them in airports, presumably people not trying to look cool but who are actually using them. Maybe it makes sense there. I can't imagine paying for anything with an iPad - it's too big - but I think it's a great idea for phones - all phones, not just iPhones.

Yea tons of people carry them but it doesn't make sense to have it on it since it's so huge but I assume Apple has other plans for the iPad NFC.

 

[MrX8503]

I saw the craziest thing. Some chick was using a 7" tablet has her MP3 Player while walking around the track. Never found out what tablet it was, but it looked like the Galaxy Tab. lol

 

[tdawg]

I know, some commenter on every article accuses Engadget of getting paid for Apple articles.

Back on topic, though, Apple is going to kill with this feature, iPhone owners will seek out businesses that use NFC for payments.

I'd lean more to the vast majority of iPhone 5 buyers in the US, along with the majority of others that have a phone with NFC capabilities, will be too scared off by "articles" on snopes.com and scary emails from co-workers about their "friend" that had money stolen from them by a thief with some sort of skimmer that just walked past them on the street. The majority will never use the NFC capabilities of their phone.

 

[zylander]

I seem to be the only iphone owner who couldnt care less about this.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Considering Apple has all the iTunes credit cards to back it up, I can see how Apple could make NFC take off.

I find it funny that Engadget gets so much Apple hate, yet the only topics that sky rocket in comments are Apple articles.

Seriously, slow down, you're going to choke on the Kool Aid. In the Top 5 at time of posting the highest commented article at #3 is about an Apple product regarding this NFC story and the top two are about MS & RIM.

Please, it's not the Messiah, it's just a very naughty boy.

 

[MrX8503]

Seriously, slow down, you're going to choke on the Kool Aid. In the Top 5 at time of posting the highest commented article at #3 is about an Apple product regarding this NFC story and the top two are about MS & RIM.

Please, it's not the Messiah, it's just a very naughty boy.

You very well know that by volume Apple articles in general are the top at Engadget. I've been a reading there for a while and the most idiotic Apple articles are way up there.

Remember the Verizon iPhone4 announcement? Comments Exploded.

When the iPhone4 was released, Engadget blew up.

I don't care if Apple articles are popular or not, I'm just saying its dumb that people complain so much about Apple and drive the article up.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I'd lean more to the vast majority of iPhone 5 buyers in the US, along with the majority of others that have a phone with NFC capabilities, will be too scared off by "articles" on snopes.com and scary emails from co-workers about their "friend" that had money stolen from them by a thief with some sort of skimmer that just walked past them on the street. The majority will never use the NFC capabilities of their phone.

I wouldn't bet on that, iPhone users are accustomed to buying apps and having a good experience, I think this will be a very big deal.

 

[zerocool84]

I wouldn't bet on that, iPhone users are accustomed to buying apps and having a good experience, I think this will be a very big deal.

I'm hoping it will be. My brother lives in Tokyo and tells me how convenient it is being able to use your cellphone for basically everything since it's already everywhere over there.

 

[MrX8503]

I'm hoping it will be. My brother lives in Tokyo and tells me how convenient it is being able to use your cellphone for basically everything since it's already everywhere over there.

I could see how that would be very nice. Japan is a bit crazy with tech though, they adopt pretty much everything.

 

[sourceninja]

I'm not interested, to me this just makes the phone a much bigger target for theft. For example, I tend to leave my phone on my desk while I'm at work. Now I have to protected it more then I protect my wallet. Unless it requires me to type in my password to buy stuff, which will be more time consuming then my card...

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm hoping it will be. My brother lives in Tokyo and tells me how convenient it is being able to use your cellphone for basically everything since it's already everywhere over there.

I've spent about a month out of the past year in the Tokyo area. Believe me, if this kicks off in the States and survives I will be thrilled. It's one of the few things I actually miss.

 

[pm]

It looks like they are going to roll it out in the UK this summer:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20029865-264.html

 

[Spicedaddy]

Doesn't seem to be much of an improvement over a credit card.

 

[bonkers325]

unless the phone has some sort of protection or system that protects the account holder, i doubt NFC will become popular enough to use.

people's phones get stolen all the time, especially on the bus/subways where they have them out playing games or text messaging. what's gonna happen when someone just grabs your phone and runs? they've got instant access to credit and can just wave it around and blow money until you kill the account, which you cannot do immediately since you don't have a phone!

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Can someone teach me how RFID and crap works?

I think of it as a remote control. You can buy a remote control, turn it into program mode and it can learn all your other remote controls' features.

How does NFC work? Is there a program mode oyu turn on and then you put your credit card close and then it emulates it? Or there's gotta be more security than that right?

 

[Bateluer]

I saw the craziest thing. Some chick was using a 7" tablet has her MP3 Player while walking around the track. Never found out what tablet it was, but it looked like the Galaxy Tab. lol

Seriously? WTF. Couldn't spring a 100 bucks for an MP3 player, but she could drop a 400+ on a Tab?

Edit - I find it funny that Android gets NFC, and its basically ignored. Apple talks about bring NFC to a future product, and suddenly its the greatest thing since sliced bread.

 

[DivideBYZero]

NFC will be about more than just contactless payments. And as has been said, NFC will be in all phones by mid/late '11.

 

[zerocool84]

Seriously? WTF. Couldn't spring a 100 bucks for an MP3 player, but she could drop a 400+ on a Tab?

Edit - I find it funny that Android gets NFC, and its basically ignored. Apple talks about bring NFC to a future product, and suddenly its the greatest thing since sliced bread.

???

It was a big deal being in the Nexus S. Everyone was talking about it.