Apple Predicted to Adopt NFC in iPhone 6 as Core Technology for Mobile Payments System

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"Apple will never adopt NFC"
"NFC is dead technology"
"NFC is a fad"



:rolleyes:

NFC? Meh. I prefer AFC.

The only reason for any resentment to NFC on this forum has always been the fact that to admit that NFC is is a good thing is to admit that iPhone is lacking an important feature. The same is true about many other technologies (smaller tablets, larger phones, pressure sensitive pen, OLED displays and even LTE at some point). The silliness never stops.

I'll believe it when I see it, but I really doubt Apple will add NFC after all that they've done with BTLE.

Insert

"Apple will never adopt NFC"
"NFC is dead technology"
"NFC is a fad"



:rolleyes:

NFC makes sense for payments. Transferring of content? Not so much.

Insert

"Apple will never adopt NFC"
"NFC is dead technology"
"NFC is a fad"



:rolleyes:

Insert "anti fan-boy" fan boy statements here.

So, do I have to bump the iPhone against the cash register in order to pay? :)

I thought I had seen articles saying that NFC had more or less failed in terms of adoption and that even google wallet was moving to alternatives. It seems to me like the iBeacon stuff was gaining traction. Why would Apple give up on iBeacon and move to something that wasn't being adopted by others?

Edit: From a previous MR article
"Apple has steadfastly refused to adopt NFC and because it has fallen out of popularity, Google recently ceased requiring NFC technology in order to utilize the app on Android, shifting its focus from mobile payments to focus on loyalty cards, merchant offers, and discounts."

How to pay

So, do I have to bump the iPhone against the cash register in order to pay? :)

If your iphone is in your breast pocket you have to chest pump the shop attendant to pay.


... in all seriousness the NFC will be in the iWatch not the phone. It will be the USP of the iWAtch IMO. If your have your phone with your watch you just reach out and wave at the counter to pay... easy

Besides payments, NFC is also great for some transfers

I see a lot of questions about why you would want NFC, when we already have a bunch of comm methods. Of course, that's the whole point: each method has its own purpose and strengths.

For example, I would use cellular to send to someone far away. At the same party, we might be able to set up a direct WiFi connection (if we have the same phone maker).

With NFC transfers, the purpose is to be able to send/share things with someone next to you, without knowing each other's details like email address or even phone number... or having to edit the message to send.

You simply hold your devices back-to-back or close together (depending on phone or tablet) while viewing the item you wish to transfer. A picture of what will transfer pops up and you click to confirm. Depending on what's being transferred, the receiving device may show a receive confirmation that they must click. Done.

Examples of easy transfers that my Android using kids and I do:


* Looking at a web page -> touch -> other phone opens browser to that page
* Looking at a map -> touch -> other phone is looking at the same location
* Navigation directions -> touch -> other phone now has same directions
* Watching a YouTube video -> touch -> video opens on other device
* Looking at photo(s) -> touch -> transfers photo(s) to other device
* Looking at a contact -> touch -> other phone gets copy of contact
* Using an app -> touch -> other phone opens to that app in the Market
* Viewing a contact-> touch -> transfers contact to other device


It's pretty handy when you're right next to someone, and it's an anonymous way to transfer stuff. E.g. someone stops you for directions, you could bring them up on your phone and touch phones to transfer. No phone number or email address or other personal info is necessary.

It's quick and easy and private. And obviously meant only for transfers to someone next to you. Otherwise, you'd use a different method that requires more setup, like Airdrop or email or texting... which also usually needs you to edit the info to send.

-- Universal transfer

Perhaps the best part, is that this kind of easy transfer can be OS agnostic, unlike Airdrop or Beam. Part of the NFC spec is that devices can support a simple protocol for sending request types. E.g. a URL, a photo, an address. It's totally up to the target device to decide what to do with that info: pop up a browser, or initiate a WiFi photo transfer, show a map, etc.

In theory, any NFC equipped device can talk to each other. In reality, some device makers have left out some transfer types. For example, I think that you can touch and transfer URLs between Android and Blackberry NFC equipped phones. PDFs or contacts? I don't know.