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Another Report Suggests NFC Support for iPhone 6, Chip to Be Provided by NXP

Friday August 29, 2014 1:48 am PDT by Richard Padilla
NXP_fc Apple will feature near field communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 6 with a chip provided by Dutch company NXP Semiconductors, according to a report from the Financial Times. The chip will allow the iPhone to be scanned by payment terminals and ticket systems, while also allowing for further integration with other methods.

Throughout the past week, a number of rumors and reports from various sources have claimed that the iPhone 6 will gain NFC support. Evidence of NFC capabilities provided by NXP first surfaced earlier this week in a claimed schematic, which showed the company's PN65 chip on the iPhone 6's logic board.

Yesterday, technology news website WIRED and Apple blogger John Gruber also suggested that the iPhone 6 would feature NFC, with the latter stating that Apple's NFC-based mobile payment system would use a new secure enclave coprocessor built into the company's new A8 chip, which was also suggested by previous reports.

Last month, it was reported that Apple was in talks with major credit card companies like Visa over a mobile payment solution that would utilize the credit card data already stored in millions of iTunes accounts. Apple also was said to be interviewing senior payments industry executives to take on roles within the company, possibly indicating that the company has been hard at work on creating its own mobile payments service.

Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 6 and a wearable device at an event on September 9.

Tag: ft.com
[ 92 comments ]


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Jsameds
55 months ago
How many NFC articles do we need, seriously..
Rating: 4 Votes
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H2SO4
55 months ago

nfc + watch = ditch the wallet


So where do you keep your driving licence? Or credit card sized door entry fobs. Have another look in your wallet and see what else is there.
I don’t think we’re rid of it yet.

Why does 99.99% of the population think that the iPhone will replace everything you carry in your pocket?
Rating: 3 Votes
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MRU
55 months ago

nfc + watch = ditch the wallet


Yes because every retailer in every store in every village or every town or every city in every country will all fully support this won't they .....

I'll just go and burn my wallet now ......

Whilst this is undoubtably a step in the right direction ... Let's be realistic. There is a very very long road ahead. Don't go trying to run a marathon when your barely finished learning to tie your shoelaces. ;) and put your wallet back in your pocket....
Rating: 3 Votes
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H2SO4
55 months ago

I don't carry a wallet anymore. Only iPhone and cash. Sometimes no cash cause iPhone allows me to get cash from cash machine. For other cards that just need to be shown I photograph them and keep in a photo album called cards (have asked various card issuers to catch up and issue passbook ones but they are stubborn and stuck in the past) My iPhone contains way more to identify me than anything in my wallet could so its easy to prove its me. It even unlocks with my finger print.


Go to a secure site and ask them to accept a picture of you on your phone for access. LOL.

It’ll be Bo GEDDOUDAHEERE!
Rating: 3 Votes
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johnnnw
55 months ago
Better late than never for the NFC chip I guess!
Rating: 2 Votes
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roadbloc
55 months ago

Excuse the dumb question, but what's the point of having NFC on a wireless speaker? :o


It automatically pairs bluetooth. Saves you a few minutes of time switching on BT and pairing the phone up. All I have to do is swipe my phone over the top every time I wish to use it and NFC does the rest in a split second.

Super super convienicence. Not really that nessesarry in this instance, but a good example on how widespread NFC is now.
Rating: 2 Votes
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HarryDevlin
55 months ago

How? Implementing NFC is like implementing WiFi or Bluetooth. Most likley is that they'll stick in icon in Settings and Control Center just like everyone else has. I don't see how such a thing can be implemented any more simply than that. But I guess we'll see.


Apple always claims that the reason they are late with a specific feature is that it was not possible to implement it properly until they implemented it.

They said this with voice dialing (the original iPhone lacked it).
They said this with 3G.
They said this with LTE.

They will likely make similar statements when they release the larger screen iPhones and when they release NFC.

The reality is that it's all about marketing. There has to be a good reason to upgrade. 3G was a good reason. LTE was a good reason. Siri was a so-so reason. Larger screens and NFC are good reasons.
Rating: 2 Votes
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roadbloc
55 months ago

Yes Apple is late to the game but I bet there's a very good reason. Their implementation will be much better than the rest.

How? Implementing NFC is like implementing WiFi or Bluetooth. Most likley is that they'll stick in icon in Settings and Control Center just like everyone else has. I don't see how such a thing can be implemented any more simply than that. But I guess we'll see.
Rating: 2 Votes
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eac25
55 months ago

Maybe you can elaborate?


My point is that what's important is the protocols and applications that sit behind the NFC radio - this isn't about the radio itself. The only reason all the existing NFC stuff works is because of protocols and applications. Apple hasn't felt that those are up to their version of snuff. If they are adding an NFC radio it's likely not because they've decided it's finally time to support all that already exists in the NFC world - it's more likely because they've come up with a new application that is served well by employing an NFC radio. NFC isn't what Apple will feel is the magic - they will feel it's what they've added behind it...
Rating: 1 Votes
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draugminaion
55 months ago

My point is that what's important is the protocols and applications that sit behind the NFC radio - this isn't about the radio itself. The only reason all the existing NFC stuff works is because of protocols and applications. Apple hasn't felt that those are up to their version of snuff. If they are adding an NFC radio it's likely not because they've decided it's finally time to support all that already exists in the NFC world - it's more likely because they've come up with a new application that is served well by employing an NFC radio. NFC isn't what Apple will feel is the magic - they will feel it's what they've added behind it...

The things NFC does for mobile payments is pretty much already standardized and mandated by the entity that processes the payment and/or issues the cards. Apple can only conform. As far as mobile payments are concerned, all Apple's devices need to do is what a card does. Technically straight-forward and relatively simple. The problem is getting the issuer to trust Apple's devices security as much as they trust their cards. I don't see Apple doing anything beyond payments and public transport with NFC. This stuff already exists, there is nothing for Apple to do at the NFC end. On the User experience end there is a lot Apple can do.

Like having the NFC transceiver in a wearable.

Think about it, Apple tries to do things that are better than what already exists, if they can't do that they don't bother.

How is taking out your phone better than taking out your wallet?
Not having to take out anything because it is already on your wrist is better.
Rating: 1 Votes

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