Previewed at WWDC, launching in the fall.
iOS 12 to Allow iPhones to Unlock Doors Via NFC
Apple is expected to expand the NFC capabilities of its iPhones beyond mobile payments, allowing users to securely unlock doors equipped with the technology, according to The Information. The company is said to be planning to announce the new functionality "next month," suggesting it will come at WWDC as part of the iOS 12 unveiling.
Today's report notes that while Bluetooth is already used to manage some smart locks using iPhones, NFC offers a more secure method for connections and authentication, an important consideration for companies and government agencies in particular.
The change to the near-field communication, or NFC, chip, which is expected to be announced next month, could pave the way for people to use iPhones for other security-sensitive interactions, from paying transit fares and opening car doors to verifying their identity in other ways.The Information reported nearly four years ago that Apple was looking to expand NFC capabilities to building security and transit ticketing, working with its campus security vendor HID Global on the technology.
Already, employees at Apple’s new campus in Cupertino, Calif., are using their iPhones to gain access to buildings and offices, suggesting that the technology has been deployed there, people familiar with the matter said.
Today's report notes that while Bluetooth is already used to manage some smart locks using iPhones, NFC offers a more secure method for connections and authentication, an important consideration for companies and government agencies in particular.
Related Roundup: iOS 12
Tag: NFC
[ 121 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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12 weeks ago
This needs to be on the Apple Watch and not so much on a drop potential, glass shatter device as the iPhone.
12 weeks ago
Is there any reason Apple took so long to provide a complete NFC API? Were they worried people would do Bad Things(TM) with it?
It just seems odd because other smartphone vendors have had an open API for NFC since they started having NFC, and Apple took four years to even start doing the same thing.
It just seems odd because other smartphone vendors have had an open API for NFC since they started having NFC, and Apple took four years to even start doing the same thing.
12 weeks ago
This needs to be on the Apple Watch and not so much on a drop potential, glass shatter device as the iPhone.
Why not both?
12 weeks ago
Is there any reason Apple took so long to provide a complete NFC API? Were they worried people would do Bad Things(TM) with it?
It just seems odd because other smartphone vendors have had an open API for NFC since they started having NFC, and Apple took four years to even start doing the same thing.
Don't forget how long Apple took to even add NFC to their phones, when their competitors had it years earlier.
12 weeks ago
Is there any reason Apple took so long to provide a complete NFC API? Were they worried people would do Bad Things(TM) with it?
It just seems odd because other smartphone vendors have had an open API for NFC since they started having NFC, and Apple took four years to even start doing the same thing.
Doesn't seem at all odd, because Apple is extra-cautious. They certainly would rather avoid headlines about people doing Bad Things™ with it. "iPhone Let Rapist into Hotel Room" is not a headline they'd want, and with "Apple" and "iPhone" far bigger clickbait terms than "Android," the potential consequences of an incident are much larger. If it takes them a while longer to be satisfied that they "got it right" before releasing to the public... that's SOP for Apple.
12 weeks ago
I'd like to be able to do this with my car. My keys are already wireless, there's no reason my phone couldn't do this job.
Even use a TouchID style system for the starter button.
I feel like we're so close to being able to leave behind my wallet and keys. I just need to be able to put my drivers licence into my phone and I can leave everything at home.
Even use a TouchID style system for the starter button.
I feel like we're so close to being able to leave behind my wallet and keys. I just need to be able to put my drivers licence into my phone and I can leave everything at home.
12 weeks ago
Most people in the US don’t identify with this problem. We don’t enter our houses via the front door.
Do you instead pole-vault through a second story window? I’m very confused.
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