Apple iPhone 5 Won’t Sport NFC Technology

Apple will not include NFC chips in its forthcoming iPhone 5, despite growing demand for mobile payments, a report has revealed.

While speculations surround Apple’s plan to make the iPhone 5 NFC-enabled, a fresh report has emerged from The Independent claiming that the company will not adopt the ‘wave and pay’ technology until next year.

The newspaper quoted a source as saying Apple was “concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry,” but added the technology giant is working on its own NFC (Near Field Communications) proposition, which will link mobile payments to users’ iTunes account.

However, there have been signs indicating Apple’s determination to adopt NFC. In August 2010, for example, the company hired an NFC expert as the new product manager for mobile commerce. It also published a number of NFC-related patents over the summer.

Growing NFC adoption

While Apple is still experimenting with the wireless mobile payment technology, its arch-rival Google has officially introduced NFC technology into its Samsung Nexus S.

Earlier this month, Research In Motion (RIM) also announced that “virtually all” future BlackBerry smartphones and tablets would have built-in Near Field Communications technology in response to the growing demand for mobile payments.

“We don’t know how it’s going to pan out, but we’re in the process of building an ecosystem,” said Stephen Bates, managing director of RIM UK, adding NFC “creates new businesses, new markets and new revenue streams”.

NFC refers to a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology. It is used in payment systems such as London Transport’s Oyster card. According to market research firm iSuppli, 13 percent of the 220.1 million handsets expected to be sold in 2014 will come with mobile payments capability.

iPad 2 on sale

Meanwhile, Apple’s second-generation tablet, the iPad 2, finally went on sale across the US last Friday and was completely sold out over its debut weekend.

According to a report from Bloomberg, as many as 500,000 units may have been sold. Although impressive, the figures are marginally lower than the Gleacher & Co’s prediction of 600,000.

Slated for a 25 March release in the UK, the iPad 2 is powered by a faster processor and features a slimmer and lighter body than Apple’s first-generation tablet. Front and rear cameras are also provided for taking pictures and video calling.

The iPad 2’s price tags range from $499 (£310) to $829 (£515), depending on storage space and whether the device can connect to the Internet over a mobile network.