Apple is working with Dutch chip manufacturer NXP to add Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity to future versions of the iPhone, according to the Financial Times, possibly starting with the iPhone 6, which is expected to be announced on 9 September.
Rival manufacturers such as Samsung and Sony have included NFC support in their flagship smartphones for some time, but Apple has so far resisted the urge to include the feature in its handsets, despite strong suggestions it would be included in the iPhone 5 and 5S.
NFC smartphones can communicate with other devices such as speakers and printers and, when used in conjunction with a mobile wallet, can pay for low-cost items using a compatible reader.
Transport for London (TfL) allows contactless payments on tube and bus services in the capital, but despite strong support from manufacturers, operators and payment service providers, mobile payments have struggled to make a huge impact.
Apple is believed to have recruited a number of mobile payment experts in recent times and CEO Tim Cook has indicated the firm is working on such technology, suggesting it could make use of the TouchID fingerprint sensor featured in the iPhone 5S.
The company has apparently been interested in launching a mobile payment platform since 2012, but scrapped plans for a mobile wallet over fears customers might blame the company for a bad experience with a merchant.
Apple has confirmed it is holding an event on the 9 September in its hometown of Cupertino and it is expected that both a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will be unveiled, possibly alongside the highly-anticipated iWatch. Both smartphones will run iOS 8, which was shown off at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this year.
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They may include NFC but I'm not sure why, because Bluetooth 4.0 & their iBeacon solution would offer a far superior customer experience i.e. order and pay from your table than queuing to order and pay with a card or NFC (old tech). It also might allow them to circumvent the card partners in the long run (once their own terminal solution is deployed).The Telco's have missed the boat backing the SIM based secure element with NFC model and then not pushing it hard enough to get decent market penetration before these OTT arrive, this will cut them out of the payments revenue stream overtime.