AppleInsider Staff
This week, AnandTech offered a closer look at rumors surrounding Apple's anticipated sixth-generation iPhone. Because the new handset is expected to include a primarily metal backside, they concluded that NFC functionality — sometimes known as radio frequency identification, or RFID — is "unlikely" to appear in Apple's next handset.
That conclusion was supported on Tuesday by Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, who offered a succinct "Yep" in response to the analysis done by Brian Klug and Anand Lal Shimpi.
Speculation that Apple could add NFC functionality to a future iPhone has persisted for years, but picked up steam earlier this year following the unveiling of iOS 6 and its new "Passbook" application. The new native application will contain users' personal items, like airplane boarding passes, store discount cards, and tickets to a sporting event.
Apple's chief rival in the mobile space, Google, has offered an e-wallet feature since mid-2011. Many Android-based smartphones available on the market today feature NFC technology that allows use of the Google Wallet "tap to pay" service.
Just this week, components claimed to be from Apple's still-unannounced sixth-generation iPhone showed a mystery component that some speculated could be an NFC chip. However, AnandTech concluded this week that it's more likely that the component could be a touch and display controller combination that would power Apple's new rumored in-cell touchscreen.
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100 Comments
The Anandtech article is a really good analysis of what to expect based on history, I do hope they are wrong on some points though.
Would love to see Apple release an A15 based A6 SoC, or maybe using the Qualcomm S4.
Their analysis is flawed, driver circuitry for the in-cell panel will be on the main circuit board, not mounted seperately on the back under a glass or plastic (probably glass) panel.
I'm not saying what we're looking at is definitely NFC, but their explanation is bull.
This doesn't surprise me in the least. Apple spoon feeds capabilities to their customers while others provide these capabilities more quickly. In the long run it won't matter because people who buy Apple products are used to this process and/or don't care.
It is just me, but Im not big on the phone being the sole source for authorization to pay for things... just call me Mr Luddite!
IMO - need two seperate authorization 'devices'. Say a key fob in my pocket would be one, then a code(or finger reader etc) on the phone.... I know, cumbersome, but Im paranoid and some say dilusional too. :)
Their analysis is flawed, driver circuitry for the in-cell panel will be on the main circuit board, not mounted seperately on the back under a glass or plastic (probably glass) panel.
I'm not saying what we're looking at is definitely NFC, but their explanation is bull.
Their explanation of what it might be might be flawed, but they do bring up some good points regarding the antenna needed for NFC, and why this specific chip is not NFC.