Building on rumors that Apple will release an iOS-based mobile payments solution with its next-generation "iPhone 6," the well-connected John Gruber claims the new handset will feature NFC hardware and a new secure enclave to store credit card information.
In a missive posted to his Daring Fireball blog, Gruber says Apple's upcoming iPhone lineup will not only sport near-field communication (NFC) hardware for facilitating on-the-go payments, but will boast a specially-designed security "enclave" for storing payment credentials.
I've been working on a new joke — about NFC and a new secure enclave where you can store your credit cards, so you can pay for things at brick and mortar retail stores just by taking out your iPhone, but only if it's one of the new iPhones — but no one seems to get my sense of humor.
The post comes just hours after Wired issued a report framing NFC as "one of the hallmark features" of Apple's next iPhone.
Supposedly backing up these rumors are purported "iPhone 6" schematics and component "leaks" that suggest support for an NFC-compliant chip.
Apple is experimenting with NFC, as can be seen in a multitude of patents, but as SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller said in a 2012 interview, the company is more concerned about user experience than shoehorning in the latest tech just because it can. At the time, Schiller said Passbook covered the bases for consumers. It should be noted, however, that the payments landscape is quickly changing.
As for the secure enclave, Apple currently employs a similar component in the iPhone 5s to store data referenced by the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system. According to a security white paper published in February, the enclave is built into Apple's A7 SoC and comes complete with its own secure boot sequence and software update mechanism. Apple says the component is responsible for "all cryptographic operations for Data Protection key management and maintains the integrity of Data Protection even if the kernel has been compromised."
For clarification, Gruber's comments about a "new joke" and "sense of humor" are allusions to a report from Re/code's John Paczkowski, who earlier Thursday cited sources as saying Apple would unveil its long-awaited "iWatch" wearable at its upcoming Sept. 9 special event.
In August, Gruber made a casual remark about Apple's "wrist wearable thing," saying it would launch in September, only to later claim the comment was made in jest. Paczkowski referenced the "joke" in his most recent report.
47 Comments
OMG. Really AI? "Clarification" or not, Gruber was totally joking here.
So what evidence is there for a *new* enclave for credit card information? And why is an enclave needed at all? Seems to me that the proper place for credit card information is where Apple already stores credit card information - on its servers! Think about it: why would you store your credit cards on an enclave on the iPhone when you might want to be paying with the same credit cards while you're on a Mac or on an iPad? It makes no sense. A more practical approach is for you to pay with a credit card of your choice *after* you authenticated with TouchID. Besides - if Apple wants to get into the mobile payment arena, why would it exclude the 500 million iOS devices already out there and only allow mobile payments via the new devices. Again, it makes no sense. Even if the rumor is from Gruber.
I'm curious to see where the NFC receiver will be on the iphone 6. the whole thing is in metal...there are very few potential places left?
[B]@tjwolf,[/B] Maybe the secure enclave on the iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) involves just the data that connects the Touch ID to the credit card data that Apple also already stores on its servers.
[quote name="sticknick" url="/t/182019/apples-iphone-6-to-supposedly-incorporate-nfc-new-secure-enclave-for-mobile-payments#post_2586099"]OMG. Really AI? "Clarification" or not, Gruber was totally joking here.[/quote] If you read it in context on his site it is clear he is not joking. Even clearer if you have followed his take on these rumors for a while...