Though the near-field communications chip in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is currently exclusively for Apple Pay, the wireless functionality may be expanded to new uses such as replacing a public transit card or a secure building access keycard.
Apple's latest iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 incorporate Touch ID and support for Apple Pay within apps, with the same 10 hour battery life of previous models. The full size iPad Air 2 is also now 18 percent slimmer with an improved, antireflective display and gains a faster A8X chip, faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LTE wireless, a barometer, and a significantly improved iSight camera.
Apple's newest iPads feature one of the same chips used by iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to handle tap-to-pay NFC transactions, but the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 only support Apple Pay within apps, sparing users the embarrassment of carrying around a gigantic alternative to their credit card.
With the Apple Pay launch complete in the U.S., Apple may now turn its sights toward launching a new store loyalty rewards program in time for the lucrative holiday shopping season.
Though Apple Pay isn't even available to consumers yet, investment firm Morgan Stanley expects that Apple's mobile wallet service will become the industry standard and help drive wider adoption of NFC-based payment systems.
Apple's eighth iPhone event introduced two new larger-screened, larger-capacity new phones, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, along with a continuation two of the world's top selling models, iPhone 5c and 5s, now at a reduced price.
Apple is finally expected to announce its entry in the mobile payments arena alongside the "iPhone 6" at a media event on Tuesday in Cupertino, and rumors suggest that the new system will be based around tokenization for enhanced security. AppleInsider took a look at what that means for users.
With just over a day to go before Apple's highly anticipated media event, a slew of new videos from China claim to again show off functioning 4.7-inch "iPhone 6" units, complete with a new credit card toting Passbook icon. And yet another video offers a peek at a 2,915 mAh battery expected to power the jumbo-sized 5.5-inch iPhone.
As hype builds for Apple's Sept. 9 announcement, yet another report chimes in with alleged details, saying the company's wearable "iWatch" will sport a flexible screen and wireless charging, while the company's larger iPhone models will apparently offer a one-handed mode for ease of use.
Yet another publication chimed in on Thursday to say that Apple's next iPhone and its anticipated wearable "iWatch" will support near-field communications technology to enable wireless payments, while the "iWatch" is also said to sport a curved OLED display.
Hot on the heels of a report that Apple has inked a deal with American Express, a second report has stated that the company has also signed deals with Visa and MasterCard.
Credit card giant American Express is apparently onboard with Apple's forthcoming mobile payment system, expected to be a part of the company's next-generation iPhone set to be unveiled at a Sept. 9 media event.
Near-field communications chips have been rumored to become part of the iPhone lineup for years, but this year's anticipated "iPhone 6" may see Apple finally take the plunge, according to a new report.
A series of new photos out of China claims to show the logic board for Apple's anticipated "iPhone 6," with information accompanying the pictures alleging that the board includes support for ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi, as well as near-field communications for potential e-wallet functions.
While prognosticators have given failed forecasts for years predicting Apple will add near-field communications technology to the iPhone for touch-less mobile payments, investment firm Morgan Stanley offered the same prediction on Tuesday, suggesting that NFC will be a key part of the company's so-called "iWallet."
Google on Wednesday updated its official "Wallet" application for Apple's iOS, giving users the ability to add a credit card to the service by simply taking a picture of their card.
Google on Thursday released its Wallet transaction service for Apple's iPhone, giving users the ability to transfer money and store loyalty cards on their smartphone.
Mobile payment transactions are on pace to hit $235.4 billion in 2013, though mostly through money transfers, as NFC payments and services like Google Wallet have failed to gain much traction.
An iPhone-driven e-wallet service from Apple could simplify checking out at the store by presenting users with options based on data such as their location, current balance, or applicable rewards cards.
With Apple rumored to launch a mobile e-wallet in the coming years, potentially as soon as this year, one analysis has noted that the iPhone maker could have a leg up on previous efforts, like Google Wallet, because of the fact that Apple already has hundreds of millions of users' credit card numbers tied to their iTunes accounts.
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Neil Hughes
Daniel Eran Dilger
Katie Marsal
Shane Cole
AppleInsider Staff
