The iPhone may not have near field communications installed, but that's not stopping companies from trying to integrate the tech. US Bank proves that yet again today by unveiling its new NFC-enabled iPhone case.
The case is a major part of the bank's new Go Mobile payment service, which will allow US Bank customers to pay for goods and services from their checking, savings or credit accounts using an NFC-compatible device...
Like Griffin, Belkin and other iOS accessory powerhouses, Incipio turned up at CES this week to unveil a wide range of new products. Among them are a dual iPhone 5 car charger, and an iPhone case with a built-in tape measure.
Perhaps most interesting, though, is its new Cashwrap iPhone case. The thin case not only protects the handset from drops and other accidents, but it also gives it the ability to make NFC transactions using the Isis platform...
So, are you tired of the iPhone 5 already? Feeling the after-announcement blues, sort of like the after-Christmas let-down? Cheer up, Apple fans, the iPhone 5S (or the iPhone 6 or whatever Apple calls it) is coming next June or July. According to one Wall Street observer, the new iPhone will include a "super HD" camera and screen, stronger battery and NFC.
What's more, the iPhone 5S will arrive in a rainbow of colors, or at least 6-8 different colors, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek. Also on tap: the iPad 5 with an IGZO screen and more colors...
Apple has filed for a patent to solve one of mankind's most troubling questions: how do I recharge my iPad with this annoyingly-short power cord? In the application, the company suggests a 'realistic' way to wirelessly recharge your iDevice via near-field resonance. While near-field technology is more often used to grab data off your credit card at the grocery store, Apple sees the technology as a way to cut the cord between your laptop, iPad or iPhone and a wall charger, the way your mouse was set free years prior...
AuthenTec, the maker of NFC chips and smart sensors that Apple bought in the summer for $356 million, has sold off its division which makes encryption-based security hardware and software. The buyer is French NFC maker and contactless chip provider Inside Secure and the transaction is valued at $48 million.
That Apple decided to get rid of AuthenTec's Embedded Security Solutions division is another tell-tale sign that the iPhone maker snapped up AuthenTec for its NFC solutions and smart sensors that are not part of the Inside Secure deal.
Yes Mr. Schiller, I know "Passbook does the kinds of things customers need today", but Apple did drop $356 million on an NFC tech maker and obviously your next iPhone is going to have NFC...
This year's roundup of iPhone rumors, like many years before it, included chatter that the iPhone 5 would finally receive NFC technology. But as we found out in September, those reports were once again unfounded.
Despite the fact that several Android handsets support the wireless connection, Apple has yet to add it to its mobile products. But according to a newly granted patent, it may be working on some kind of alternative...
There has been a whole lot of hoopla concerning Apple deploying NFC technology on iOS devices, especially prior to the iPhone 5's release last month. NFC, or Near-Field Communication, facilitates close-proximity wireless payments on mobile devices.
Marketing boss Phil Schiller explained Apple passed on NFC with this year's iOS devices lineup because "Passbook does the kinds of things customers need today", noting that "it’s not clear that NFC is the solution to any current problem".
In the reality, Apple is working behind the scenes, taking its time to put the pieces of the NFC puzzle together until an NFC-equipped iPhone and the associated service is fully baked and ready for public consumption. It doesn't come as a surprise then that Apple is working with Sydney-based Microlatch to develop fingerprint technology for NFC apps...
Earlier in the summer, smart sensor maker AuthenTec agreed to be bought by Apple for $356 million. Still pending approval, the transactions left even the seasoned watchers scratching their head.
People began wondering whether Cupertino might leverage AuthenTec's fingerprint sensors to bolster enterprise security in iOS devices. Or, perhaps, Apple was keen on tapping AuthenTec's sensors to add consumer features to iPhones, iPods and iPads, the stuff like finger-based unlock or a secure e-wallet service.
The deal remains shrouded in a veil of secrecy because Apple isn't talking much and neither is AuthenTec. A report out this morning claims that AuthenTec's current clients are "in a state of panic" as the company is telling them it will stop offering its technology and NFC/fingerprint sensors as of next year...
This year, similar to years past, a lot of folks expected to see Apple add NFC to its new smartphone. And even after previous reports all but ruled out the tech, a last minute scoop made it a possibility again.
Alas, the iPhone 5 event came and went, with no mention of Near Field Communications. And the company has since confirmed that the handset does not contain the wireless payment tech. Here's why...
A well-known iOS developer with a strong track record of Apple reporting took to Twitter this morning to argue that prototypes of Apple's next iPhone do contain a Near-Field Communication (NFC) sensor inside. This shouldn't be deciphered as the definite proof of an NFC-enabled iPhone 5 as Apple and other handset makers often test several device prototypes before settling on one model.
Furthermore, even if the iPhone 5 has NFC, this should not be confused with an NFC-driven mobile payment system. We also know from Apple's marketing boss Phil Schiller's interview with the Wall Street Journal (Apple's unofficial mouthpiece) that digital wallet mobile-payment services are “all fighting over their piece of the pie", adding that "we aren’t doing that"...
A set of four new high-quality photographs have emerged, seemingly depicting the complete front assembly of Apple's next iPhone, due for unveiling at a San Francisco media event next Wednesday. These new images provide a detailed look at a square chip which leaked earlier and prompted pundits to speculate that it houses a Near-Field Communications (NFC) sensor, later debunked by the eagle-eyed experts over at AnandTech.
One of the theories has it that this thing is a fingerprint sensor, based on Apple's hasty $356 million acquisition of smart sensor maker AuthenTec. There are other possible answers to this mystery and I couldn't help myself collecting all the plausible possibilities in an amusing poll, included right below...
Bad news today for folks who were hoping that near field communications technology, or NFC, would make it into the new iPhone. It looks like the tech is a no-go for Apple's next smartphone.
Theories for the tech picked up steam yesterday when a square chip inside a leaked iPhone 5 part was identified as an NFC sensor. But according to a new report, it's not happening this year...