Hasta La Gadget!

It’s time to have a chat about what the iPhone 5 didn’t bring to the table this week now that the dust has settled – somewhat – after the big Apple reveal. Two features you might be wondering about – and one that you might never have heard of – for the iPhone 5 that we’ve had questions about are these: NFC, Wireless Charging, and Localized Haptic Feedback. We’ve discussed the first two extremely briefly right after the press conference was complete, while the third has still been weighing on our minds even without a lot of your questions for us on the device in the end.

One of the main objectives the designers of the iPhone 5 had in mind was the overall thinning of the device. The final product is, as the video you’re about to see will show, precise down to tiny, tiny details throughout the iPhone 5′s hardware build. The features we’re about to speak about here are not included on the iPhone 5 for their own unique reasons, but the technology being… well… fat – is one of the main reasons why they’re not included on this device.

NFC

We’d heard some weeks ago that NFC was set to be included on the iPhone 5, and even heard a rumor that said an iPhone 5 with NFC embedded was created – but the final word is this: the infrastructure surrounding NFC as a technology being used in the wild just isn’t strong enough. Even more important than the fatness of the architecture that’d be needed for the iPhone 5 to work with NFC is the idea that the technology just isn’t mature enough.

If there’s any shadow of a doubt that a feature will not be usable in a short amount of time after it’s included on an Apple product, it will not be included. One example of this is the MacBook and its inclusion of HDMI-compatible hardware. You didn’t see HDMI compatibility on Apple products until a large enough cross-section of media-makers and hardware developers adopted the technology – and no, I nor we know any specific numbers in this situation.

Wireless Charging

If you keep up with all the gadgets and gizmos that get released no matter what manufacturer makes them here with SlashGear, you know that Nokia released a couple of devices recently – the Lumia 820 and 920 – that work with wireless charging. This technology is another one that requires some bulk and weight – and of course, an added cost for production. When you weigh these simple elements against the positive factors involved in wireless charging, they simply do not add up – not for the iPhone 5, anyway.

One of the biggest reasons for this is simply the fact that you cannot charge your device wirelessly and hold your device while using it at the same time. At the moment, Nokia’s chargers, while awesome in an of themselves, are certainly larger than a simple USB-wired charging solution. It’s not as if this concept is new – the idea that you can hold your device while charging if it’s not wireless – but it still holds true through the iPhone 5.

Localized Haptic Feedback

If you’ll look way back to March of this year you’ll find an Apple patent outlining Localized Haptic Feedback for their iPhone line. To keep it simple: this technology connects an array of piezoelectric actuators to the device’s display, each of them able to give you vibrations localized to the point where you’re touching your screen. This is just one of several different ways you can do this, but the end result is the same.

Apple simply isn’t going to include a system like this unless it’s necessary for the device to function. More important than that, Apple won’t include a system like this because it’d simply weigh too heavily on the battery – why use up battery time for a system that shakes your finger so precisely it seems like magic? At the moment, the ends do not justify the means.

Have a peek at our Apple portal for more info on the iPhone 5 and let us know what you think of these features – especially what it means to you that they’re not included in this release. Also be sure to check out our iPhone 5 hands-on experience to get close – real close!

Why the iPhone 5 needs no NFC, wireless charging, or localized haptic feedback is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week we’re taking a look at the iPhone 5 as it was revealed by Apple in all its glory alongside iOS 6 and a set of hardware innovations like the Lightning connector – but what happened to NFC and wireless charging? We’d heard several times in tips and “leaks” that an NFC sensor was in the plans for this device for some time – but inside the last few weeks of this unofficial stream of shady bits, it was all but confirmed that, given the size of the device, NFC was not physically possible. Wireless charging, on a similar note, was never officially spoken about by Apple, and though Apple’s competitors – such as Nokia, for example – are working with the technology soon, Apple has simply opted out.

If you take a peek at the new Nokia lineup – including our hands-on with wireless charging – you’ll find that the new Lumia smartphones certainly are not thin. Not nearly as thin as the iPhone 5 is, anyway. There will certainly be a massive amount of 3rd party accessory manufacturers clamoring to create so-called wireless solutions soon, of course, as the iPhones before today have been working with for some time. The iPhone 5 on its own will be relying on the new Lightning port and cord – and we’ve yet to see how much faster or more efficiently that piece of equipment works.

NFC on the other hand is a technology that Apple does not appear to want to work with at all. They’ve not included it in any iPad device thus far, nor have any of the iPods in their collection – including those today – been working with an NFC sensor. Instead Apple appears content to work with businesses not through wireless payments as such, but with scannable coupons and cards with its own Passbook. Check our pre-event software rundown for more information on Passbook and prepare yourselves for more information on the software in its final form soon!

Also have a peek at the timeline of events from earlier today below to catch up entirely on the iPhone 5 and all its many details as it heads to the market for pre-order this Friday!

iPhone 5 revealed without NFC or wireless charging – what happened? is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Taking the awwww approach to earn your affection, Sony is staking a claim in the crowded compact Bluetooth speaker market with its adorable new SRS-BTV5. At roughly the size of a billiard ball, what the 1.2-watt speaker lacks in oomph, it makes up for with functionality. More »

If there were one PC we’ve seen thus far from the HP collection bringing on Windows 8 with touchscreen capabilities that we’d call the king, it’d be the HP SpectreONE. This machine is the most expensive of the all-in-one designs HP is offering up here at the start of the Windows 8 generation of PCs, and with its 23-inch flush glass display and 3rd generation Intel Core processor options, not to mention it’s lovely and sleek looking body, there’s no stopping it. This device will not, on the other hand, be launching with the rest of the October wave of devices – it’s coming in November.

You’ll find that this beast keeps the Spectre brand name hot with NFC technology to tap your devices together and share media wirelessly and utterly simply. You’ve got many of the same features the rest of this newest HP wave of machines have such as Beats Audio for enhanced sound. And HP Connected Remote, Photo, and Music are included as well – HP is presenting an experience here both in hardware and software, with HP technology making a unique experience for you both outside and in.

You’ll get the computer itself along with a wireless multi-touch touchpad and a keyboard inside the box. With what may very well be a giant step forward for how we use PCs in general, HP has opted out of including a wireless mouse in the package you’ll be getting when you purchase the HP SpectreONE. The true test is at hand – can we bring the desktop world into the universe our notebook-loving hands have been working with for quite a few years already?

UPDATE: HP informs us that there WILL be a mouse in the package now. Good for you traditionalists!

HP might be taking a gamble here – even if it is a tiny one. If you want a mouse, you can buy one for next to nothing, after all – even a wireless mouse doesn’t cost a pretty penny if you know where to look. However, it’s the thought that counts. HP has thrown the mouse out the window here, and with it goes the last component that did not look flat. Now with the HP SpectreONE, HP can present a package that is, indeed, working with basically all flat hardware – and you’re going to love it.

This beast will be appearing on November 14th for a starting price of $1,299 USD MSRP – that’s an expected price and release date, of course, we’ll have to wait a bit longer for the final word on that. You can start saving up now though, no harm in that! Have a peek at our HP tag portal to see the rest of HP’s new Windows 8 machine offerings from start to finish – great stuff on the horizon!

HP SpectreONE all-in-one PC brings trackpad-centric experience to Windows 8 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The JBL PowerUp is not an ordinary Bluetooth speaker because it is designed specifically for the new Nokia Lumia 920/820. The wireless speaker has a Qi wireless charging point so that you can just leave your brand new Windows Phone on top for an extra juice. The JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker is available in a variety of colors to match Nokia’s Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 cases. The JBL PowerUp supports both Bluetooth and NFC. Unfortunately, there is no info on pricing at this moment. [Nokia]