Hasta La Gadget!

The next iPad and iPhone will contain a Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip that will let you use them to make purchases, according to Bloomberg. This technology is widespread in other countries – Japan, for example – but has never taken off in the US. Putting a chip into the iPhone 5 could provide the critical mass that is needed for wireless payments to go mainstream.

It’s a nice theory, and it may well be true, but Bloomberg’s sources are not inside Apple itself. Instead, the story comes from consultants, and is pure speculation.

NFC lets you pay by touching or waving your phone near a payment terminal. You have likely used very similar RFID technology when using public transport – the Oyster Card in London is a good example. In fact, NFC is compatible with the RFID tech used in these cards, so you could use your phone to get on the bus and metro, too.

NFC in the next iPhone makes sense, despite the complete lack of evidence. Last year Apple added a front-facing camera and a gyroscope to the iPhone 4. The next iPhone needs some new gimmick to make people buy it, so why not con tactless payments? For many people, losing their iPhone is already more painful that losing their wallet, so why not toss all those eggs into one tiny, beautifully-engineered basket?

Apple Plans Service That Lets IPhone Users Pay for Purchases With Handsets [Bloomberg]

Photo: Chris Mear / Flickr

See Also:

• NFC
• Pay for Coffee Nationwide With Your iPhone, Blackberry
• Visa Case Turns iPhone into Credit Card
• BMW Squeezes Wallet into Car Keys
• McDonald's Tries Out New RFID-enabled Pay-By-Phone Coupons …