Rumors that NFC technology may come to the iPhone have been rampant for quite a while. A new report from DigiTimes adds fuel to that fire, by stating that Apple is expected to release NFC support on the iPhone in 2012.
The addition of NFC technology (which allows for contactless payments, among other things) to the iPhone, along with e-wallet app or deep iOS 5 integration, could help Apple maintain their strong growth through the coming years.
DigiTimes continues, suggesting that manufacturers are rapidly adding NFC support into their devices, and that over 50% of smartphones will have the technology within the next three years.
As Android, Symbian, BlackBerry and Bada have supported NFC (near field communication) functions and Microsoft and Apple plan to make Windows Phone and iOS support NFC in 2012, the proportion of NFC-enabled smartphones will quickly increase from less than 10% currently to over 50% in two to three years, according to Taiwan-based smartphone makers.
With the addition of Bluetooth 4.0 to the iPhone 4, which could potentially be used for NFC-like e-wallet functionality, it’s also possible that Apple could be working to develop a mobile payment solution of their own.