Wired has published a report saying their sources have told them that Apple’s next-generation iPhone, due to be announced September 9th, will boast its own NFC-based payments feature.
Apple is in the perfect position to launch its own mobile wallet. The Cupertino company has a vast trove of credit cards already on file thanks to iTunes (over 800 million, in fact), and a huge pool of potential users, thanks to the millions of iOS devices out there. And mounting evidence has indicated that the company is investing in such an endeavor.
Rumors of NFC capabilities for Apple’s iPhone tend to be floated about this time each year, only to be flushed down the drain following the introduction of each new iPhone.
Wired’s article does note that Apple has filed a number of NFC related patents detailing how an iPhone-based e-wallet payments system would work.
One such patent describes how a dual NFC and Bluetooth system could be used to complete a financial transaction while sensitive data is store securely in the device’s hardware, while another describes a location and context aware payment system that would offer users coupons, or make use of rewards cards.
Apple has long been rumored to be working on a payment solution that would leverage the millions of credit card numbers it already has stored in its iTunes/App Store accounts. Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook made mention of mobile payments, saying it was one of the ideas behind Touch ID, currently available on the iPhone 5s
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9. The new handsets are expected to include a fast A8 processor, a thinner more rounded body, and improved cameras on both models.
