Near Field Communications Handsets and Tags, NFC Pilots and Projects

Next gen iPhones could be RFID-enabled

Friday, November 6, 2009

Apple has begun testing prototype iPhones with built-in RFID readers, according to a rumor reported on softpedia.com. The rumor is based on several recent patents filed by Apple regarding an RFID-enabled application called “ID App,” which uses an RFID sensor to read tags as well as sense and connect to WiFi networks.

According to a report by Apple, an RFID antenna can be placed right in the touch sensor panel of an iPhone, allowing it to function as an RFID transponder. The site stated the technology was RFID, but it may also be near field communication.

Equipping an iPhone with RFID would open the door for thousands of new features, including contactless payment. By next year iPhone owners could be paying for virtually anything with a simple wave of their phone.

Read more here [end] 

Related Articles
Blackpool parking gears for contactless payments

Blackpool, a seaside town situated along England’s west coast, has installed a number of Parkeon contactless-enabled parking pay stations.

For the installation, Blackpool Council opted for the Parkeon Strada pay station terminal. This new, solar-powered terminal is equipped with contactless card readers, accepting contactless payment-enabled mobile phones and various wave and pay bank cards.

read more »
All handset makers are readying NFC payments, says MasterCard exec

Ed McLaughlin, MasterCard’s head of Emerging Payments, has some good news for those waiting on NFC-enabled phones for contactless payments.

In an interview with Fast Company, McLaughlin said that he didn’t know of a handset maker who wasn’t working on integrating support for PayPass contactless payments.

read more »
Datacard Group, Device Fidelity partner for mobile payments

Datacard Group, a provider of secure ID and card personalization solutions, has announced an equity investment and strategic partnership with DeviceFidelity, makers of the In2Pay mobile payments solution.

read more »
I Love Velvet launches reader module for Apple products

I Love Velvet has unveiled its new “Universal Holster” add-on device for accepting payments on Apple iPods, iPads and iPhones.

The Apple-certified U-Holster can accept payments from contactless devices such as payment cards and NFC-enabled phones, as well as scan bar codes on coupons, loyalty cards, U.S. driver’s licenses, ID cards and smart phones in less than a second.

read more »
Turkcell launches mobile wallet on BlackBerry phones

Turkcell, Turkey’s largest mobile operator, has announced the launch of its Cep-T Cüzdan NFC mobile wallet application on BlackBerry Bold 9900 smart phones.

Turkcell subscribers with NFC-enabled Bold 9900s can now use the mobile wallet service to make contactless payments at any MasterCard PayPass-enabled point of sale across Turkey, as well as abroad.

read more »
Square hits one million activation mark in U.S.

Although the push for NFC and mobile payments is on, Square is doing its part to make sure consumers still reach for their credit cards, reports Recombu.

read more »

Copyright © 2012, AVISIAN, Inc. All rights reserved.