One of the big rumors about yesterday’s Apple event was that the new iPhones would finally embrace NFC. For those unfamiliar, NFC (Near Field Communications) is a wireless chip/protocol that allows devices to exchange information by touching them together or having them close to each other. The most common application, however, has been mobile payments. NFC is what powers Google’s Wallet app, as well as the Android Beam file-share solution. While Android has had NFC since at least 2010, Apple is only adding it now. Why? Because the world may finally be ready.
Until recently, NFC has absolutely been the domain of power users. One perfect example is how Windows Phone devices come with it despite having no mobile payment solution like Wallet. Instead, you can use it to find things you put little NFC tags on. Um, yay? Apple could have added NFC without a larger game plan, but that would be contrary to how the company generally works. Instead, Apple first created PassBook and had users become accustomed to keeping personal information in there. At the same time, people became more and more attached to tying everything to their iTunes account. After Google and assorted other companies got NFC readers out there, Apple was able to leverage the existing user base, connections to assorted companies, and an in-place workflow could come out with a ready-to-rock solution.
A nice thank you platter to Google would be in order.
One interesting draw to Apple Pay over Google Wallet is that your card isn’t stored on your device. Instead, Apple has partnered with Visa to create a one-time-use code when you shop. I like the idea that vendors don’t see your card, but it’s even better that there’s no fiscal information stored on the device. As for security, maybe this will finally get people to use TouchID to secure their phones. Which, by the way, you have to use to send a payment. Also good is that Apple can’t see your transactions; the company is just a facilitator.
There are some security concerns here, like what about the possibility of someone intercepting the payment stream? Will the online element work without NFC on an older iPhone? Also, what about battery life? Will Apple release money clips so I can carry cash if my battery dies?
Still, it’s enough to make me sit up and take notice and consider an iPhone 6 or 6+ as my next phone.
Actually, you can already get a nice Apple money clip one on Etsy.
actually using those NFC tags is kind of cool. Instead of keeping location services on all the time you tap the tag when you get home to connect to home wifi, tap another tag at work to do the same at work. A NFC reader for a computer that would unlock/lock it based upon you tapping the reader with your phone would be better than the current solutions for this that are out there now.