Apple opted not to include NFC technology with their latest release of iPhone, but the technology company may have plans to do so with the iPhone 5 that is expected to launch next year. NFC technology has been gaining in popularity amongst the businesses of the world, namely for its ability to turn any smart phone into a payment device. Several technology and telecommunications companies, such as Google and Nokia, have invested heavily into NFC-powered mobile commerce, hoping that consumers will adopt a new way to pay for goods and services.
Thus far, Apple has been one of the few tech companies not to adopt NFC in any way. There is some news coming from Asia that suggests that the company may be including the technology in the latest version of their iPhone product. DigiTimes, a news publication based in Asia, reports that Apple has plans to update the iPhone’s operating system to be compatible with NFC technology.
If Apple does plan to adopt NFC technology, the iPhone 5 may well be one of the most popular mobile payment devices that will come to the commercial market. Given the ravenous popularity surrounding all of Apple’s products, the iPhone 5 may be the vehicle that propels NFC technology into the public eye. Mobile commerce, as a whole, may not hinge on Apple’s participation in the industry, but whether the company decides to adopt the technology responsible for mobile commerce may have far reaching implications.
