It will, it won’t, on and off again, that’s the story of the next iPhone and whether or not it’ll support NFC (Near-Field Communications) for mobile payments, sharing of file and more. A new report was posted over at AnandTech, who basically say that the new iPhone’s construction make it virtually impossible for the device to support NFC. The space at the top (and bottom) of the phone, which is rumored to be either glass or plastic, is being used for wireless antennas and other RF connectivity, so it won’t have room for an NFC chip. As far as the rest of the back goes, it’s made of metal and that restricts NFC communications.
If that wasn’t enough to pop your NFC loving bubble, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, who we’ve cited several time and is well-connected with sources inside Apple, gave his always short, yet blunt answer of, “Yep,” when asked if this report was true. Dalrymple has rarely be wrong—if at all—when it comes to things like this, he’s correctly confirmed event dates and several other important rumors regarding Apple.
So what does this mean for the next iPhone? Will it be left behind?
No, it won’t. Apple is incorporating the latest in Bluetooth technology, which they feel is superior and more widespread. With BlueTooth LE (Low Energy) can be used to transfer data and more, similar to NFC all while use low energy. While this is pure speculation, we may see Apple use BLE technology, or Bluetooth 4.0, with its Passbook app, instead of NFC, as NFC terminals have failed to catch on throughout the world and Bluetooth already connects to millions of devices. Either way, don’t fret iPhone users, Apple isn’t going to be left behind simply because it doesn’t feature NFC technology.