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Why does everyone keep going on about NFC? It's been on Android for years and it's never been used in any meaningful way. I don't see Apple introducing some n

Why does everyone keep going on about NFC? It's been on Android for years and it's never been used in any meaningful way. I don't see Apple introducing some new hardware component just for the sake of adding it. They'll introduce something when they have a really solid use for it, which is something that Google seems to have never really had with NFC.

hrktb 13y ago
At one point of the keynote NTT Docomo was specially mentionned. They pioneered mobile NFC in Japan, where it's actually useful, as in you can forget your wallet at home and you might not notice as long as you have your phone. They introduced emoji almost only for the japanese market at first, they could have done the same for NFC as well, that would have been great.
swamp40 13y ago
Something is going to replace the credit card. If Apple had thrown their weight behind NFC, that would have closed the deal. I give them one more year (one iWatch release, and the iPhone 6 release) and then I agree, NFC will be a dead end.
- bratsche 13y ago
  What I meant is, if NFC is the best way to replace credit cards then Apple would want to be in on making that happen, they wouldn't just put the hardware on their devices and leave someone else to implement it. Something like NFC has just been basically a bullet point on Android phones' feature lists, but that's not really Apple's style. They're going to build something to use it on day 1 or they're not going to include it in their device. Maybe they're working on payment stuff, maybe they're not.. but since it's obviously not ready I'm not the least bit surprised that we don't see NFC on Apple devices.
  - seanalltogether 13y ago
    The cynical side of me says that Apple won't introduce NFC until they can sort out the licensing deals that give them a cut of every transaction.
    - swamp40 13y ago
      Yup.
    - bratsche 13y ago
      Yeah, that's part of what I mean.
RandallBrown 13y ago
Being able to use your phone as a credit card is a pretty big deal. NFC readers are normal for many point of sale terminals now and I would love to not have to get out a credit card to pay for something. One of the Lumia phones was supposed to be able to do this, but it didn't work in the US or something because it required some weird encrypted SIM card.
PeterisP 13y ago
It's chicken and egg problem - the vendors won't offer services until a majority of phones will have the [rather cheap] NFC hardware; so this Apple decision effectively means a significant global delay until such wireless services will be available to me and everyone else.

hrktb 13y ago

At one point of the keynote NTT Docomo was specially mentionned. They pioneered mobile NFC in Japan, where it's actually useful, as in you can forget your wallet at home and you might not notice as long as you have your phone. They introduced emoji almost only for the japanese market at first, they could have done the same for NFC as well, that would have been great.

swamp40 13y ago

Something is going to replace the credit card. If Apple had thrown their weight behind NFC, that would have closed the deal. I give them one more year (one iWatch release, and the iPhone 6 release) and then I agree, NFC will be a dead end.

bratsche 13y ago
What I meant is, if NFC is the best way to replace credit cards then Apple would want to be in on making that happen, they wouldn't just put the hardware on their devices and leave someone else to implement it. Something like NFC has just been basically a bullet point on Android phones' feature lists, but that's not really Apple's style. They're going to build something to use it on day 1 or they're not going to include it in their device. Maybe they're working on payment stuff, maybe they're not.. but since it's obviously not ready I'm not the least bit surprised that we don't see NFC on Apple devices.
- seanalltogether 13y ago
  The cynical side of me says that Apple won't introduce NFC until they can sort out the licensing deals that give them a cut of every transaction.
  - swamp40 13y ago
    Yup.
  - bratsche 13y ago
    Yeah, that's part of what I mean.

RandallBrown 13y ago

Being able to use your phone as a credit card is a pretty big deal. NFC readers are normal for many point of sale terminals now and I would love to not have to get out a credit card to pay for something. One of the Lumia phones was supposed to be able to do this, but it didn't work in the US or something because it required some weird encrypted SIM card.

PeterisP 13y ago

It's chicken and egg problem - the vendors won't offer services until a majority of phones will have the [rather cheap] NFC hardware; so this Apple decision effectively means a significant global delay until such wireless services will be available to me and everyone else.