Apple will be using NFC technology in the future. Wait, no it won’t. Or will it? Is it going to be a technology available in the new iPhone 5? So many rumors have been flying regarding Apple and its NFC plans that it’s hard to pin down what makes the most sense. Yesterday we heard that the next-generation iPhone won’t have NFC, even though we’ve been hearing for several months that it will, and now a new and unconfirmed rumor says that the technology will be put to use in Apple retail locations.
BGR reports:
First off, Apple’s POS devices — its iPod touch-based wireless payment terminals — recently all went offline for “maintenance” for an entire day, leaving customers unable to purchase some items or return merchandise. Additionally, we have been told that there were recently multiple “overnights” in Apple retail locations, which required store employees to “assist in installing TBD devices” throughout the stores “as the retail segment of Apple grows.” Lastly, sources tell us that there have been new tables installed in stores that have different wiring compared to Apple’s standard tables.
While it doesn’t directly point at NFC technology coming in, it could signal the coming of a new POS system. And why not NFC? Aside from the fact that no one out there really has NFC-capable devices except maybe Samsung Nexus S owners, it seems like it will be the future of mobile payment systems and other transactions. The convenience is just too good to ignore.
At any rate, if Apple does end up using NFC tech for its payment system in its retail stores, it wouldn’t make sense to omit the technology from future iPod and iPhone models. We’ll see.
[Via: BGR]