There have been rumors swirling for years that Apple will finally bring NFC to the iPhone, and if the schematics of a leak from last week hold true, the iPhone 6 may be the first to hold the communications technology. A MacRumors forum member examined bare logic boards claimed to ship with the iPhone 6, and have found leaked NFC chips fit perfectly.
“Chrmjenkins” found the NXP PN65 NFC package leaked last week for the new iPhone packs a 5 mm x 5mm design with 32 terminals for connectivity. He’s made the likely conclusion it will sit in an unfilled square nodule on the leaked iPhone 6 logic board, that doesn’t correlate to any component on the iPhone 5s logic board.
It’s unclear what other technology Apple could include for this unfilled square nodule, given the logic board leaked for the iPhone 6 is pretty well filled with bits from previous iPhone generations. Of course size of technology can change year-to-year as Apple changes the design of its iPhones, but given the well-fitting dimensions of the leaks, it makes a likely case for NFC.
And quite honestly, it’s about time for Apple to jump on the NFC bandwagon, lagging several years behind Android. But to Apple’s credit, NFC technology (which stands for near field communication) hasn’t seen rapid-fire adoption worldwide, rather it serves as a cool feature Android manufacturers to brag about. Maybe Apple can change that though.
NFC’s most common feature is for commerce, allowing NFC-enabled smartphones to be used for contactless payment systems, similar to those currently used in credit cards. Effectively, it wants to get rid of the plastic credit cards, and with Apple’s rumored payments service, NFC makes sense.
In related leaks, Chinese smartphone repair company ElekWorld posted what it claims is a redesigned True Tone flash unit for the iPhone 6. It packs dual-LED flash like on the iPhone 5s, and its design also lines up nicely with case leaks for the new iPhone 6.
Apple is believed to introduce to new versions of the iPhone – a 4.7- and 5.5-inch model – at a media event on September 9. Past larger displays, the iPhones are believed to feature Apple’s A8 processor, camera improvements, and a thinner design. Several analysts have also tacked NFC on to the feature list, as well.
[MacRumors]