NFC technology seems to be taking the mobile phone industry by storm. Not only do multiple Android and Nokia models sport the feature, Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5 has even been rumored to contain the tech.
But if you’re tired of waiting for Apple to make a next-gen iPhone announcement, and you don’t plan on leaving iOS anytime soon, we’ve come across a way for you to enjoy NFC technology in your current device. All you need is an iPhone 4 and a bit of an adventerous side…
The folks over at Unplggd have figured out this simple hack that enables your iPhone 4 to make NFC payments. All that’s required (other than your iPhone 4) is an NFC-enabled card from your bank or credit card company. “Smart Cards” with NFC chips built-in are fairly common nowadays.
The trick is to open up the back of the iPhone 4, and position the card between the battery and the back casing. It’s thin enough that you’ll be able to seal the phone back up, without damaging the device. If you aren’t sure how to remove the back glass piece, check out Unplggd’s tutorial.
The blog claims that the iPhone 4’s glass backing is thin enough for credit card terminals. They even note that the solution worked through thicker cases. Combine this with a banking application that shows your realtime account balance, and you’ve got a pretty serious mobile wallet contender.
While it appears safe, you have to wonder if a tiny chip sending and receiving data propped up against your battery is a good idea. We’re probably going to just keep our fingers crossed that NFC makes it into the next iPhone, but this is a cool trick nonetheless.
Do you plan on trying this? If you do, let us know your results!