iPhone 5 NFC for Remote Computing and Mobile Payment

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a standards-based, short-range (about 4 or 5 centimetres) wireless connectivity technology that enables simple 2-way data exchanges between electronic devices. It allows us to perform contactless transactions, access digital content, and connect electronic devices with a single touch.

Essentially, NFC is the combination of networking technology and wireless authenticating technology. It brings a new data exchanging method for devices by establishing peer-to-peer networks (P2P). With the micro chip NFC, mobile phones will turn into a credit card, monthly bus tickets, movie tickets, etc, we just need to swipe your phone to the reader or payment machine. More than that, we could simply wave our phones in front of smart packaging, posters, or signs to get access automatically to electronic coupons, special discount notices, or weather report.

I talk so much about the NFC technology because these days, the world are abuzz with the news that Apple would add NFC credit card reading technology into the iPhone 5. Take a look at some expected specs of iPhone 5.

If that becomes true, iPhone users will soon get rid of their credit cards and be able to “wave and pay” using their iPhones. People should believe that the NFC technology will be integrated in the iPhone 5, at least for strong remote computing. According to a reliable source at Cultofmac, the NFC-equipped iPhone 5 can keep data such as bookmarks, files, passwords and NFC will turn any Mac into your own computer with the same settings, look, bookmarks and preferences. All you need to do is authenticating the Mac with your iPhone. When we leave and the iPhone is out of range, the computer will return to its previous state, nothing is saved on its memory.

NFC has been launched in some Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and is expected to explode in the U.S. in about 3-5 years. This may be true sooner if Apple integrate it in the iPhone 5. Apple want to become the leading company in the NFC revolution like they did with the multi-touch screen on iPhone. They have recruited some leading NFC experts such as Benjamin Vigier and filed a number of NFC-related patents. Our expects now will be how NFC is integrated to iPhone 5, for remote computing, mobile payment, or all of them?