We’ve talked about the possibility of the iPhone 5 getting an NFC chip but could this leaked photo be the smoking gun that confirms it?
AppleInsider, by studying photos of the alleged front panel assembly of the iPhone 5 obtained from Taiwan-based blog Apple.pro, have discovered a square space that could be the location of the NFC chip:
“At first glance the images appear to be similar to those of a semi-assembled front panel published earlier this month, however closer inspection reveals more parts are present, including what could be a near field communication chip located next to the unit’s front-facing camera. As noted by Japanese Apple blog MacOtakara, the square component covered by EMI shielding is in line with the dimensions of currently available NFC packages like NXP’s 5 millimeter-by-5 millimeter solution.”
The photos were leaked last Sunday and are supposedly different from previous leaked photos because this shows swapped locations for the front-facing camera and the proximity sensor, leaving the “sizable square space” where the NFC chip will be placed.
One of the advantages of including NFC chips is that they can make paying for services via your mobile device a possibility, creating a new alternative to cash and credit cards. As of the moment, Apple has not made their plans regarding NFC technology clear. We’ve speculated before that Apple may be trying a wait-and-see approach when it comes to mobile payments technology and may make the iPhone 5 NFC-ready; the chip could be there but users won’t be able to access features related to it until Apple decides that they want to join that bandwagon.
Do you want the iPhone 5 to have an NFC chip built in? Would you patronize this payment method if it were available? Let us know your take in the comments below!