Despite recent rumors, NFC (Near Field Communication) may not be included in the iPhone 5, according to UK newspaper The Independent. The information apparently comes from sources at several of the largest UK mobile operators. They claim that Apple disclosed in meetings that it would not be included as Apple had concerns over the lack of a clear standard across the industry. NFC is an RFID-related technology that allows for secure, close range data transfer including but not limited to payment information.
The iPad 2 was rumored to have NFC, but this failed to materialize. Other rumors suggest that Apple may be working on its own type of NFC implementation that will link up with current iTunes accounts; this would be much more likely. Either way, it appears that we won’t see anything until 2012 at the earliest.
