The new iPhone 5, all things to everyone, a final solution to all the needs we didn’t even know we had. Not to mention a "Google Killer". Some of these claims and predictions border on ridiculous.
Apart from the obvious feature it will have,like a new dual core A5 processor which is in the ipad 2 already. We know it will have some apps that run on Apple’s iCloud, a higher resolution camera (Probably 8MP) and flash, etc.
It is yet to be seen that Apple will make this a 4G phone (Not according to most rumor and news sources). But one of the most significant, yet unknown features will be the NFC (Not the National Football Conference), NFC stands for Near Field Communications. This technology will initially and most significantly be used as an alternative payment method to credit cards. But there are other uses that would make this a definite technology to look out for in the next few years. Here’s a list of possible uses:
- Alternative payment method
- Easier Bluetooth Pairing (Touch and pair)
- Easier Wifi config (next to the router, click and connect)
- Exchange information sort of similar to the Palm Beaming
- Boarding passes on an airplane. This gives new meaning to the term "eTicket".
- Clock in at work (Company working on this called ExtendTime.com)
- Medical record import and update. Every time you are at the doctor’s office, you can get your medical records updated.
So What’s the big deal about NFC and a new payment method on the iPhone5 and all smart phones? Here is the good bad and the ugly.
The advantages:
- Pay without extra cards in your pocket
- Eventually be able to have multiple cards on one device to choose a method of payment.
- Be able to pay with Credit card account, Paypal, Facebucks, Google Wallet (This is currently the only one working, and only on the Google Nexus S 4G on Sprint), etc.
- Keep electronic track on charges/payments
- Process coupons you have saved electronically.
- Automatically saves invoice on the machine itself, no need for paper copy.
- Even be able to send or synchronize a copy of the invoice or transaction by email or Cloud service, so you can keep track and make it easier come April 15th to pull all your expenses together.
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