Apple's Passbook strategy ignores NFC technology to power iOS 6 retail apps - Page 2

the actual deployment of NFC around the world is sporadic, and in the US it is minimal. the jury is still out on its future. will crucial security issues all be resolved satisfactorily? will some newer alternative - like Bluetooth 4 - prove superior? or how about smart credit cards instead?

Apple's app-centric web approach is a good interim strategy. businesses will like it more than generic NFC because it connects you more tightly with their brand and package of services (that's why they issue their own branded credit cards now). we will see in the coming year what they can do with that. which is why Google is now rushing to copy it too of course as part of its Wallet.

things will change over the next 10 years, that's for sure, to some kind of new smart technology. but no one today can say how it will all turn out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizard69 

Well hopefully when the new administration takes office next year much of the public transportation in the USA will be dismantled or at the very least people will be forced to pay their way on such systems.

right, the same new administration that won't raise gas taxes to pay for more of the so-called "freeways" government also provides too. so get ready for permanent developing world traffic conditions - like Bangkok's - everywhere in the USA. oh yeah, that's going to be great. really help the economy, adding congestion delays to everything everywhere. especially for the oil companies that create so much wealth for the rest of us. oh yeah, sure. and the bonus is, central city air will get worse so the poor there will die sooner on average, holding those costs down too. boy, you got a great plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thataveragejoe 

 

Utterly false. Globally more people now live in city/urban areas than rural.

 

In the US 62% of the population live in areas of 200k+ people. 

Major city to me means over 1 million inhabitants.

The article says "Passbook will work on all devices upgraded to iOS 6, dating back to the 2009 iPhone 3GS".  So it should work on iPad too.  

This sounds like a real coup for Apple.  The continue to out-manuever the opposition, simultaneously bringing greater value to consumers.  The simplicity of their approach is efficient that it's surprisingly embarrassing that it hasn't been done sooner by the competition.   

Time will tell. FWIW, for security purposes it would seem Apple's implementation of visual barcodes, scannable with current equipment to make payments seems more secure than the NFC devices. We already have phones being hacked left and right and it would seem that the NFC equipment is just ripe for the picking. A quick transient bar code that is only accessible via a visual scan might mitigate that issue nicely. e.g., You have the device with you and need to wave it in the general area of the scanner, NFC or otherwise, so why not have it be a visual scanner that doesn't rely on the data being transmitted via the NFC devices? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn Behnam 

You are mistaken, Hong Kong has a NFC system called octopus and it is used everywhere (quiet well may I add).  It is used in mass transit, 7-11 stores (they're on every block here), starbucks and a number of different places.  Most people here use it.  

 

I'm sure other cities have a similar system in place.   

The Octopus card in HK isn't an NFC card it's a simple RFID technology like London's Oyster system. It's been used in HK since 1997.

Hole in One again APPLE!

As mentioned by others, APPLE will fine tune its existing ability to provide value to customers within it's current eco system - why would APPLE spend millions developing something that everyone else will just copy again? i.e. by solving the NFC security riddles and issues...???

It's a very smart move on their part and by the looks of the unexplained and possible NFC chip on some of the posts out and about on the upcoming iPhone5 - NFC implementation could potentially only be an 'AHA' moment away.

I'd 'bet the house' that they're already heading down their own NFC Development Roadmap, and that the initial implementation involves the Introduction and Roll Out of Passbook - which is already integrated within APPLE's NFC strategic roll-out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotatsu 

NFC is everywhere in Japan. 

True, and it's one of the great things about Japan, particularly in regards to public transport. But in terms of shopping and general purchases, it's not like there's a shortage of barcode scanners in retail (planet-wide).

Quote:

Originally Posted by allenbf 

 

The entire article is a bit...weird, to me.  I had to confirm that it's saying "hey, look, the barcode scan option is better than NFC, kids."  I"m not saying I'd like NFC, I just think overall, NFC would be a safer option than a barcode.  UNLESS there is additional security like the Authentec scanners, etc.

 

I do agree with the point that every retailer on the planet has the ability to scan barcodes (well, almost all I'm sure).  So that's a pretty low hurdle to jump if you're wanting people to start using their phones to pay for purchases.

 

Guess we'll find out soon.   Apple, send out that announcement already!

Barcodes are ubiquitous, NFC is not.

So Asia has it. That's fine. Asia is well ahead of the game. The problem is Europe, America, and other countries. Here in New Zealand we have one system that I can think of that has NFC and that's Snapper but the gloss has come off Snapper when they were asked to implement a ticketing system for Auckland that tied all the systems together. They failed and were kicked off the project. The only other NFC system I can think of here are passport readers at international airports. In either case the systems still require you to press something against a reader. Why not just use a barcode?

Meanwhile in New Zealand all supermarket counters, airport checkin systems, most POS systems, and places like Subway all use barcode scanners in some way shape or form requiring no special equipment at all because they are comparatively cheap and easily installed.

Having NFC in the iPhone would not forbid use of bar-codes where NFC is not used yet...

I think having NFC and Bar Codes for where you can't use NFC would be the best solution. Bar-codes are a software only solution, so it's easy to implement in.

I have yet to see a subway portal using a bar code reader..

Some talk about bluetooth, but even if bluetooth is present in a lot of smartphones, I never saw it implemented in a train portal or a shop payment system, you'd have nowhere to pay.

Great article and I think it's excellent that merchants can get into Passbook without having to NFC enable all their outlets. Big up for Apple thinking and caring about the smaller guys.  I know NFC is very convenient for the consumer but also would be a big barrier to more passes being available to them.  By offering 2D Barcodes now people can get access to more passes in their phone.  The cost of installing a 2D Barcode in a Point of Sale system is tiny compared to NFC enabling.  I guess Apple will build trust with 'pass in a phone' (including small business owners) and then it will be easier to move into the wallet space.

I also came across this Pass Designer a minute ago, which looks like anyone will be able to design a pass (not just Apple Developers). You can just use this WYSIWYG Pass Designer and let them do all the work behind the scenes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEJiwTFno0.  This has massive opportunity for the small and medium business owners... especially the highly competitive Food and Beverage sector.

The one thing I wish could happen would be that they included the technology without it being functional so if/when they begin using NFC it is already built into older generations of the iPhone. Obviously there are problems with that idea...one being the possibility of the NFC being exploited in some way and the other being the ramped rumor trackers finding it and beginning to speculate off of the inclusion.