New pics of Apple's 'iPhone 5' mystery part reaffirm no NFC chip
The latest leak claiming to show parts from Apple's next iPhone offers a closer look at a mysterious internal component located next to the earpiece, revealing it does not house a near-field communications chip.
The latest pictures published on Thursday by Sonny Dickson offer a look underneath the square metal bracket located at the top of the device. The pictures show that there is no NFC chip located underneath the component, further quashing hopes of e-wallet functionality in the company's so-called "iPhone 5."
Last week, the well-connected Jim Dalrymple of The Loop reported that Apple's next iPhone will not feature NFC technology, sometimes known as radio frequency identification, or RFID. NFC chips are currently found in many Android-based handsets and other smartphones that compete with the iPhone, and allow features such as wireless e-wallet transactions.
The forthcoming release of iOS 6 and its inclusion of Passbook, a new wallet-type application built into the mobile operating system, helped to fuel speculation that Apple would put an NFC chip in its next iPhone. Those rumors gained steam when a picture claiming to show the front assembly of Apple's next iPhone was shown with a mysterious metal square that some speculated could be concealing an NFC chip.
But the latest pictures leaked on Thursday suggest that there is not an NFC chip or similar technology located under the bracket. They suggest instead that the bracket holds in place the forward-facing FaceTime camera, proximity sensor, and earpiece speaker.
This week, AppleInsider detailed reasons why Apple may have chosen to pass on NFC technology, including security concerns. At this summer's Black Hat conference, hacker Charlie Miller demonstrated NFC security flaws with Android smartphones, including Google's Nexus S and Samsung's Galaxy S.
Apple is expected to debut its next-generation iPhone at a media event scheduled for next Wednesday at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The keynote presentation will kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.
While the new iPhone is not expected to feature NFC functionality, it is anticipated to be a completely redesigned handset with a larger 4-inch display and an all-new, smaller 9-pin dock connector.
The latest pictures published on Thursday by Sonny Dickson offer a look underneath the square metal bracket located at the top of the device. The pictures show that there is no NFC chip located underneath the component, further quashing hopes of e-wallet functionality in the company's so-called "iPhone 5."
Last week, the well-connected Jim Dalrymple of The Loop reported that Apple's next iPhone will not feature NFC technology, sometimes known as radio frequency identification, or RFID. NFC chips are currently found in many Android-based handsets and other smartphones that compete with the iPhone, and allow features such as wireless e-wallet transactions.
The forthcoming release of iOS 6 and its inclusion of Passbook, a new wallet-type application built into the mobile operating system, helped to fuel speculation that Apple would put an NFC chip in its next iPhone. Those rumors gained steam when a picture claiming to show the front assembly of Apple's next iPhone was shown with a mysterious metal square that some speculated could be concealing an NFC chip.
But the latest pictures leaked on Thursday suggest that there is not an NFC chip or similar technology located under the bracket. They suggest instead that the bracket holds in place the forward-facing FaceTime camera, proximity sensor, and earpiece speaker.
This week, AppleInsider detailed reasons why Apple may have chosen to pass on NFC technology, including security concerns. At this summer's Black Hat conference, hacker Charlie Miller demonstrated NFC security flaws with Android smartphones, including Google's Nexus S and Samsung's Galaxy S.
Apple is expected to debut its next-generation iPhone at a media event scheduled for next Wednesday at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The keynote presentation will kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.
While the new iPhone is not expected to feature NFC functionality, it is anticipated to be a completely redesigned handset with a larger 4-inch display and an all-new, smaller 9-pin dock connector.
Comments
Can't this be a kind of chip that allows induction battery charging ?
Do you realize that wider screen means wider phone? If you really need a shovel phone go with galaxy note.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
If what we see is the iPhone 5 I'm going to struggle to find a reason to buy it, for the first time. Taller screen without it being wider...?
Taller I understand, but I can't imagine why wider would be better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
If what we see is the iPhone 5 I'm going to struggle to find a reason to buy it, for the first time. Taller screen without it being wider...?
if your iPhone is so big, why would you buy an iPad mini?
the success of iPhone 5 will rest not on how thin it is, or if the rectangle has rounded edges, but what does this phone do that makes it cool, and almost indispensable. The droids have come up with more form factors including larger screens, but if the iPhone fails to do something unique it's just another phone. When it started, it was very unique, a creative masterpiece. But have the other droid phones caught up with Apple and even surpassed them in some areas? in lots of things except profitability.
Holy fingernails, Batman!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chadmatic
Taller I understand, but I can't imagine why wider would be better.
I'd want it wider so that I can see more than one line of history when sending messages in landscape orientation. Wider would also mean a larger font size when viewing web pages in portrait orientation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason98
Do you realize that wider screen means wider phone? If you really need a shovel phone go with galaxy note.
Or the DROID M. It has a similar size footprint as the iPhone 4, but the screen is nearly an inch larger.
Why can't Apple do the same?
I was thinking either chick with man hands or dude needs to trim his nails...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
If what we see is the iPhone 5 I'm going to struggle to find a reason to buy it, for the first time. Taller screen without it being wider...?
I agree entirely. That phone looks honking. The proportions look all wrong. I cant believe that is the best they can come up with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tylersdad
I'd want it wider so that I can see more than one line of history when sending messages in landscape orientation. Wider would also mean a larger font size when viewing web pages in portrait orientation.
Seems like the tradeoff in physical size wouldn't be worth it in my opinion.
Could apple be intending to use BT4.0 as the comms path to the terminal instead of NFC?
Charlie
Because they are stuck with the home button. Also the back camera need an entire case depth as it won't fit behind the LCD in such a thin space.
This is partly a reason why Motorola phones look so ugly as they are always thicker at the top nevertheless they claim thickness by the bottom.
I hate the longer form factor more than i like a taller screen.
And I think I am passing upgrades for next couple of years
If what we see is the iPhone 5 I'm going to struggle to find a reason to buy it, for the first time. Taller screen without it being wider...?
I agree. Almost every new phone these days has NFC, almost every day I read news about NFC alliances between banks and telecoms starting to deploy NFC in different countries. Apple is missing this train and I'm not gone stand waiting for them. When I bought my iPhone 4 two yeas ago I thought that I will buy every year the most advance mobile computer on the planet, the spearhead of technology, the device of the future! Instead it appears I bought a device from a company whose sole preoccupation is how to sell the phone at a price as high as they can and to upgrade it as little as they can, and trying to convince people that it is "magic". Now, I'm sorry that I have invested a lot in all kind of apps. But it's never too late to leave this boat! Lumia 920 will probably be my next phone if the iPhone 5 will be as "advanced" as it appears to be!Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
If what we see is the iPhone 5 I'm going to struggle to find a reason to buy it, for the first time. Taller screen without it being wider...?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason98
Do you realize that wider screen means wider phone? If you really need a shovel phone go with galaxy note.
I think the concern is proper aspect ratio (i'm suprised none of you questioned this, but instead all flew off the handle 'just get a Droid M/galaxy duh' attitude). I hope i'm wrong, but it does appear to be too skinny. Time will tell.
wire all the recent security and privacy concerns, I think Apple decide to forgo the RFID chips, people are concern about being tracked by locations service and the such well with RFID which many stores now use for inventory management and such could easily track users coming and going. It would be easy for someone to read the RFID chip in your phone and do things which the rest of us have not though with that information. I suspect that Apple came up with their own method to e-wallet which does not relay on RFID.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers
if your iPhone is so big, why would you buy an iPad mini?
Finally!
We have a winner!
Using the iPhone in landscape mode with the keyboard there is no real-estate for actually viewing the screen left. "Taller" just makes the problem worse.
I would say it is a lot like apps focusing on a top menubar when all the monitors are widescreen now. They constrict the useable dimension with a silly UI choice. The difference with a phone or tablet is that you have to be able to rotate it and have it be effective in both orientations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NelsonX
Apple is missing this train and I'm not gone stand waiting for them. When I bought my iPhone 4 two yeas ago I thought that I will buy every year the most advance mobile computer on the planet, the spearhead of technology, the device of the future! Instead it appears I bought a device from a company whose sole preoccupation is how to sell the phone at a price as high as they can and to upgrade it as little as they can, and trying to convince people that it is "magic". Now, I'm sorry that I have invested a lot in all kind of apps. But it's never too late to leave this boat! Lumia 920 will probably be my next phone if the iPhone 5 will be as "advanced" as it appears to be!
With all due respect, switching to the Lumia is probably the best strategy for you as it appears that you interested solely in the specs. The "magic" in the iPhone is the delicate balance between hardware, software, design, and the user experience, not to mention the seamless integration with the rest of the Apple ecosystem.