Simply tapping your wrist to pay, and not even bothering with pulling the phone out of your pocket, would be fucking amazing. This is an application where the wearable form factor makes sense and has a distinct advantage.
What advantage?? Are you too weak to lift out your phone? Are you a shopoholic??
How would the purchase be authorized or the user authenticated?"
Authenticate via a sapphire crystal display surrounded by the Touch ID ring, which, by the look at the IP design, doesn't have to be circular.
A person's finger doesn't have to touch the ring, thus it can be as large as necessary to encompass the crystal, much like many watch bezels do today, without appearing 'gaudy'.
This places Touch ID authentication on the secure enclave included in the 'watch' without necessitating sync to a iPhone. Different fingers can be used to 'authenticate' the 'iWatch' than used for the iPhone.
With Touch ID on the 'watch' itself AND by using 'Find my iDevice' (sic, new name) to locate, lock or wipe a lost/stolen 'watch,' theft will be a unprofitable proposition.
If Keychain sync can also be incorporated into the secure enclave, then this would open up an entire realm of new possibilities.
What advantage?? Are you too weak to lift out your phone? Are you a shopoholic??
I was recently at Walt Disney World, where they now issue everyone "magic bands" that act as a key to your room, as a fast pass for getting on rides, as a photo-pass for associating pictures of you taken by theme park employees with your account, and as a means of paying in restaurants, etc. And even though I'm a quite uncomfortable with where such payment systems can ultimately go, I have to admit that it was greatly more convenient than toting around a wallet, digging for a card, etc. In restaurants, waiters simply carry around iPhones or iPads with a reader attached, and they just scan your band for payment. As with other implementations of chip and pin technology, you then authenticate by typing in a pin. No need to stand in line at the cashier, no need to dig around in a purse or go for your wallet. It just makes the entire experience much more fluid and streamlined.
I think if you haven't experienced it, you don't realize how convenient it actually is. And that is exactly what will sell it and make it commonplace; that surprise factor will have people talking about it.
Amazing that all those companies that have been using NFC for years are now making smartwatches without NFC ! Once again, Apple will show them the way for something they should have thought about themselves.
The Sony Smartwatch 2 and the newly announced Smartwatch 3 have NFC. So did the original Galaxy Gear.
I don't even think Touch ID will even be necessary. Over the course of the past year, if I run a transaction as credit, I've never had to authenticate anything. Especially at a McDonalds (which there have been reports that say mcdonalds will be part of this whole thing). It's usually just swipe and go with the card. Now, it'll be swipe and go with the watch.
Fast food places haven't required PIN numbers for years, they just swipe the card and that's that. I guess they figure the percentage of fraudulent cards will cost them less than the few extra seconds it would take to authenticate. Anybody selling more expensive merchandise would obviously feel differently.
A pairing with the iPhone every day, even if secure, doesn't seem to me something Apple would do. A simple PIN code like the one already in use on iCloud would be enough and not at all annoying imo. Wave your wrist at the machine then type the PIN (the first time you use it after removing the watch). Easy and secure.
Comments
What advantage?? Are you too weak to lift out your phone? Are you a shopoholic??
Quote:
How would the purchase be authorized or the user authenticated?"
Authenticate via a sapphire crystal display surrounded by the Touch ID ring, which, by the look at the IP design, doesn't have to be circular.
A person's finger doesn't have to touch the ring, thus it can be as large as necessary to encompass the crystal, much like many watch bezels do today, without appearing 'gaudy'.
This places Touch ID authentication on the secure enclave included in the 'watch' without necessitating sync to a iPhone. Different fingers can be used to 'authenticate' the 'iWatch' than used for the iPhone.
With Touch ID on the 'watch' itself AND by using 'Find my iDevice' (sic, new name) to locate, lock or wipe a lost/stolen 'watch,' theft will be a unprofitable proposition.
If Keychain sync can also be incorporated into the secure enclave, then this would open up an entire realm of new possibilities.
Just my 2 cents.
What advantage?? Are you too weak to lift out your phone? Are you a shopoholic??
I was recently at Walt Disney World, where they now issue everyone "magic bands" that act as a key to your room, as a fast pass for getting on rides, as a photo-pass for associating pictures of you taken by theme park employees with your account, and as a means of paying in restaurants, etc. And even though I'm a quite uncomfortable with where such payment systems can ultimately go, I have to admit that it was greatly more convenient than toting around a wallet, digging for a card, etc. In restaurants, waiters simply carry around iPhones or iPads with a reader attached, and they just scan your band for payment. As with other implementations of chip and pin technology, you then authenticate by typing in a pin. No need to stand in line at the cashier, no need to dig around in a purse or go for your wallet. It just makes the entire experience much more fluid and streamlined.
I think if you haven't experienced it, you don't realize how convenient it actually is. And that is exactly what will sell it and make it commonplace; that surprise factor will have people talking about it.
Fast food places haven't required PIN numbers for years, they just swipe the card and that's that. I guess they figure the percentage of fraudulent cards will cost them less than the few extra seconds it would take to authenticate. Anybody selling more expensive merchandise would obviously feel differently.
How would the purchase be authorized or the user authenticated?
You're asking how a device designed to capture biometric data would authenticate a user...?
All jokes aside - it's a valid question. Touch ID seems like an important piece of the puzzle.