Future iPhones will Use NFC as Key Part of iWallet [Analyst]

Near-field-communication (NFC) will be a key part of Apple’s iWallet, investment firm Morgan Stanley claims, according to AppleInsider. The forecast comes shortly after BrightWire reported the iPhone 6 would have NFC on board as Apple plans to enter the mobile payments market.

The company has so far declined to implement an NFC chip in the iPhone, a strategy that will change, according to the investment firm. What Apple has done, however, is to introduce the location-aware iBeacon technology, which combines Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and has a greater potential than NFC.

Still, analysts of Morgan Stanley believe NFC will be a core part of Apple’s mobile payment strategy. It is worth noting, though, that the investment company has kept an eye on Apple’s growing iTunes accounts, which is the largest credit-card linked account base, and each year has repeated that mobile payments remain a future opportunity.

This slightly differs this year, as their prediction comes after a BrightWire scoop claiming Apple has already inked a deal with the world’s largest interbank network, China UnionPay.

Fact is, Apple has a handful of patents containing the NFC keyword, but that doesn’t mean the company will indeed use the technology in the iPhone. The rumour, however, isn’t new; it has been around since 2011. Maybe it will materialize this year.