iPhone 5 rumors: NFC, mini dock connector major feature upgrade
There are more rumors coming to the fore about Apple’s next gen iPhone 5. NFC and mini dock connector are major feature upgrade in next gen apple phone
With the new iPhone not yet announced, a number of rumors about the device are surfacing every day. Recent rumors about the possible iPhone 5 are chiefly regarding Near Field Communication (NFC) chip and a new 19 pin mini dock connector. Sources have suggested variety of leaked images and information to establish the likelihood of potential features of the new iPhone. Here we look into the NFC and mini dock connector reports about iPhone 5. The 2012 edition of Apple’s flagship handset is set for official release before the end of the year.
Near Field Communication (NFC)
Will Apple integrate NFC chip on new iPhone? Some sources recently reported that there was no chance for such a move. Apple would depend on Bluetooth 4 and other options instead of NFC for data transfer and transactions. But, 9toMac has now come up with a fresh rumor that the device will certainly have NFC at least for an advanced payment system, which will compete with Google’s Wallet and Microsoft’s Wallet app for Windows Phone 8.
“Further investigation into this hardware code dump leads us to believe that these iPhones also have Near Field Communication controllers directly connected to the Power Management Unit,” says 9to5Mac, which previously posted all hardware details about the potential iPhone 5. Hardware code for the new iPhone, as accessed by 9to5Mac analysts, simply revealed to them that the device would have NFC, the Apple gossip site claims. The NFC controller will come connected directly into the power management unit of the handset.
The tech blog assumes that iOS 6’s new PassBook application would work on NFC. The app may not need NFC, however, recent reports suggest that Apple would make it run on NFC. The feature is set to become a threat for Google Wallet and Microsoft’s similar service that was launched last week with its new Windows Phone version. The payment system will work in style of Citibank’s PayPass system for credit card transactions. That is, you will be able to make transactions quite easier using the new iPhone.
For further clarification on the NFC rumor, 9to5Mac has added the comment of Jim Peters, CTO of SITA, who thinks that NFC is to come to iPhone 5 and its PassBook application. “Opinion is that Apple is going to incorporate NFC into PassBook. Apple just thinks about how they can make it really easy for the user, and then they figure out how to monetize it. They don’t think about how to monetize it and then tell the user what they can have. It doesn’t work like that,” he says.
A mini dock connector
Since 2003 or the third generation iPod, we have been familiar with Apple’s typical 30-pin dock connector. Recent rumors, instigated by TechCrunch, state that the new iPhone will have a revamped mini dock connector instead of the old one. Some sources have said that the new dock connector will be 19-pin and some sources said it will be 13-pin. Whatever, since both the sources make rumors, we can’t tell which one is true. We will have to wait until Apple introduces the new iPhone to see the reality behind the rumor.
It is quite reasonable to think that Apple would launch new Mini Dock adapter for more space and simplicity. It might be part of Apple’s strategy to make the new iPhone smaller and lightweight to compete with the new line of Andorid handsets. However, it is not necessarily good news for many customers or accessory manufacturers, who already use or produce accessories for the old 30-pin dock. Well, the change of dock connector standard will make all previous accessories incompatible with the iPhone 5. But, it is not clear how Apple will manage the problem if it introduces the new dock connector.
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