iPhone To Get NFC Chips, Maps with Yelp

We have heard a lot of rumors about Apple’s upcoming phone in the past few weeks. By now, most experts expect the device to have a larger display and a different design. The dock connector is going to be smaller as well. As 9to5 Mac has reported, these new iPhones could have NFC controllers directly attached to the power unit. That means Apple will be able to compete with Google Wallet and similar services more effectively. NFC would also enable iPhone users to share files between multiple iOS devices. According to Jim Peters, CTO at SITA, Apple is on track to bring NFC to its phones:

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 … There aren’t any transactions in it yet, but I think that’s how Apple is going to sneak up on the industry. They are going to get people used to using it and then all of a sudden they will allow credit cards to be used in there, on the next iPhone, which will include NFC.

Apple has made some moves that suggest this move is going to be happening soon. Considering that other smartphones are going to have NFC on-board soon as well, Apple won’t be going at it alone. This is not a new rumor at all. We have been hearing about this for a while. Apple could always surprise us though.

It is now not a secret that Apple Maps will replace Google as the default location service in iOS 6. Apple Maps is not only a sleek piece of software but it will also get Yelp’s “check-in feature.” That means users will be able to broadcast their activities through Yelp without having to exit the map. The integration of Yelp is only going to help the company stay more competitive over other leading check-in services. It is good news for Maps users too.