The iPhone was one of the early adopters of the NFC technology that opened room for various functionalities including Apple Pay. It debuted with the iPhone 6 and over the years it was expanded to the Apple Watch as well. Back then, Apple did not allow third-party developers to take advantage of the iPhone’s built-in NFC capabilities. However, there are some pretty solid changes coming with iOS 12 that developers would be pleased to know. For instance, iOS 12 will allow your iPhones to turn into virtual transit cards for unlocking hotel doors. So let’s dive in to see some more details on the matter.
iOS 12 To Host New NFC Features, Like Making Your iPhone A Virtual Transit Card
As we already know, WWDC is a few days away and there are a lot of speculations what Apple’s next big iOS update will have in store. According to a report from The Information (via 9to5mac), Apple is working to make gigantic changes in how the NFC chip performs on the iPhone with iSO 12.
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The report further indicates that the Cupertino-giant wants the iPhone to be used at contactless points. This includes using the device to unlock hotel doors or serve as a transit card. While this would open new possibilities for the iPhone, it will be a more secure contactless instance. Needless to say, some hotel has already adopted the iPhone as the passkey. However, they use Bluetooth and Low Energy Protocols to achieve the operation which isn’t as secure as the NFC contact point.
The report points that Apple is already testing the upcoming feature and it has partnered with HID Global to roll out feature at the Apple campus. HID Global already develops Apple’s security system. Apple has installed a FeliCa chip in the iPhone models in Japan which aims to support the public transport system in the country.
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The company is reportedly working with Cubic. There are several advantages associated with the addition of the NFC-enabled feature and will possibly open up to new possibilities as well. WWDC is right around the corner so we will potentially know more details on the matter. There will be more to the story, so be sure to stay tuned in for more details.
This is all for now, folks. What are your thoughts on the NFC-enabled capabilities coming with iOS 12? Are you expecting some major design changing in the upcoming update? Share your views with us in the comments section below.
Source: The Information
