Rumor: No NFC Support in iPhone 5

Apple may not be planning to include Near Field Communication(NFC) support on the fifth generation iPad, according to reports from unnamed sources in the U.K. mobile phone industry. Apparently Apple told the carriers it won’t be including the feature on the next iPhone over concerns that there isn’t enough standardization yet in the technology.

“The new iPhone will not have NFC, Apple told the operators it was concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry,” an unnamed source told The Independent.

No NFC in iPhone 5?NFC coming to iPhone 5? Maybe not.

NFC is a technology that lets users pay for goods and services by placing their smartphone close to a special scanner. Apple’s concern is that the NFC scanner devices aren’t standardized yet, which means consumers could use their NFC-equipped smartphones only at stores with compatible receivers instead of everywhere.

The lack of standardization means Apple won’t likely consider adding NFC to its iPhone lineup until companies agree on, and implement, a unified NFC protocol.

Reports that Apple had been planning on including NFC technology in the iPhone 5, along with the new talk that the company is holding off until later phone models, hasn’t been officially confirmed. Until Apple publicly details the features that will be included in the iPhone 5, these reports should be treated as little more than unsubstantiated rumors.