“Apple Inc. plans to include short-range wireless technology in its coming smartwatch, according to people familiar with the matter, signaling that it sees a role for the device in digital payments,” Lorraine Luk, Daisuke Wakabayashi and Greg Bensinger report for The wall Street Journal. “The gadget’s use of near-field communication, or NFC, reflects Apple’s broader ambitions for the so-called iWatch beyond health and fitness tracking, the most commonly cited use. Apple also is expected to add the wireless technology to the next versions of its iPhone, people familiar with the device said, potentially simplifying the process of connecting, or pairing, the two devices.”
“NFC wireless is central to Apple’s plans to offer so-called tap-to-pay into its mobile devices, allowing users to pay for goods and services using credit cards stored with iTunes, people close to Apple said,” Luk, Wakabayashi and Bensinger report. “Apple is expected to unveil the new phones and smartwatches at an event next week, the people familiar with the matter said. But it wasn’t clear when the new smartwatch would go on sale.”
“One person familiar with Apple’s suppliers said there is ‘no way’ that it will be able to ship the watch this year,” Luk, Wakabayashi and Bensinger report. “Apple plans to take preorders for the smartwatch before it officially goes on sale, a person close to Apple said.”
Much more in the full article here.
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