Supposed leaked iPhone parts hint at NFC chip within the next iPhone

As iPhone 5 rumors continue to multiply at an alarming rate, some are bound to get left by the wayside and become mostly forgotten. If it weren’t for these leaked parts and the talk they’ve sparked, I would’ve said that was the case with Near Field Communication. Once heralded as the missing component that would make your iPhone replace your wallet once and for all, NFC is back in the news now that some say they’ve spotted a chip on a purported iPhone 5 front panel.

Looking at the above picture, you’ll notice the square chip located right by the FaceTime camera—whatever could it be? According to this roughly-translated blurb from Macotakara, it’s almost definitely an NFC sensor:

“I found a part which is considered as NFC sensor is assembled on this LCD part photo. Considering past leaked new iPhone photos which are reported by iLab Factory or other reporters, a hole is pitted beside iSight camera and new expanded flex-cable, which are connected volume button, reaches where this hole places. This meant some sensor should be assembled one side of iSight camera, and it was cleared now. NFC sensor is it.”

Anyway, you get it—there’s a square thing and it just MIGHT be an NFC chip, meaning contactless payments and a whole lot more could be coming to iOS devices sooner than we expected. When combined with the as-yet mysterious Passbook, the NFC potential of the next-gen iPhone is pretty much off the charts. September 12^th can’t come quick enough!

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Devin Wieland

 

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