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One of the more interesting features that will be coming to the iPhone and iPad in the future is NFC. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. What NFC technology would do for the iPhone is let iPhone customers use their phones to pay for transactions. Some examples of NFC devices are the Mobile Speedpass or a credit card that you tap on a payment device, in order to charge your card account.
Currently there are opportunities for iphone customers to pay with their phones such as with the Starbucks Mobile app, however the implementation is not perfect. Inside the app, a barcode is displayed to be scanned at the register. There seems to be a large delay in the reading of the barcode and sometimes the barcode will not even scan. These issues could be as a result of things trivial like the angle the iPhone is held at amount of light given off by the backlight.
Some of these issues would ideally be fixed by NFC technology. Users would only have to have a device onto or next to a reader rather than at a specific angle or using certain default settings. However NFC technology also incorporates a new threat which is security. With RFID, there is a lot of debate about security in that people with special devices, pick up RFID information from large distances, without users knowing. It will be interesting to see what security precautions NFC will utilize and if it will be safe enough for most people to consider.
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
There is a lot of pent up lust towards the iPhone moving to the Verizon Wireless network. However users should beware because the iPhone 4 is already outdated and will soon be moving to technological graveyards. Every summer Apple releases a new version of the iPhone. That means in a mere 6 months everyone will experience a form of post purchase dissonance because the iPhone will be moving toward bigger and better features, even possibly 4G.
What people do not realize, is that right now cellular technology is switching to 4G. 4G will lead to faster data connections which hopefully will translate into better service for all. Since 4G is fairly new, there are a few downsides such as data costs, lack of standards, and lack of hardware maturity. Currently the price for data is $50 for 5GBs and $80 for 10GBs. The only devices that support 4G on Verizon are laptop cards because voice standards were not complete to allow for phones. Finally devices are fairly new so they are more bulky and battery life takes a pretty large hit with 4G.
If you could, I would suggest you hold off on a new iPhone. You have waited for years and should be able to wait a few more months. I think it would be stupid to buy an iPhone using old technology which would be obsolete in six months and unless you could afford it.
