Tag: apple mobile payments

New iPhone features may boost adoption and impact mobile payments market

| September 10, 2013

Apple may be inching into mobile payments arena with iPhone upgrades

While Apple has not made any firm announcement concerning its future involvement in mobile payments, the company may have a major impact on that sector in the coming months. Wells Fargo has raised its projected price range for Apple stock this week, citing news that the famed technology company will become more flexible in its relationship with carriers of its iPhone devices. New technology that is expected to be introduced with the iPhone 5S is also creating some buzz and this technology could help boost the adoption of the already popular mobile device.

Fingerprint sensors could boost mobile security

Apple is expected to include fingerprint sensing technology in its iPhone 5S, which is likely to be released later this year. This technology comes from AethenTec, which was acquired by Apple somewhat recently. The company specializes in security technologies and its fingerprint scanner could make next generation iPhones significantly more secure than their predecessors. This added security could create more confidence among consumers and boost adoption rates, especially among those interested in mobile payments.

Apple - Mobile PaymentsApple to be more flexible with iPhone sales restrictions

Apple is also expected to relax the restrictions it has on iPhone sales, which will allow its partners to exhibit more flexibility in the device market. This may help Apple compete more effectively against other companies, such as Samsung, when it comes to mobile technology. Better security features may help Apple’s partners market the iPhone 5S to corporate customers — a market that has been held firmly by BlackBerry for several years.

Mobile payments may be in Apple’s future

Apple has been slow to warm to the concept of mobile payments in the past. Security concerns had caused the company to distance itself from NFC technology, which forms the backbone of most mobile payments platforms. Apple has been looking for an alternative to NFC and some rumors suggest that the company is developing its own mobile payments system for future iterations of its smartphones and tablets.

Biometrics may bring Apple into mobile commerce

| August 26, 2013

Apple could enter into mobile commerce arena with biometric technology

Apple may be gearing up to make a strong push into the mobile commerce sector. The company has had an interest in mobile payments for some time, but has taken a cautious approach to mobile commerce due to concerns regarding NFC technology. Apple had claimed that the technology was simply not capable to meet its needs and had been looking for an effective alternative. The company may have found that alternative in biometrics.

AuthenTec technology may be a boon for Apple

In 2012, Apple acquired AuthenTec, a company that had specialized in using biometric technology for security purposes. The acquisition gave Apple access to the company’s technology and enables Apple to make use of this technology as it sees fit. AuthenTec’s fingerprint sensors were particularly attractive to Apple, which believes such technology could be an effective way to make mobile commerce more secure. Such technology could also make security for mobile devices somewhat more convenient as it would eliminate the need for consumers to input their passwords multiple times a day.

Apple - mobile commerce and mobile paymentsiPhone 5S photos suggest changes to hardware

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5S later this year and leaked images of the device have recently found their way to the Internet. These images show some modest changes to iPhone hardware, suggesting that there may be room for biometric technologies and other, similar features. There is no guarantee that this will be the case, of course, as Apple has a track record of making drastic renovations to iPhone hardware before the official launch of a new generation of these devices.

Apple shows some interest in mobile commerce

Rumors had suggested that the iPhone 5 would be equipped with NFC technology, but Apple dispelled these rumors and garnered harsh criticism from consumers due to the fact that the device did not feature NFC support. The lack of NFC technology has kept the iPhone 5 from serving as a mobile commerce platform. This has set Apple somewhat behind other companies in this sector, but Apple may soon be able to make a powerful entry into mobile commerce if its biometrics initiatives are successful.