Apple to Launch Mobile Payments This Autumn?

Currently the most popular mobile payment systems - like Starbucks - have used NFC, but Apple seems to be bucking the trend
Currently the most popular mobile payment systems – like Starbucks – have used NFC, but Apple seems to be bucking the trend

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a mobile payment solutions as early as this autumn, enabling iPhone users to pay for items in-store using their handset.

According to The Information, Apple is currently in talks with companies in the payment industry, most notably Visa, over possible partnerships.

The payment solution would leverage a “secured element” within the iPhone to store payment details, The Information reports. Speculation is that this could involve the Secure Enclave built into the A7 processor which Apple introduced last year with the iPhone 5S.

It doesnt seems like Apple is set for an about-face on NFC, the technology used by most contactless mobile payment solutions but which has been absent from all iPhone and iPad releases so far. Instead, the most likely candidates are reportedly wi-fi or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), the latter of which is used in the companys iBeacon technology, already being rolled out in stores.

An autumn launch lines up neatly with the probable release date of the iPhone 6, so all eyes will be on the next Apple press event to see if these rumours come to fruition.