According to a report on Monday, Apple is restricting
developer access to the NFC module found in the new
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, limiting the component to
first-party Apple Pay services only.
Apple to limit iPhone 6 NFC to Apple Pay, restrict
developer access
While Apple's new iPhone 6 lineup is the first to
incorporate near-field communications hardware, it
seems the company will keep the component on
lockdown as it makes an entrance into secure digital
payments with Apple Pay.
An Apple spokesperson told Cult of Mac that developers
will not be able to access NFC chip APIs this year ,
meaning the component is included in the iPhone 6 as a
dedicated payments solution component. Apple is likely
employing a "go slow" approach to NFC as the
technology, and its security, is a vital cog in the Apple
Pay system.
Competing smartphone manufacturers like Samsung use
NFC for quick device pairing, data transport and other
functions. For its part, Apple has a higher-bandwidth
stand-in with the iBeacon protocol, which harnesses
Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi for fast recognition and rich
data throughput.
While there are no plans to release the appropriate NFC
module APIs to developers, Apple could open up access
in the future as the technology matures within the iOS
ecosystem. For example, iOS 8 now allows developer
access to the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which was
first introduced with the iPhone 5s in 2013.
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