Rumor: iphone 4G will feature a RFID sensor

Rumors are rumors and we always treat them as such, but should this one come to pass, it should be an interesting possibility for the future. According to 9to5ac, Einar Rosenberg from Nearfield Communications has declared that Apple would be working in testing the RFID technology on the next generation of iPhones. Those were the exact words:

“A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I’m told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone.”

In a nutshell, then, the RFID implementation should allow the devices to notice the distance and start pre-determined actions automatically, such as synchronization (through WiFi perhaps) or the payment authorization by putting the credit card in contact with the phone display. Of course, in order for that to work, the card must have an integrated RFID chip, but it’s becoming more and more common now, especially in the USA.

We’ll have to wait and see.