Near field communications receives blow from Apple

Recently, more small businesses have been gearing up for an increase in the number of consumers wanting to conduct electronic payments via their mobile phones. However, one of mobile device industry's top players is continuing to resist making mobile payments a standard feature of their phones. Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 5 doesn't feature near-field communications (NFC) technology, removing the possibility for shoppers to swipe with their phones rather than their cards. As a result, many experts are beginning to question whether mobile wallets are a likely reality, QR Code Press reports. Prior to the phone's construction, members of the NFC community advocated for the company to include the technology in its newest release, giving the electronic payments channel a boost. Apple's reticence at making NFC a possibility for shoppers has caused many small business owners to pause their plans to upgrade their point-of-sale terminals, the news source explains. Fortunately for NFC enthusiasts, many other bigwigs of the financial industry are supportive of the payment method. Credit card companies such as American Express and JPMorgan Chase[,] as well as mobile carriers AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are making mobile payments a reality for consumers.