Apple sets Sept 9 iPhone event

What happened to the iphone was the "right size" and all those screenshots and guides on how the iphone is the right size? Apple is playing catch up.

My hopes:

standard compliant near field communication chip (not another Apple branded protocol with a fancy name, please), refine the interface design changes introduced in iOS7 (good first try, now fix please), add one or two physical buttons so users don't have to tap morse code on the HOME button to use basic functions like app switching some better solution to sharing files between apps, and between the phone and other phones / macs/ pcs.

I think i will start queuing outside their Ginza store from this coming Sunday.

My hopes: standard compliant near field communication chip

Please pardon my ignorance as an android user, but does this mean apple users can't pay with electronic payment systems like ID or use NFC printers? Thanks.

@M3M3M3, here's an article that explains why iPhones don't support NFC:

http://bgr.com/2014/03/19/why-apple-skipped-nfc/

The article's logic: it's good that Apple skipped NFC, because NFC will die off. Why will NFC die off? Because iPhones don't have NFC.

@MissingCylonModel

Thanks for the clarification. I'm really suprised by this. I never noticed that everyone paying by ID was not using an iphone. I actually use my phone and NFC to enter my building and access the elevators. I don't know how secure it is but it sure is convenient.

That is really cool, @M3M3M3! I just switched to Android last year. How can I get my doors to open via NFC?

@M3M3M3

I never noticed that everyone paying by ID was not using an iphone. I actually use my phone and NFC to enter my building and access the elevators. I don't know how secure it is but it sure is convenient.

Apple hasn't gone down this route because no one in the industry can agree on a unified standard. Even within the Android platform, there are multiple technologies being used here. To make things even more complicated, Japan uses an existing "Standard 1" protocol for its devices (think Pasmo, Suica and saifu-keitai), whereas the US is trying to implement "Standard 2". Until they develop a dual-band chip, NFC will never become mainstream. Throw in the patent trolling and royalty disputes, and you're going down a rabbit hole!

Don't forget the iPod Touch. I love to see some upgrades toward that.

@MissingCylonModel

How can I get my doors to open via NFC?

My building is fairly new so we use a card key system rather than a physical key. So Hitachi, who run the system, can program your phones NFC 'number' (?? I don't know exactly how it works) into the system to operate as a card key. Apparently they only accept phones that have a Docomo contract for come reason. I guess the downside is that if I lose my phone, I've also lost my house key.

@sighclops

Thanks for the info. Hopefully they get it sorted.

"Thanks for the clarification. I'm really suprised by this. I never noticed that everyone paying by ID was not using an iphone. I actually use my phone and NFC to enter my building and access the elevators. I don't know how secure it is but it sure is convenient."

If you leave the door open its damn good convenient..I don't know about security but who cares.

I hope they didn't make the device larger just to get a larger screen size. That would copy the Androids which are ridiculously too large. If you want a larger screen get an iPad mini which is more suitable for most applications than an iPhone.

If they include a battery that doesn't die the moment I have the tenacity to use the phone, I'll be happy.

My hopes: standard compliant near field communication chip (not another Apple branded protocol with a fancy name, please),

Apple is already developing their own NFC system, been already announced. Apple wants to control your wallet next.

Until they develop a dual-band chip, NFC will never become mainstream

Most of the phones released these days are compliant with Felica (the original Japanese system) and NFC. There are blog entries out there showing how you can use your Japanese smartphone with the payment systems in the US etc. Contactless payment systems are being implemented all over the world these days

But Apple just doesnt want to implement it because it wouldnt own sole rights to it. Oh well, sucks for them.

NFC is not just for payments. NFC is just a "handshake" protocol - a "gesture" that the two parties agree to do a deal together (including but not limited to payments). As the name says (Near-Field Communication), it only works at very close distance (a few inches) so it's like a face-to-face meeting "handshake" agreeing to do a deal. It can only transfer a small amount of data - just enough to initiate the "deal." Once the "let's do a deal" handshake is agreed upon, the actual transfer of main data occurs thru WiFi or Bluetooth which has the range and bandwidth to transfer the larger data necessary for the "deal" to be completed.

So any device can be made to implement NFC - printers, computers, boomboxes, doors, cars, etc. The main transfer of data occurs thru some place else, on another protocol.

gogogo: "Apple is playing catch up."

And yet, it's been leaked that Samsung is building a smaller-screened, rectangle-like smartphone that looks EXACTLY like an older iPhone! Samsung has ALWAYS copied Apple, but this next one is too funny! Oh wait, there ARE two differences. On the Samsung model the camera is to the right of the speaker on the face, and the home button is not round, but more like an ellipse.

Anyway, I'll stick to the smaller screen, as it is indeed better. I don't need something the size of a 1980's calculator designed for people who think for some reason a bigger screen means a better phone.

Android phones: too large to be phones, too small to be tablets.

Android phones: too large to be phones, too small to be tablets.

IPhones :too small to be useful, too large to be......eh I can't think of anything...

Let's all wait for the iPhone 6, I reckon it's going to be the most successful iPhone ever ! Iphone owners have been dying to get their hands on a bigger screen....even the die-hard fanboys are running out of excuses.....

Anyway, I'll stick to the smaller screen, as it is indeed better. I don't need something the size of a 1980's calculator designed for people who think for some reason a bigger screen means a better phone.

I think its about time the apple gets spoiled!

All the fan boys are getting their tissues in I bet. Apple? Poor customer service, same ethos as any other multi-national and no different than that: The dollar is the bottom line. Can't even replace a battery! LOL. Rubbish.

"the rival Android operating system captured 85% of the worldwide market"

That will decrease with the launch of iPhone 6.

so after SEPT 9 we'll see Samsung claim for patents and sue Apple

There are rumors that the iPhone 6 models will get NFC because of two factors: the Japanese and South Korean cellphone carriers want this features for mobile payment systems like East Japan Railway Company's Mobile Suica and Korea Telecom's Olleh Touch and the rumor that Apple signed a major mobile payments deal with China UnionPay, which also requires NFC terminals to work. If this rumor is true, then the iPhone could potentially crush all the competition because the new model eliminates the two biggest shortfalls of the current iPhone, namely lack of NFC and too-small screen size.

Android phones: too large to be phones, too small to be tablets.

so that's why the iphone 6's screen is 5.5 inches?

so that's why the iphone 6's screen is 5.5 inches?

Yeah, just saw that. Really poor that Apple copies the pointless Android device sizes. iPhone 5 has the perfect size for a smart phone. Anything larger is ridiculous. I wish Apple keeps doing what they do best: Delivery perfect design quality where every design decision has been thought over well, instead of trying to copycat Androids. That would be like a Mac trying to copy from a Windows PC. It raises the question why should one copy from such an inferior, badly designed system.

Apple is already developing their own NFC system, been already announced. Apple wants to control your wallet next

Apple already controls my wallet, right along with Steam and PSN

Why is a bigger screen necessary? It's a phone, right? I've seen some of the super-sized Andud phones and they are far from convenient. I have an iPad mini and it is the perfect size, but it don't make phone calls with it. That's what a pocket-sized mobile phone is for.

Why is a bigger screen necessary?

Some people can't afford, or don't want to waste money on both a phone and a mini. I'm the latter. I have an iphone 4 and like to read the news during my long highway bus rides to work, so I welcome a bigger screen.

Why the larger screen size for the iPhone 6? I believe it's about the large Baby Boom generation that are now reaching their retirement age that aren't interested in cellphones with tiny touchscreens for readability reasons.

That would be like a Mac trying to copy from a Windows PC. It raises the question why should one copy from such an inferior, badly designed system.

Spoken like a true apple fanboy ... there is life outside of apple you know, but if you are too scared that's okay, apple is a safe choice, it works, makes you feel cool and no one will tell you off for buying it.

according to some sites, the new pcb does seem to include nfc.. could be bloody nice finally. I do have galaxy 5s from my work so can compare and tbh although the screen is lovely and its fast, I am not big fan of android - it seems kind of unfinished and not immersive enough . I also hope the screen on i6 wont be as big as galaxy, they already have ipad mini which is almost same size

I apologies for for my previous comment, I forgot that Samsung is a S Korean company.