MacRumors

Following a report from Wired suggesting NFC-based mobile payments will be a "hallmark" feature of the iPhone 6 and a confirmation from Re/code, Apple blogger John Gruber has now thrown in his two cents, with a cryptic post hinting Apple is indeed planning on including NFC in the iPhone 6 as part of a new mobile payment solution.

Gruber's post references an earlier "joke" that pointed towards a wearable device debut in September, which turned out to be accurate in light of recent rumors also suggesting a September introduction for the device.

I've been working on a new joke -- about NFC and a new secure enclave where you can store your credit cards, so you can pay for things at brick and mortar retail stores just by taking out your iPhone, but only if it's one of the new iPhones -- but no one seems to get my sense of humor.

Gruber suggests Apple's NFC-based mobile payment solution will take advantage of a new secure enclave coprocessor built into the company's new A8 chip, which is in line with previous reports. The secure enclave would likely store credit card details, allowing users to pay for physical goods with their iPhones and it would presumably work in conjunction with Touch ID.

Though rumors of NFC support in the iPhone have occurred for every new iPhone release over the past several years, NFC rumors have been especially prevalent ahead of the iPhone 6 launch. Back in April, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested the iPhone 6 would include an NFC chip, as did a follow up report from BrightWire.

At the same time, multiple reports have suggested Apple is gearing up to launch a mobile payment solution designed to leverage credit card data stored in millions of iTunes accounts. Apple is said to be partnering up with major credit card companies like Visa, and the company has also been interviewing senior payments industry executives to take on new roles within the company.

While Apple has previously viewed NFC as "not the solution to any current problem," it may be changing its opinion on the subject in light of its new mobile payment initiative. The company is expected to debut the iPhone 6, and possibly its new payment solution, at an upcoming event on September 9.

Update 8/29 10:20 AM PT: John Gruber has updated his original post, also hinting that Apple's upcoming wearable device will include support for NFC. "Follow-up joke: It would be cool, and would make a lot of sense, if the new wearable thing had the same magic payment apparatus."

Yesterday, Re/code broke the news that Apple planned to introduce its upcoming wearable device alongside the iPhone 6, and now Bloomberg is seconding that rumor, pointing towards a simultaneous debut of two different iPhones and a wearable device at Apple's September 9 event.

According to Re/code, Apple had originally planned to introduce its wearable device at an October event separate from its September iPhone event, but later ended up changing its plans. Bloomberg speculates that Apple's plan to debut the wearable device alongside the iPhone may be the company's way of limiting expectations for the device, positioning it more as an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone device.

Apple will give the new wearable a boost by pairing its debut with its flagship product, the iPhone. The company also may be trying to manage expectations for the new device, signaling that it's more of an accessory instead of a category that stands by itself. By contrast, when the iPad was introduced in 2010, Apple held a special event just for that product.

Apple does appear to be planning a major affair for the debut of the wearable device and the two iPhones, however, holding the event at the Flint Center at De Anza College where it introduced the original Macintosh thirty years ago and the first iMac in 1998. The company is building a massive structure on the site, the purpose of which remains unclear.

Both Apple CEO Tim Cook and iTunes chief Eddy Cue have also heavily hyped Apple's upcoming product lineup, with Cue saying it's the "best product pipeline" in 25 years and Cook promising "really great stuff" in new product categories.

It is likely Apple is planning to unveil its wearable device, which has commonly been called the iWatch in rumors, several months before it becomes available to consumers. A distinct lack of product leaks and tangible rumors have suggested the device is not yet in production, and an introduction before a deluge of part leaks allows Apple to debut the device while it's still largely a surprise.

Though we've not seen images of Apple's wearable device, rumors have suggested it will have a heavy focus on health and fitness with an array of health-related sensors that measure metrics like steps taken, sleep quality, heart rate, and more. It's said to come in multiple sizes and at multiple price points, and it is also said to be heavily integrated with the iPhone and iOS 8 features like the Health app.

(Image: 2.5-inch iWatch concept by SET Solutions)

Apple today issued invitations for its upcoming iPhone 6 event on September 9, which is also said to include its much-anticipated wearable device. According to the invitations, Apple is planning to host the event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts at De Anza College in Cupertino, the same location where Steve Jobs introduced the original Mac 30 years ago.

For the occasion, it appears that Apple has been building a massive structure on the campus, which has been kept under tight wraps with a white barricade. A MacRumors reader has sent in images of a mysterious structure at the Flint Center, which appears to span three stories and is protected by "scads" of security people. Administrators had previously declined to comment on what the structure is for, stating only "We are not at liberty to discuss that due to client wishes."

Apple has not held an event at the Flint Center in many years, so the company's return to the site of the original Mac unveiling suggests its upcoming announcement will be a major one. The Flint Center has a much higher seating capacity than other venues where Apple has unveiled products in the past, including the Yerba Buena Center and its own Cupertino campus.

Earlier this year, Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue said that Apple's got the "best product pipeline" he'd seen in his 25 years at the company in the works, and Tim Cook promised "really great stuff" in new product categories.

Despite the cryptic "Wish we could say more" message on the media invitations, rumors have suggested Apple is planning to unveil both the iPhone 6 and a new wearable device at the September 9 event.

It is unknown whether Apple has plans to broadcast the event on the web and Apple TV as it has done for recent events, but MacRumors will provide live coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

As noted by The Loop, Apple today issued media invitations to the previously rumored September 9 event where the company is expected to show off not only the iPhone 6 but also its first wearable device, popularly referred to as the iWatch. The invitations carry the tagline "Wish we could say more."

The event will take place at 10:00 AM Pacific Time at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of De Anza College in Cupertino.

Apple's next iPhone may indeed include a mobile payment platform, claims WIRED in a report released Thursday. Wired's sources didn't not reveal how the system would work, but the publication was told that near field communications (NFC) technology will be part of the system.

The company’s next iPhone will feature its own payment platform, sources familiar with the matter told WIRED. In fact, that platform will be one of the hallmark features of the device when it’s unveiled on September 9. We’re told the solution will involve NFC.

Rumors of NFC support in the iPhone have been an annual occurrence over the past several years, but things may finally be coming together for Apple with NFC and its rumored mobile payments initiative. Additional evidence for NFC was spotted in schematics leaked by GeekBar, which suggest Apple may be using a version of the PN65 NFC package from NXP, which measures 5 mm x 5 mm and has 32 terminals for connectivity. A comparison of this component with alleged iPhone 6 logic boards published recently by Nowherelse.fr reveal an unused spot on the board that could accommodate this NFC chip.

A growing body of evidence suggests Apple is working on a mobile payments solution with NFC as an important component. NFC has been mentioned along with Bluetooth LE in patent applications that describe possible mobile payment solutions. Analysts from Morgan Stanley and Brightwire, as well as high-profile KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo all believe Apple will be adopting NFC as a core technology for the iPhone 6.

Apple is rumored to be working on an upcoming mobile payment solution that leverages the credit card data stored in millions of iTunes accounts. Apple is said to be working with credit card companies such as Visa about a possible partnership that would allow it to bypass third-party payment processors. Apple CEO Tim Cook also alluded to mobile payments earlier this year, noting that mobile payments were "one of the thoughts" behind Touch ID.

Update 10:17 AM: Re/code's John Paczkowski says he has "been hearing the same" about the iPhone 6 coming equipped with NFC technology needed for a mobile payments solution.

New photos of various components said to be from the iPhone 6 have been shared by Nowhereelse.fr (Google Translate), giving us a glimpse at both internal and external parts to be used in the device.

The first set of images show SIM card trays and home buttons in a range of three different colors, which may indicate that the iPhone 6 will keep the same space grey, gold, and silver options from the iPhone 5s. This is in line with a previous leaks, including one from last month which also showed SIM trays in three different colors. The SIM trays shown in the photos also appear to be slightly curved, and was likely designed with the iPhone 6's thinner, rounded chassis in mind.

Another set of photos shows the embedded Apple logo, which has also surfaced in other leaks. However, Nowhereelse indicates that the logo scratches under regular pressure with a knife, and contrasts prior speculation that the logo was made of scratch-resistant metal. Apple has not used an embedded Apple logo on its mobile devices since the original iPhone back in 2007.

Finally, the last set of photos show the internal speaker and vibrator motor of the iPhone 6. Both components appear to be different than their predecessors found in the iPhone 5s, as the internal speaker appears to be larger while the vibrator motor now sports a rectangular design.

According to Re/code, Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6 on Tuesday, September 9. It is likely that the 4.7-inch version of the device will go on sale about a week later, while the 5.5-inch version may be released at a later time due to production delays. A report yesterday from Re/code also stated that Apple will unveil a wearable device at the event.

Apple has plans to unveil its upcoming wearable device in September, alongside the iPhone 6, reports Re/code. The site previously suggested Apple had planned to debut the device at an October event, but now says that Apple's plans have changed.

Remember back in June when I said Apple hoped to schedule a special event in October to show off a new wearable device? Remember how I also said this: "Could things change between now and fall? That's certainly possible." Turns out that was a prescient hedge, because things have changed. Apple now plans to unveil a new wearable alongside the two next-generation iPhones we told you the company will debut on September 9th.

According to Re/code, the device will "make good use" of both HealthKit and HomeKit, two sets of APIs that were introduced during WWDC. HealthKit, which ties into Apple's iOS 8 Health app, focuses on health and fitness, while HomeKit is a home automation platform designed to allow users to control a variety connected devices.

Though Apple has plans to introduce a wearable device in September, there is no word on when the device might ship. Given a lack of part leaks and rumors pointing towards a late 2014 or early 2015 launch, it is likely the device will be shown several months before it will be available to consumers.

Apple's upcoming wearable device has been frequently referred to as the iWatch by both MacRumors and other rumor sites, but it remains unclear what Apple will call the device at launch. It is expected to be a wrist worn device, however, and rumors have suggested that it will come in multiple sizes with several different designs available at multiple price points.

It is also expected to incorporate an array of different health and fitness sensors to measure various health-related metrics like steps taken, sleep quality, heart rate, and more.

Last week, Chinese repair firm GeekBar shared a claimed schematic for the iPhone 6 showing what was claimed to be the pinning diagram for the device's rumored near field communications (NFC) chip. The part addressed on the schematic, PN65V, was thought to be a version of NXP's PN65 NFC package currently used in several Android devices.

The leak is one of several schematics shared by GeekBar over the past week and a half, and while some of the components have been misidentified, it is looking increasingly likely that the schematics themselves are legitimate. Seen in that light, it is worth taking a look back at the NFC claim to see if there is additional evidence for it.

MacRumors forum member chrmjenkins has pointed us toward a document showing the package used by NXP for its PN65, noting that it measures 5 mm x 5 mm with 32 terminals for connectivity. In examining the bare logic boards from the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models, chrmjenkins believes he has spotted where that chip will be located.

The location on the board is a square patch that does not correspond to any component from the iPhone 5s logic board, indicating that it may indeed be for a new component such as an NFC chip. Existing components may of course see changes in shape between generations, but many of the current major components can be mapped reasonably well to locations on the iPhone 6 logic boards, leaving relatively few candidates for this new square patch.

Rumors of NFC for the iPhone have circulated for years, but they have yet to come to fruition. As a result, this year's crop of NFC rumors has understandably been greeted with skepticism, although the volume and specificity of the rumors has seemed greater this time around, with multiple sources pointing toward an NXP chip solution for the iPhone. And with Apple rumored to be making a push into mobile payments as soon as later this year, the time may finally be right for Apple to bring NFC to the iPhone.

Apple will launch a thinner MacBook near the end of this year or sometime next year, according to a new report from Digitimes. Citing supply chain sources in Taiwan, the report notes that component production has already begun in small volumes. Apple will also reportedly cease production of the 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro by the end of 2014.

A report last month claimed that Intel's continued delays of its Broadwell chip may cause Apple to push back the release of its 12-inch MacBook until late this 2014 or early 2015. The 12-inch MacBook is said to include a Retina display and may either be a successor to the MacBook Air or join Apple's current 11-inch and 13-inch models.

A previous report in June stated that Apple would begin production of a 12-inch MacBook Air in the third quarter of this year, with Quanta Computer in charge of assembly. The 12-inch MacBook Air was also described as appearing similar to the 11-inch and 13-inch models, but featuring a Retina display and internal changes to various components.

Other reports throughout the year have also shared information on a 12-inch MacBook Air, with NPD DisplaySearch and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also stating that the new notebook would feature a Retina display. A user on a Chinese forum who previously shared accurate information noted that the 12-inch MacBook Air would incorporate a new cooling system and button-less trackpad design.

If Apple is indeed looking to launch a new MacBook late this year or early next year, the company may unveil the notebook at an October event following the introduction of the iPhone 6 in September.