Many of the rumors surrounding the iPhone 5 in recent months have claimed that the device won’t feature near-field communications technology, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t get it on your iPhone. One South Korean carrier is offering an NFC service to its customers with a new ‘Apple Certified’ case.
South Korean carrier KT will allow users to turn their iPhones into digital wallets, paying for goods with nothing but their device, simply by slapping on a new case. The carrier will also offer a pre-paid “transit card” that will allow them to pay for public transport using their iPhones.
The case is called the iCarte and was developed by Canadian company Wireless Dynamics. A KT executive said it will provide more convenient NFC services to customers:
With the recent launch of NFC-enabled smart(phones), iPhone users were showing increasing needs for NFC services, Hyunmi Yang, executive vice president for integrated customer strategy at KT, said in a statement. As a global leader of NFC services, KT plans to provide more convenient and differentiated NFC services to its customers.
Credit card companies will join the service next month, according to 9to5 Mac, and we’re hoping the service won’t remain exclusive to those in South Korea. If Apple’s iPhone 5 doesn’t come with support for NFC, it would be nice to see other carriers around the world offering a third-party alternative.
[via 9to5 Mac]
