Apple in the EU region officially confirmed to open its NFC chip to third-party wallet and payment providers. This move means Apple’s monopoly over the NFC chip for Apple Wallet and Apple Pay will be over.
The commission has now reported a circular asking for feedback on the commitments made by Apple. Notably, Apple has offered to open the NFC payment technology on its devices to settle the antitrust charges, and avoid paying a possible hefty fine.
The EU Commission had charged Apple for blocking access to its NFC-based tap-and-go mobile payment systems. This restriction made it difficult for developers of third-party mobile wallets and payment solutions to offer alternative payment options on iPhones and Apple Watches. EU Commission’s antitrust investigation charges Apple with being anti-competitive when it comes to Apple Pay and Wallet and this has been ongoing for a few years.
Now, in response Apple has committed to allowing third-party app developers access to its NFC chip. These apps will be able to work independently from Apple Pay or Apple Wallet to offer a tap-to-pay feature to users.
Apple has mentioned that access will be provided to mobile payments, banking, and digital wallet apps operating in the European Economic Area (EEA). This will help the end user select the app they prefer to make payments.
iPhone 16 Capture Button: What It Can Do?
A new report from The Information has offered details about what to expect from the iPhone 16 capture button. It suggests the newly added button will serve as a one-stop destination for photography enthusiasts. It will let users perform different photography-related functions quickly and from a single place.
The capture button is said to respond to applied pressure as well. A light press will lead to focus adjustment and a slightly heavier press will activate the shutter for shooting.
The report adds capture button on the iPhone 16 will be a mechanical button and not a solid state. It means users will be able to feel it moving in and out while pressing the button.
The iPhone 16 lineup will bring major changes, with Apple expected to increase the size of the iPhone 16 Pro to 6.3 inches and the size of the iPhone 16 Pro to 6.9 inches, marking the first major size upgrade in several years. The size changes will be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro models, with the iPhone 16 models to stay the same size as the iPhone 15 models. Apple is designing new A-series chips for the iPhone 16 lineup, built on the latest N3E 3-nanometer node.
