iPhone NFC enabled in iOS 18.1 even for developers outside the EU
The European Commission recently forced Apple to enable iPhone NFC on third-party iPhones, paving the way for mobile payments that don’t rely on Apple Wallet itself, and now in an unusual move, the company has announced that it will open up NFC to third-party developers outside the EU as well. This will happen “in the upcoming iOS 18.1 developer beta.”
iPhone NFC activation restrictions
However, as always with Apple, there are some conditions. First, initially only developers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and the US (plus those from the EU) will be eligible to participate, with “other locations to be added later.” Second, it won’t be free.
iPhone NFC activation fee
Apple means it will charge a fee from interested developers – this openness doesn’t mean that anyone in the above countries will be able to create any app with NFC functionality they want, because “user security and privacy are of the utmost importance to Apple,” the company itself boasts.
So, to make all this work, developers will first have to strike a commercial agreement with Apple, request “NFC and SE (Secure Element) validation,” and then “pay the associated fees” (which the company has yet to disclose). In conclusion, NFC on iPhones is more flexible than it’s ever been, but despite all this new openness on Apple’s part, it still won’t be as open as it is on Android. Big surprise, right?
What is iPhone NFC?
iPhone NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology that allows electronic devices to communicate with each other when brought close together, and Apple has recently opened up the technology to third-party developers, opening up new opportunities for apps and services.
Impact of iPhone NFC activation on users
The iPhone NFC is expected to enable new and innovative applications that will make users’ daily lives easier. These applications could include contactless payment, door opening, data exchange, and much more. However, the cost of developing these applications and Apple’s fees could impact the prices of the final products and services.
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