Mobile World Congress NFC rumors leaking left, right and center

Posted by Seth Planck

1comments

Mobile World Congress NFC rumors leaking left, right and center

Mobile World Congress is coming up this next month, and rumors are rife over here at NFC Rumors about all kinds of announcements that are likely to be made. We have been so busy with our CES coverage that we have just been stacking them up, but we know you love some good rumors from industry insiders, so we thought we would let some fly. As usual our NFC rumors come from individuals on the inside of the industry. Yep, those in the know. They tell us what they can, but often have to leave out some details so they don’t identify themselves with specific knowledge that only a few know. So, think what will you of the rumors, and let’s just see which ones come to pass.

read more

Eric Schmidt hints at Google Nexus NFC tablet mid 2012

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Eric Schmidt hints at Google Nexus NFC tablet mid 2012

It’s great when Eric Schmidt does an interview, he knows just how to let things slip, and in a recent interview with Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, he mentioned a previously unheard of Google Nexus tablet. He added that this tablet would be of the highest quality. We bet it is an NFC tablet due to Google’s massive investment in the technology, but that is pure speculation. On the other hand, because this has been taken from a foreign translation it could merely mean that Google are going to push tablets made by manufacturing partners. Eric Schmidt said via Google translation that “in the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality.”

read more

Rumors swirling about Google attempting to buy T-Mobile are doubtful

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Rumors swirling about Google attempting to buy T-Mobile are doubtful but interesting

The industry is a flutter with the prospect of the AT&T / T-Mobile acquisition failing. Many industry pundits are speculating about who might buy T-Mobile if AT&T is prevented from doing so. Dish Network’s name has been thrown in the hat and we have heard from a few of our sources that Google has also been in talks. Let us note that even our sources are doubting the validity of the Google rumor, but there is usually no smoke without fire. So, at some point Google may have played with the idea of taking T-Mo for itself. Whereas Google may have no current plans to purchase T-Mobile, it would have still made sense for the firm to do so considering their reliance on mobile and the weakened Google Wallet position with three main MNOs in the United States.

read more

Samsung to launch retina resolution super NFC tablet in February?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Samsung to launch retina resolution super NFC tablet in February?

Word on the street is that Samsung is prepping a retina resolution super NFC tablet in February that’s due to be released at Mobile World Congress that features impressive specifications. This is a rumor reported over at BGR today. We all know the rivalry between Apple and Samsung has reached fever pitch and there is no love lost. With that in mind, hearing that Samsung is planning on launching a super high resolution NFC tablet before the iPad 3 gets out of the gate is probably not too much of a shock to many. The specifications of this rumored tablet could set it apart from the upcoming iPad 3. The rumor suggests that the new NFC tablet from Samsung will be launched at Mobile World Congress and not at CES. Although that said we received invitations for the Samsung press conference at CES and we wonder if Samsung might give us a sneak peek.

read more

Verizon furious at Google for Galaxy Nexus / Google Wallet statement [Exclusive]

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Verizon furious at Google for Galaxy Nexus / Google Wallet statement

As you can probably imagine we have been reaching out far and wide to get some more information about what actually is going on with Verizon and its distinct dislike of Google Wallet. Our search revealed that Verizon execs are “livid” with Google for supposedly making a statement about whether or not Verizon intends to allow Google Wallet on the Galaxy Nexus. We have reported for sometime how contentious the issue of Google Wallet has been between Google and Verizon and now Verizon’s top brass is said to be spitting chips about Google going public about Google Wallet.

read more

Galaxy Nexus NFC phone set to hit Verizon for $199 on 8th December?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Galaxy Nexus NFC smartphone set to hit Verizon for $199 on 8th December?

When the Galaxy Nexus NFC smartphone is going to be released and for how much has been a mystery. However, recent leaks may have finally found the answers to those questions. The much anticipated NFC smartphone was caught on a flash ad that was released early by mistake, and it showed the Galaxy Nexus priced at $199.99 on a two year contract. That ad was seen on Android Police, Phandroid and Droid Forums. It was also reported by Engadget, which suggests it’s a little more definite than a simple anomaly. That same ad linked to a page that was unavailable and the URL and the title to that page contained a date of the 29th of November, which we think may be when the Ice Cream Sandwich NFC smartphone may be given its official release date.

read more

BlackBerry London NFC smartphone BBX handset?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

BlackBerry London NFC smartphone BBX handset?

An image and some specs have surfaced supposedly showing the BlackBerry London BBX NFC smartphone which could be the first hero phone that will usher in RIM’s QNX based OS. The image shows a different design mantra from BlackBerry showing what appears to be similar to the Porsche Design P9981, which didn’t win too many fans. This NFC smartphone that has the code name of BlackBerry London is said to be released in June next year and could represent the Canadian firm’s effort to gain back market share.

read more

HTC Amaze NFC Android phone heading to AT&T

Posted by Seth Planck

1comments

HTC Amaze NFC Android phone heading to AT&T

NFC Rumors has learned that AT&T is planning to add the HTC Amaze to its growing list of NFC capable smartphones within the next few weeks. The HTC Amaze has already been on T-Mobile since October 10th, and it now appears that AT&T wants in on some of the well specified HTC Amaze action for its own network. However, like every other NFC smartphone that goes on Ma’ Bell, it is not clear at this point whether NFC will be enabled at the time of launch. AT&T has disabled Near Field Communication chips in every NFC phone so far, but rumors are suggesting the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus may be changing things over at the number two MNO.

read more

HTC Edge quad-core NFC phone coming March or April

Posted by Seth Planck

1comments

HTC Edge quad-core NFC phone coming March or April

Images and specifications for the HTC Edge quad-core NFC smartphone have leaked online, and if the rumors are true this new phone will be a beast. We have been waiting for quad-core super phones for well over a year now and it looks as if it will be HTC that delivers in the form of the HTC Edge. There has now been a plethora of NFC smartphones announced and as of yet, most are rocking Android. The HTC Edge could well represent the next bump in usability for smartphones, and from what we are hearing, the quad-core wonder phone will support NFC from the get go. In fact, if the rumors are correct the specifications for the HTC Edge set a new premium standard for smartphones that even the rumored Samsung Galaxy S III does not compete with.

read more

Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC phone launch date leaked

Posted by Seth Planck

1comments

Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC phone launch date

If you have been waiting for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC phone to launch, we can confirm that you won’t be waiting much longer. Our sources have let us know that consumers will be able to pick up a Verizon Galaxy Nexus NFC smartphone on November 21st at their local Verizon store.

From what we are hearing NFC services will be available but don’t expect to see Google Wallet or any other form of payments available on the phone. Word is that Isis is way behind on its deployments and Verizon has been locked into a legal stranglehold where it cannot bring any other NFC mobile wallet on board other than services that are to be offered by Isis. It appears that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile may not be feeling so hot to trot with the deal they signed with Isis after all.

read more

Is the Motorola Droid RAZR the first Isis NFC phone?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Is the Motorola Droid RAZR the first Isis NFC phone?

It was largely expected that the Motorola Droid RAZR would be an NFC phone but on launch there was nary a word about near field communication capabilities. The Motorola Droid RAZR was announced a couple of weeks ago with impressive specifications and a super thin set of dimensions that challenges anything on the market. But without NFC capabilities, we relegated it to the pile of smartphones you would regret purchasing come the middle of next year when NFC services really start to swing. However, it may not be completely without NFC capabilities.

Motorola Droid RAZR strip down reveals NXP NFC drivers

Engadget had Francois Simond (Supercurio) take a look under the covers of the Motorola Droid RAZR, and guess what he found? Yep, an NFC controller based on NXP’s PN544 chipset. In Engadget’s words, “the Linux driver is present, but hardware appears to be missing or misconfigured.” This gives us a massive clue as to what is happening with the Motorola Droid RAZR and it, of course, revolves around Isis. We would assume that if there was an NFC IC (NFC chip & antenna) present, it would have been found. The NXP chipsets are somewhat easy to spot within NFC phones when you take them apart.

read more

Samsung rumored to be developing new NFC products, NFC payments?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Samsung rumored to be building new NFC products, NFC payments?

Samsung is building its own NFC chips and is developing new products, NFC Rumors has learned. It seems like we head off for a few days and the NFC environment goes crazy. We came back to an inbox full of news and, of course, rumors from some of our best sources. We all know that Samsung is slinging NFC into most phones they release from here on out. It is a great win for NFC and a greater win for the consumer that one of the most powerful phone manufacturers is enabling its devices on mass for the consumer. However, what you may not have known, and what we didn’t know until recently, is that Samsung isn’t stopping its NFC tirade there. They are said to be implementing NFC in products that are not phones. From what we have been told, it sounds like NFC payments. Let us tell you why.

Samsung NFC devices and services that use card emulation like NFC payments

Our sources take a risk by sharing information with NFC Rumors and we always appreciate it. However, sometimes because of the nature of the information they have to share they have to hold some back. This is the case with this NFC rumor. Too much information exposes them and often their jobs can be at stake when sharing what they share, so we can give our readers a heads up on what’s coming. We, of course, asked what this new mystery NFC service was and hit somewhat of a brick wall. However, both of our sources confirmed that the new products and services that Samsung are working on revolve around card emulation. Off the top of our heads, that makes these likely candidates – NFC payments, transportation or access control.

read more

Hyundai developing NFC for cars? Exclusive

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Hyundai developing NFC for cars? NFC Rumors Exclusive

NFC Rumors has learned that Hyundai are playing with NFC, but our sources couldn’t tell us what for. Let’s start off by saying this isn’t a fully formed rumor and we will bring you more as we get it. What we do know is Korean executive business types are talking about Hyundai working with NFC in a big way.

However what we are lacking is knowing in what context. We don’t think that Hyundai would be making NFC phones or tablets. Hyundai makes many products and so this rumor could represent anything. However, especially in the US, Hyundai are known for cars and it would make sense that the Korean company would work with a system like NXP’s KeyLink Lite to use NFC for access control, and perhaps user preferences within their cars.

read more

Galaxy Nexus heading to Sprint with some NFC goodness?

Posted by Thomas Gamboa

0comments

Galaxy Nexus heading to Sprint with some NFC goodness?

Could Sprint offer the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the near future? We are still waiting to find out which carriers are going to offer the NFC touting Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Until we get official word on mobile network operators, there is always a slew of circumstantial rumors and tenuous links to get us through. Today’s rumor, believe it or not, is regarding Sprint coming on board for the Galaxy Nexus launch party. Brief Mobile got a hold of an image that suggests a Sprint partner received a poster that mentions the Galaxy Nexus by its code name Nexus Prime on a packing slip.

read more

Nokia Sabre Windows Phone 7 device spotted, NFC not mentioned in specs

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Nokia Sabre Windows Phone 7 device spotted, NFC not mentioned in specs

A new Nokia Windows Phone 7 device has been spotted that is being dubbed the Nokia Sabre. We suspect that there will be a few Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices announced this next week at Nokia World and we also suspect that Nokia will enable these Windows Phone 7 devices with NFC. However, all specifications for any leaked Nokia Windows Phone 7 come without mentioning NFC at all in any way, and the Nokia Sabre Windows Phone 7 device doesn’t break from that tradition. But we do have some Nokia Sabre specifications to share.

read more

Nokia 800 press shots leaked still wondering about NFC

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Nokia 800 press shots leaked still wondering if it is an NFC phone to go with the Nokia Wallet we exclusively reported about last week

With all the Google news today, it’s easy to forget that Nokia is getting ready to have Nokia world and probably launch the Nokia 800. However, PocketNow got hold of press photos of the Nokia 800 and put it straight back on our radar and we are asking ourselves the same question all over again. Is the Nokia 800 an NFC phone capable of NFC payments?

read more

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Last minute rumors

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Last minute rumors

There is always time for a few more Samsung Galaxy Nexus rumors, but if you want to watch it live don’t read this post because we are posting spoilers about the incumbent NFC Nexus phone. These rumors include release dates for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, accessories and benchmarks. Don’t say we didn’t warn you if you didn’t want to know. Get the juicy details after the break.

read more

Windows 8 NFC tablets launching 3rd Quarter 2012?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Windows 8 NFC tablets launching 3rd Quarter 2012? UPDATED

We could be seeing Windows 8 NFC tablets by the third quarter of 2012 according to DigiTimes. Large PC vendors that include Hewlett-Packard and Dell reportedly intend to venture into Windows 8 NFC tablets. What is interesting is the reason why. In short, the reason that Microsoft’s Windows 8 tablets are looking so good to large manufacturers is because of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire has begun a price war among Android tablet makers.

The larger tablet manufacturers therefore see Windows 8 NFC tablets the best bet to avoid competition. Although they will pick up licensing fees from Microsoft, which is presumably cheaper than the discounts they would have to give on Android devices.

read more

NFC iPhone 5 rumors start up again, Steve Jobs uncompleted project

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

The iPhone 4S hasn’t been released a week and already NFC iPhone 5 rumors are beginning to circulate. According to Ashok Kumar, who is an analyst at  Rodman & Renshaw, the iPhone 5 was Steve Jobs’ last project. Kumar also shared that Jobs didn’t work on the iPhone 4S at all, which was handed off to another team.

Ashok Kumar said that the iPhone 5 ”was the last project that Steve Jobs was intimately involved with from concept to final design,” and he added, “This is a very large project that Steve dedicated all of his time to.

read more

Nokia 710 Windows Phone 7 NFC smartphone mistakenly shown on Dev site

Posted by Thomas Gamboa

0comments

Nokia 710 Windows Phone 7 NFC smartphone mistakenly shown on Dev site

Another day, another Nokia phone leak and today it’s the turn of the Nokia 710. It appears from what we can tell to be a Windows Phone 7 smartphone, but there was no mention of NFC from the specifications that were leaked. Nokia World is approaching fast and as we exclusively reported the other day Nokia is building the Nokia Wallet and is in the final stages of negotiating JP Morgan Chase as the bank that will partner Nokia in the venture.

read more

Motorola Droid RAZR render outed waiting to see if it is NFC

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Motorola drops a micro site showing the Motorola Droid RAZR render but doesn’t give any clues on NFC

Motorola released a teaser website today showing company owned renders of the Motorola Droid RAZR, but there were no clues about NFC being on board. On Friday, Motorola announced a couple of NFC headsets and we speculated that because there are currently no Motorola NFC phones that the Motorola Droid RAZR could come endowed with some NFC love.

Like a few potential NFC phones that are about at the moment, the Motorola Droid RAZR has an identity problem, which isn’t uncommon in the rumors circles. The phone has been called the Spyder, Spyder HD RAZR and now we all seem to have settled on the Motorola Droid RAZR. Motorola has now shown off its teaser site that contains images of the phone, but we still only have a few specifications that BGR said they had received which include a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 4.3-inch display of unknown resolution.

read more

BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 & BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 outed

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 and BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 NFC phones getting ready to launch

It isn’t like we didn’t know that the BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 and BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 NFC phones were getting ready to be released, but it’s always nice to get some confirmation from BlackBerry. Surprisingly, it came on the company’s dev blog, which isn’t protected by a login. It’s here that RIM announced that the BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 and BlackBerry Bold Bellagio 9790 NFC phones. The reason RIM felt the need to announce the upcoming NFC phones we have known about for sometime is to give some details to devs about the screen resolutions.

read more

Nokia Wallet is happening final negotiations with JP Morgan NFC Rumors Exclusive

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Nokia Wallet is happening as final negotiations with JP Morgan Chase are taking place, NFC payments for Windows Phone 7?

NFC Rumors has received exclusive information about Nokia planning the final stages of the Nokia Wallet. This information comes from another trusted source to NFC Rumors that has told us that Nokia is in the final stages of negotiating with JP Morgan Chase to act as the banking arm of the Nokia Wallet.

We heard that Nokia was planning its own Nokia Wallet or NFC mobile wallet weeks ago, but we didn’t have anything concrete enough to report it to our NFC readers. That has since changed.  We are now being told that negotiations are in the final stages and that Nokia is likely to go through with this partnership. This new revelation will change the wallet wars and has various connotations that we can now explore.

read more

Motorola counts down to Motorola Spyder event but is it NFC? (Video)

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Motorola counts down to Motorola Spyder event but is it NFC?

Ice Cream Sandwich season is upon us and with it comes NFC smartphone announcements by the bucket load, and we are now wondering if the rumored Motorola Spyder / Droid HD / Motorola Razr HD or whatever it is called will be joining the NFC wunderphone ranks this week. Motorola has now placed a countdown timer on its page to the Motorola launch event that we presume will announce the Motorola Spyder. Interestingly that timer runs out just 7 hours before the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Ice Cream Sandwich is due to start over in Hong Kong, which again shows a concerted effort for announcements to come back to back and an NFC Ice Cream Sandwich phone from Motorola would enable a one-two punch to hit sales of the ever popular iPhone.

read more

Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE NFC phone to hits the States?

Posted by Seth Planck

0comments

Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE NFC phone to hits the States?

A welcome surprise just came about as the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE NFC phone through the FCC. This version of the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE is a GSM phone, so we can pretty much guarantee that if it’s US bound it is heading to AT&T for their newly launched LTE network. Most of the details on the FCC label are unfortunately in Korean so we can’t grab too many details about this NFC phone. However, if NFC is onboard like it is with its Korean cousin, we then have the issue of AT&T disabling it at the software level as they did with the normal Samsung Galaxy S II.

read more