As we get closer to the iPhone 5 announcement, new details have emerged as new photos released yesterday suggest that Apple may have built a NFC in the new iPhone. Something everyone thought Apple would not do with their new device.
The photos found on Sunday by Chinese site Apple.pro reportedly show a fully-assembled next-generation iPhone front assembly, and come from a Photobucket account that previously some of the first shots of the purported handset’s front plate.
At first glance the images appear to be similar to those of a semi-assembled front panel published earlier this month, however closer inspection reveals more parts are present, including what could be a near field communication chip located next to the unit’s front-facing camera. As noted by Japanese Apple blog MacOtakara, the square component covered by EMI shielding is in line with the dimensions of currently available NFC packages like NXP’s 5 millimeter-by-5 millimeter solution.