So far Apple hasn’t implement NFC on any of their devices but they are looking at how to possibly improve the existent technology or just find an alternative method how to use it. Perhaps this is because they just have to come up with something original [or they want to appear to - Ed]. The patent was filed for the “method and apparatus for triggering network device discovery“, notice that it states discovery, but not connection or anything advanced. Even though many analysts expected NFC to be implemented into the iPhone 5, Apple did not have the same plans, but this may be a hint that they will be bringing it with the next model.

It's not the first technology that Apple is not rushing with; also this patent does not mean they will use it in their devices. Many of the other patents they have filed were never used. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said that he believes that Apple is doing right by not implementing the technology yet. They plan to use their Passbook app for non-physical copies of tickets for all sorts of events, cinemas and similar stuff. Will it be enough to satisfy iPhone users, or they will have to bite their tongue and speed up things with new NFC methods? We might see in the near future, maybe they pull something off with the iPhone “5S”.

[Ed – this is not the first time that Apple has taken someone else’s technology and spun the wording enough to win a patent from the USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office). Apple has done this with a number of items from their “rubber band effect” to their wireless remote control and even a recent patent filed for inductive charging technology. When we first heard about this patent we were not surprised at all just as we were not surprised when they copied already existing features on Nokia and Android phones and compiled it into Passbook.]

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