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iPhone users have had to sit on the sidelines as near-field communication (NFC) based payment services have been added to Android and Windows Phone smartphones, but that could soon change.
Engadget reported Tuesday that at least one AT&T retail store appears to be preparing to sell the Incipio Cashwrap, a $70 iPhone case which enables card-free purchases to be made with just a tap.
More than a year ago, we reported that Incipio was planning to join forces with AT&T to sell the Cashwrap, which includes the NFC chip necessary to work with the fledging Isis Mobile Wallet service. At the time, the case was expected to launch in March, but only for the iPhone 4 and 4S.
Apparently, Incipio decided that was a bad idea, because the version of the case photographed by Engadget’s tipster is apparently designed for iPhones old and new, meaning the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s should be able to join the party.
Incipio’s Cashwrap is only one part of the equation, however — users will also need an Isis-powered SIM card as well as a mobile app, which currently does not exist for iOS. Given that the Cashwrap is showing up in AT&T’s inventory system, we’re guessing a formal announcement can’t be far behind.
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(Image courtesy of Engadget)
