Apple’s new iPhone might be a treat for Japan

Apple’s new iPhone is set to be released in September and every iOs user is excited. The technology giant has however been reported to be working on a new iPhone for Japan that will include the feature of paying for transit through the country. Japanese users might be able to pay for their commute through iPhones with the help of FeliCa technology. This means that apple’s new iPhone will include a special feature just for the Japanese customer base.

apple’s new iPhone might aim big

Japan’s massive transit system accepts online payments through FeliCa which is a wireless standard throughout the country. Apple’s new iPhone is trying to initiate collaboration with Japan’s transit titans to provide the users with the ability to pay with their phones. This installation in apple’s new iPhone will give the users the access of paying as they go through transit stations. It will allow individuals to touch their phones at stations to overcome travel barriers making commute easier within the country.

Collaboration with transport giants

FeliCa is used in Japan and was developed by Sony. It has 1.9 million payment terminals across the country and according to the bank of Japan, it handled around 46$ billion transactions last year. Apple is definitely eyeing a big business to collaborate with on this new venture.

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Reports by Bloomberg suggest that Apple may include FeliCa in the next years iPhone that is set to release in 2017, if it cannot reach an agreement with transit giants this year.

Japan has more than 70 railway companies and they host majority of the travel cards used in the region. Suica, Pasmo and Icoca are some of the biggest names in the transit industry. In 2013, transit in Japan turned a new leaf when the owners behind 10 of the major transport companies signed a deal to make their cards operational across each others’ network. So, this is a plus point for Apple that these companies have worked together before.

Image via HowIBecameTexan

Source via TheVerge