Analyst forecasts Apple’s “killer app” emergence in summer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Apple may shake up the next version of iOS with the introduction of a mobile wallet, forecasts Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, according to CNET.

Dubbed a "killer app" by the analyst, the mobile wallet feature would surface as part of iOS 7, which Apple is expected to preview at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Huberty's prediction echoes that of fellow Apple analyst Gene Munster, who also thinks a digital wallet is in Apple's future. However, Munster believes the technology won't surface on iOS devices for another year or two.

Apple got its feet wet in this area last year with the introduction of Passbook. But Passbook is not a true digital wallet in the sense that it lets you pay for items directly through your phone. Instead, the app allows you to store digital coupons, which you can sync with a membership card at retailers such as Starbucks to pay for items.

Adding a mobile wallet to iOS and iOS devices would likely, but not necessarily, require support for near-field communications (NFC).

Android, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone 8 already support NFC, but Apple has so far resisted jumping on that bandwagon.

Munster believes Apple's digital wallet would use a technology other than or in addition to NFC, yet its system would still work with existing mobile payment solutions.

Huberty believes the company will launch the iPhone 5S and the much-rumored low-cost iPhone in September and a new 9.7-inch iPad and iPad Mini sometime in the September quarter. She also sees the potential debut of Apple's Smart TV or iWatch next year.