According to Digitimes, Apple plans to adopt NFC technology in 2012. This will not only open a whole new market for innovation but help push the technology out quicker than its current low rate.

As Android, Symbian, BlackBerry and Bada have supported NFC (near field communication) functions and Microsoft and Apple plan to make Windows Phone and iOS support NFC in 2012, the proportion of NFC-enabled smartphones will quickly increase from less than 10% currently to over 50% in two to three years, according to Taiwan-based smartphone makers.

NFC was originally rumored to be to be in the iPhone 4S but obviously that did not pan out. In the future, Apple may also let users use NFC technology in their iPhones to checkout at retail stores using their credit card on file with their Apple ID.