Apple Pay and Hardware

In September Apple announced Apple Pay alongside new iPhones and the Apple Watch. For payments in stores these two devices are probably all Apple needs. Of course, were it supported, I'm sure someone would use their iPad in the checkout line, but I don't see that being a major use case.

That said, payments in stores are not the only use case for Apple Pay. We already know that Apple Pay can be integrated into iPhone apps. It doesn't seem like much of a stretch to say that eventually we'll also see Apple Pay in iPad apps. So, what does that mean for future iPad hardware?

In the short term, say October, it probably only means Touch ID. That alone is probably enough to bring Apple Pay support to the full range of iOS apps, and isn't much of a surprise. I've basically assumed that Touch ID would spread to all future iOS devices from the day it was first introduced. In fact, it was probably more surprising to me that the Apple Watch didn't include Touch ID than it will be when the iPad does get it.

Perhaps less likely for October, but I think still a long term given, is NFC. I think the iPad has a role to play in Apple Pay in store check out scenarios, just not in the hands of the purchaser. Even before Apple Pay we've seen the iPad become a popular choice for certain point of sale scenarios, I think Apple would be foolish to not include NFC in a future iPad in some configuration that would allow it to become an easy Apple Pay terminal for accepting payments.

Of course, I don't think Apple Pay in iOS apps has to be the stopping point. Why not also include Apple Pay in apps from the Mac App Store? Or directly on websites? After all, Safari can already save and autofill your credit card details. Wouldn't it be better for the site to be able to integrate directly with Apple Pay?

So, with the Mac App Store and Safari in mind, what other hardware implications appear? I think Touch ID for Macs is another 'when not if' scenario. Which brings us to 'where'.

The existing power button on the various flavors of MacBooks would be a good candidate. However, the power buttons on desktop Macs aren't so conveniently located. In that scenario I could see arguments for the keyboard, mouse, or trackpad hosting the sensor, but all of those present complications for using a Mac with third party peripherals. I can't see Apple allowing third parties to include Touch ID in their hardware products, so maybe Apple is willing to draw the line and say that you only get Touch ID on your Mac with Apple branded peripherals?

At this point I think it is safe to say that I'm addicted to Touch ID on my iPhone. Unlocking is great, and apps like 1Password with iOS 8 make it that much better. To say that I'm looking forward to having Touch ID on my next iPad and my next MacBook is perhaps a bit of an understatment.