This isn’t the most uplifting news, but it’s still important.
Per The Independent, Apple has told sources at “several” of the UK’s major carriers have told the newspaper that Apple intends to forego near-field communications for the iPhone 5 this year. That intel is reportedly coming directly from meetings with the Cupertino brain trust, which is said to be dissatisfied with the current lack of a clear, universal NFC standard. It’s generally been Apple’s wont to omit or delay features it doesn’t feel it can implement well, and NFC looks fated to be another one on that list.
So, if you were looking for near-field communications with your iPhone 5, you might have to wait a bit longer.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.