Apple is nearly finished creating its next iPhone and is now testing the handset for qualities such as "speed, durability, and network performance," according to VentureBeat, which claims to have spoken with a source close to the situation.
The company was reportedly ready to build NFC into its last iPhone, but Apple decided to opt out because mobile payment systems weren't popular or "mature" enough, VentureBeat reports.
NFC is a feature that lets you execute actions and transfer information with your phone by simply tapping it against another device. Android phones have had this feature for quite a while, and it's most commonly used in "tap-to-pay" mobile payment systems.
The rumor aligns with previous speculation that Apple is working on a mobile payments system of its own. VentureBeat's sources report that Apple is readying its own payment platform to rival Google Wallet and ISIS, and 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple is developing a mobile payment system for buying luxury goods through your iPhone.
Sources from PayPal also recently told Business Insider that developers working for the online payment platform had attended a session about Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor at WWDC- hinting that they may eventually work together.
Rumors that the iPhone will adopt NFC have been swirling for years, but we have yet to see an Apple device with such technology. Including the feature in the iPhone 6 would mark a slight change in perspective for Apple. In 2012 Phil Schiller, the company's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, told AllThingsD that NFC doesn't clearly present "a solution to a current problem."
VentureBeat's source also claims that the iPhone 6 will support wireless charging. A new iPhone 6 design reportedly features a surface under its shell for connecting to an inductive charging surface for energy transfer.
This means you'd be able to charge your iPhone without having to keep it plugged in. Current devices that support wireless charging, which include the LG G2 and Droid Maxx, use a charging pad for transferring power to the device.
The next iPhone may be able to provide faster internet speeds as well, according to VentureBeat. Apple is reportedly upgrading the LTE radio inside its iPhone.
The current iPhone features a Category 4 LTE radio, which enables speeds of up to 150 megabits per second. The next iPhone, however, is expected to use a Category 6 antenna that can provide up to 300 megabits per second.
In other words, it'll likely be able to retrieve data much more quickly than your current iPhone.
The last nugget from VentureBeat's report reinforces one of the most prominent iPhone 6 rumors. The publication's source reports that Apple is increasing the iPhone's screen size, also noting that the bezels would be thinner so that the display takes up more space on the front of the phone.
Apple is expected to bump up the iPhone's screen size to 4.7 inches with the iPhone 6, while the company is also rumored to release a separate iPhone with a giant 5.5-inch screen.
It's important to note that nothing is final until Apple unveils its next smartphone, which will presumably happen in September.