iPhone Retail Heads-Up

Lest you think my rambling yesterday on biometrics was something that was more abstract than real today I will offer you this - a discussion of how the iPhone is being transmorgified into a modern point of sale device that has, among its elements, biometric elements.  But Apple's plans don't stop there as we shall see.

These ideas are not new, of course.  There is already a plethora of X-pass type devices available: EZ-Pass for toll roads, Speedpass for gas, and so forth.

However, Apple sees that there is more to purchasing that simply waving your "pass" device at the checkout.

First we are going to see phones adding Nearfield Communication (NFC) elements.  These allow the phone to "talk" to things like  the Speedpass-type checkout unit that allows you to simply wave your keychain fob at check out.

I guess there must be more middle-aged developer folks at Apple who have teenage children these days because low and behold there are some biometric security devices being added as well.  As anyone with a teenager knows leaving around cash, credit or gas cards can result in unexpected surprises at the ATM or when the bills come in the mail.  Here Apple includes a biometric fingerprint scanner to fend off Junior using the iPhone to gas up the car or load up on goodies from the local convenience store.

Speaking of little Junior Apple seems to feel that little Junior's job at the local Seven Eleven is shortly going to become a thing of the past.  It seems that once you have secure, in-store, biometrically controlled purchasing power there would be no need for a "checkout". 

Given I have my iPhone in hand why not let me simply purchase the item right then and there?

For this reason Apple is planning to add a iPhone scanner that can handle the retail laser scan and purchase functions.  Now all you have to do is simply point your phone at the SKU-barcode and push the "Purchase" button.  You phone will securely contact your bank or credit card company, debit your account, and away you will go...

Of course the practical reality of this probably going to be somewhat different.

Personally I have been in Apple stores and, to some degree, this model of "retail" is somewhat troubling.  As I have said the Apple store seems to me to most like a children's museum with all the exhibits chained to the tables.  There are not checkouts or registers in an Apple store - just helpful staff people with iPhone-enabled purchase units that can check you out on the spot.

From a retail perspective I don't like the notion of shopping for something without having the idea of going to a final purchase point.  For example, I may look at something and decide after a few minutes I don't want it and go to put it back.  With a checkout that sort of action does not have to involve staff.  But in an Apple store someone is always hovering around asking if I need help - which makes shopping for me more confusing and distracting.

I also think that the Apple store model will not work as well with, shall we say, the less sharp tools in the shed.  I am certain Apple works hard to hire the right staff - but at the convenience store level things might not be so easy.

I guess the good thing about all of this is that finally society in the US might be able to get away from the notion that any credit card at the point of purchase is fine - whether its the purchaser's or not.  In Europe things are not so lax.  Here as long as the credit card clears no one cares whether its mine or a stolen one.

At the same time I do not think I will have my fingerprint scanned by my iPhone.  Having my fingerprint biometric data in the database for hackers to steal along with my other data does not appeal to me.

And of course, where does this all end?

Once I have this notion why not add an iPhone driver to send this retail data in 3D to my computer enhanced glasses?  Why should I have to look at my iPhone to see the prices or to scan the items with it?  Then I can have 3D heads up advertising leaping off the shelves to tell me that Oranges are now $.50 USD each...

In fact, how far are we from simply having a heads up display permanently attached?

Everyone will be so busy watching the equivalent of a video game playing in front of their eyes no one will see the criminals (without iPhones or 3D glasses) simply taking things off the shelves and walking right out the front door.  (Since there won't be a checkout who would know?)

Maybe a market for dummy iPhones (basically empty cases) will appear.  Should someone bother to notice such a thief the thief can merely wave is bogus iPhone indicating that he's just made a purchase.