It seems that technology is bent on replacing our old bulky wallets with our smartphones. Like our wallets, our mobile phones are always with us wherever we go. So why not combine the two to make our lives more convenient?
At the WWDC keynote speech, Apple VP of iOS Software Scott Forstall puts a new app center stage for all participants to see. It’s called the Passbook and it’s the new and better version of Apple’s iWallet. The Passbook is aimed at reducing the clutter from your physical wallet and to unify a number of virtual wallet experiences into one comprehensive service.
In the demo, Forstall shows the audience how the Passbook can be used to store passes such as airline boarding passes, tickets to a concert or a movie, as well as loyalty cards. The app apparently makes use of QR codes but does not work exclusively on them. Forstall used a United airlines boarding pass, a Fandango movie ticket, and a Starbucks card as his examples.
In the Starbucks card, Passbook updates your balance automatically every payment. Using Passbook to store your airline pass will alert you for any changes in your flight. It’s also aware of the time and your location so the app alerts you when, say, you’re movie is about to begin. Just being near an establishment which you have a pass stored in Passbook and the app will bring up the card automatically.
Just how many stores and other establishments have partnered with Apple for the Passbook is still unannounced but what we do know is that it is set to arrive bundled with the iOS 6 this autumn.
