Sep 26, 2023 at 5:03 am
Apple director Tim Cook secretly visited chipmaker NXP in Eindhoven on Monday. NU.nl was there. The meeting discussed, among other things, the future of NFC chips, the importance of Europe for Apple and the company’s climate goals.
The new iPhones and Apple Watches have been on the shelves since last week. One of the components in those products is the NFC chip, which is made by the Eindhoven company NXP. Thanks to that chip you can make contactless payments with your phone. With the arrival of iOS 17, the chip is also used for the new AirDrop, which allows you to share contacts or photos by holding iPhones close to each other.
NXP, together with ASML from Veldhoven, is one of the most important chip manufacturers in the Netherlands. During his visit to the head office, Cook was updated on the developments of NFC. “We have made payment cards digital with Apple Pay,” says director Kurt Sievers. “And we see the next step being that we can also do that with keys.”
The NXP director also shares news about an NFC feature already found in current Apple products. “It concerns a new version of the NFC chip that also supports e-SIM,” he tells NU.nl. Previously, two separate chips were required for NFC and e-SIM, but these can now be combined in one secure chip.
‘There are regulations everywhere’
When the new iPhones were unveiled two weeks ago, the arrival of a USB-C connection was the biggest news. With European rules coming into effect at the end of next year, Apple will be forced to move away from its own Lightning cables.
Europe wants all new phones, tablets and laptops to be able to be charged with the same type of cable. This should ultimately save mountains of electronic waste. Apple argued that it would hinder innovation, but has now changed tack.
When asked about the strict regulations in Europe, Cook acknowledges that this is certainly the case. “But there are regulations everywhere,” he tells NU.nl. “And our aim is to comply with those rules.”
Europe is in any case extremely important for Apple, says Cook. “We have about four thousand European suppliers and you will find parts from them in every product we show.”
Tim Cook looks at NFC chips. Photo: Apple
Apple wants to make all products CO2 neutral by 2030
During his visit to NXP’s headquarters, much was said about Apple’s climate goals and how NXP contributes to them. Apple plans to make all its products completely carbon neutral by 2030. The Apple Watch Series 9 already meets those requirements.
“Our carbon footprint comes from emissions from our offices, stores and suppliers,” says Cook. But it doesn’t stop there. “It also comes from customers charging their products after purchase.”
To ensure that Apple’s impact on the environment is as small as possible, the company makes agreements with partners. For example, NXP is one of the three hundred companies in the most burdensome chain that says it will supply its chips for Apple completely CO2 neutrally in seven years. Cook praises that promise: “NXP is very important to us in this. We can only achieve our goals if everyone cooperates.”
2023-09-26 03:03:04
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