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The unveiling of the iPhone 5 is still several months away, so any speculation this early in the game can turn out to be fruitless. We expect to see this particular rumor evolve in the coming months as analysts weigh in and supply chain sources leak purported details.

The app makes use of barcode scanning, and links customers' Starbucks card to the application. To make a payment, users simply launch the Starbucks app, select card, and scan the barcode across scanners in the store.

Brian Waring, Vice President of Marketing and Category for Starbucks in the UK, said: “Customers want to be served quickly, but fewer want to use cash. We wanted to find a way for them to pay in the quickest way possible. Because our customers want it, we have created our own custom built mobile payment technology rather than waiting for Near Field Communication technology which is currently not widely available. We are always thinking of new ways to add value to our customers and give them more reasons to choose Starbucks.”

The app, when it launches, will work on the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPod. A version for the Android platform is expected later in 2012.

The ‘Telefonica Wallet’ is enabled on BlackBerry Bold 9900 (pictured below), Curve 9360 and Curve 9380 models, allowing staff to make payments and access the company offices by tapping their smartphone against a reader.

The system replicates a physical wallet, allowing users to choose from a range of cards to make transactions or simply check account balances.

But concerns around security will be the main obstacle, and Brill says that in his experience consumers tend to be polarised into those who think NFC technology is a great idea and those who are suspicious about it.

Brill, who also chairs the DMA mobile council, believes the dual functionality of the Telefonica Wallet could be key to its success.

“Touch payments have been available in debit cards for some time but there hasn’t been a major take up. It is difficult to force new behaviours on people, you have to tie it in with something they are already doing,” said Brill.

Phone manufacturers would certainly have us believe that NFC is the future, and PayPal claimed today that we will be living a cash-free existence by 2016.

Mark Brill, CEO of Formation, warned that the test won’t mean much unless Telefonica and RIM can learn something from it.

But with predictions that up to 50% of smartphones could be NFC-enabled in the next three years, it may be the case that carrying cash could soon become passé.

Brian Waring, VP of marketing and category for Starbucks in the UK, says: “There’s no doubt that mobile payments are going to be the future of shopping, but it’s not clear how it’s going to develop. We just didn’t want to wait. Ours is so simple and it enhances the whole experience for customers.”

It introduced the option in the US in early 2011 and claims 20 million payments have been made using the technology in its 6,800 US stores.UK customers will also be able to use the app in international Starbucks stores that offer the capability as it updates to give the cash balance in the local currency.

Nvidia expects handsets to run on Kal-El chips by this holiday season.

This year might be known as the year of dual-core chips, but if Nvidia has anything to say about it — not to mention competitors such as Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Marvell and others who are working on their own faster chips — 2012 is looking to be the year of quad-core devices.

NFC-enabled phones are expected to allow consumers to make payments, store and present loyalty cards and redeem offers at participating merchants with the tap of their phones

However, the industry has been slow to implement the technology as different groups – particularly credit card companies and cell phone service providers – have maneuvered for control of systems in deployment and lobbied for support and critical mass.

"NFC is the future of mobile payments and will ensure that transactions are done securely from mobile devices,"