The Independent is reporting that Apple Inc. will not include near field communication (NFC) capabilities in its next generation of iPhones coming out this summer. This contradicts reports from earlier this year that the company was planning to enable NFC technologies on the iPhone 5. The earlier reports fueled rumors that Apple was actively looking to enter the payment space with its own mobile-payment system. 

Sources for the story in The Independent are from wireless carriers in the UK. According to these sources, Apple is telling carriers that a lack of standards has raised concerns and that NFC would likely be included on iPhones released next year.