Add Morgan Stanley to the long list of analysts predicting that the next iPhone will have an NFC chip and be at the center of Apple's mobile payments initiatives.

Last month, KGI securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo also predicted a new NFC-enabled iPhone as well as an iWatch that will also feature the technology. He has been fairly accurate about Apple's product launches in the past.

In the Morgan Stanley group note, Katy Huberty wrote: "Mobile payments is a major opportunity for Apple to improve user experiences and potentially add a new revenue stream."

Another Morgan Stanley analyst, Craig Hettenbach, believes the emergence of Host Card Emulation will give Apple a huge advantage since it would not have to depend on the wireless networks to access the secure element on smartphones. HCE bypasses the secure element and stores payment credentials in the cloud.