With the first iPhone 6 and Apple Watch off the shelf in Australia, many people are excited. News sites have broadcast customers tearing into iPhone six packaging, their hands literally shaking with anticipation. Amid the fanfare, there is something that has been largely overlooked, and that is Apple Pay. 

Apple Pay allows you to swipe your phone much like a contactless credit card, using an NFC chip built into the new phone. We're already familiar with the concept, with tap and go available at most major retailers in Australia. In America, such advanced pay technology is not currently in practice, and payments on credit cards are done mostly by signing.

The idea of payment via a smartphone is nothing new, and Apple has been known for copying and improving pre-existing products to create bestsellers (the iPad and the iPod, anyone?) Google Wallet has been around for two years prior to the release of Apple Pay with, arguably, limited success. As Apple launches their new and improved pay system, can we expect our interaction with 'real life' wallets to change forevermore?

The question must be asked - why would Apple Pay succeed when Google Wallet and others failed? For starters, the big card companies and major American retailers are on board, guaranteeing that payment will be available nearly everywhere. In Australia, the rollout will be a lot easier with current pay pass counters accepting Apple Pay, meaning there will be no need to install a new payment system and there won't be multiple swipe systems to choose from. 

Another reason the rollout may succeed is that Apple Pay has been marketed with perfect simplicity - 'Your wallet, without your wallet. Gone are the days of finding the right card.' In comparison, Google’s rollout was confusing to say the least. With the system holding your gift cards, loyalty programs, bank account and PayPal options, it seemed easier to reach into your bag or purse and produce a physical card.

With Apple Pay due to launch in October throughout America, it will be interesting to see how things unfold. Are we on the brink of throwing out our plastic cards, or will Apple Pay be a flash in the pan concept that ultimately failed? 

A date for an Australian Apple Pay rollout is yet to be announced.