Next-gen iPhone may not have NFC, says report
iMore

Rumors that indicate the possibility of the next-gen iPhone coming with built-in NFC have been squashed by a report coming from Anandtech's Anand Lal Shimpi following an in-depth analysis of recent parts leaks. According to the report, it is "highly unlikely that NFC is in the cards for this generation" due to the fact that the backside is made mostly out of metal. The parts leaks have also shown that there is simply not enough room for the NFC components to fit in.

What Else You Need To Know:

- The closest thing that iPhone users have to something that involves mobile payments right now is the Passbook app, and at its core it is really entirely unrelated to NFC.

- There is speculation that Apple may proceed to implement mobile payments anyway, even without NFC technology.

Other sources

Apple is a feature, not technology, driven company. If they decide to roll out mobile payments, they may or may not need NFC, and if they do, they'll include it under the covers and all we'll see is an ad showing Santa shopping at JC Penny just before the holidays. - Rene Ritchie, iMore  
I’m no hardware engineer, but I would wager that you can only add so many new technologies to a device without needing a bigger battery. - Alex Jordan, iSource  
iMore
No NFC bound for next generation iPhone
iPhone In Canada Blog
Why The Next Generation iPhone May Not Include NFC  

While the situation seemed right, with Passbook being released in iOS 6, some other sources pleaded otherwise.

PhoneDog
Apple said to be passing on NFC in the new iPhone  

Unfortunately for iOS fans interested in tapping and paying for a future purchase with an NFC-enabled iPhone, it doesn't look like NFC will be making its way into the next model.

Everything iCafe
No NFC For The New iPhone 5 After All?
iSmashPhone
Rumor: New iPhone Won’t Have NFC  

Near-field communication, or NFC, is something we've been hearing would be included in the iPhone since long before the iPhone 4S was introduced.

iPhone Hacks
NFC Unlikely In Next Generation iPhone
iPhone Download Blog
New report rules out NFC for next-gen iPhone
Gadgetsteria
Will Your New iPhone Have NFC? Probably Not…
GigaOM
NFC may not have a home in next iPhone  

With more and more devices coming with NFC, it would seem logical for Apple to join in.

GottaBeMobile
iPhone 5 Rumors: Next iPhone Won’t Have NFC
 
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