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Friday, 9 September 2011


Emerging NFC standards allow customers to quickly purchase products and transfer secure information by touching devices. NFC allows companies to reduce staffing, printing, and point of sale costs. Globally, 100 million people use mobile payment outside the U.S., but only 3.5 million use the technology in the U.S.

Social networking

NFC simplifies and expands social networking options:
  • File Sharing: Tap one NFC device to another to instantly share a contact, photo, song, application, video, or website link.
  • Electronic business card: Tap one NFC device to another to instantly share electronic business cards or resumes.
  • Electronic money: To pay a friend, you could tap the devices and enter the amount of the payment.
  • Mobile gaming: Tap one NFC device to another to enter a multiplayer game.
  • Friend-to-friend: You could touch NFC devices together to Facebook friend each other or share a resume or to "check-in" at a location.

Bluetooth and WiFi Connections

NFC can be used to initiate higher speed wireless connections for expanded content sharing.
  • Bluetooth: Instant Bluetooth Pairing can save searching, waiting, and entering codes. Touch the NFC devices together for instant pairing.
  • WiFi: Instant WiFi Configuration can configure a device to a WiFi network automatically. Tap an NFC device to an NFC enabled router.

eCommerce

NFC expands eCommerce opportunities, increases transaction speed and accuracy, while reducing staffing requirements. A Personal identification number (PIN) is usually only requried for payments over $100 (in Australia).
  • Mobile payment: An NFC device may make a payment like a credit card by touching a payment terminal at checkout or a vending machine when a PIN is entered.
  • PayPal: PayPal may start a commercial NFC service in the second half of 2011.
  • Google Wallet is an Android app that stores virtual versions of your credit cards for use at checkout when a PIN is used.
  • Ticketing: Tap an NFC device to purchase rail, metro, airline, movie, concert, or event tickets. A PIN is required.
  • Boarding pass: A NFC device may act as a boarding pass, reducing check-in delays and staffing requirements.
  • Point of Sale: Tap an SmartPoster tag to see information, listen to an audio clip, watch a video, or see a movie trailer.
  • Coupons: Tapping an NFC tag on a retail display or SmartPoster may give the user a coupon for the product.
  • Tour guide: Tap a passive NFC tag for information or an audio or video presentation at a museum, monument, or retail display (much like a QR Code).


Identity documents

NFC's short range helps keep encrypted identity documents private.
  • ID card: An NFC enabled device can also act as an encrypted student, employee, or personal ID card or medical ID card.
  • Keycard: An NFC enabled device may serve as car, house, and office keys.
  • Rental Car and hotel keys: NFC rental car or hotel room keys may allow fast VIP check-in and reduce staffing requirements.
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Available today...

Phones available to purchase today:
  • The Google Nexus S, a full-featured smartphone running the latest version of Android 2.3 'Gingerbread' and manufactured bySamsung, has NFC support built in. The device, the first widely available and easily obtainable NFC handset, is now available at retailin the US (together with a 4G variant, the Nexus S 4G from Sprint), the UK and 27 other countries.
  • Samsung has begun shipping the Galaxy S II Android 2.3 handset. Two versions are being produced, one with NFC and one without. While NFC versions are currently available in Korea, the option isnot expected to be available in other countries until later this year. An upgraded version of the S II is rumoured to be arriving in the US in September as the Samsung Hercules, but there's no word on whether this device will include NFC.
  • The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930, the first handsets from Research in Motion to include NFC, were announced in early Mayand are now shipping.
  • The Nokia C7 smartphone contains NFC hardware and, via Symbian Belle, can now be used for NFC tag reading and writing applications. The C7 will be able to support secure NFC services such as mobile payments from the first half of 2012. The Nokia Astound, the US version of the Nokia C7 which is exclusive to T-Mobile and is positioned as an entry-level smartphone, comes with NFC.
  • The Samsung Wave 578 is now available from Orange France and in Singapore. The handset, announced at the Mobile World Congress in February 2011, runs on Samsung's Bada smartphone platform and will be offered by Orange across Europe.
  • The LG T530 is the Korean electronics company's first mass-market NFC handset, a touchscreen feature phone. It is available now in France as the LG Ego.
  • The Mobiwire Cosyphone is an NFC handset supporting the single wire protocol (SWP). It is aimed at the over-50s and at the B2B market.
  • The Samsung S5230 NFC, also known as GT-5230N, Star, Avila,Player One and Tocco Lite. This phone is available at retail in France, where it is know as the Samsung Player One Cityzi. It was also used in Telefonica's Sitges pre-commercial pilot as well as in theCzech Republic and Poland. The Tocco Lite is also the first NFC phone offered by Orange for its Quick Tap NFC payments roll-out in the UK.
  • The Samsung S5260 NFC, also known as the GT-S5260P, isavailable with NFC from Orange in France where it is known as thePlayer City.
  • The Huawei Sonic is the Chinese telecoms giant's first NFC handset, a sub-US$200 Android phone. The device, also known as the U8650NFC, is marketed in Turkey as the Turkcell T20.
  • The Sky Vega Racer from Pantech is a high-end dual-core smartphone that is only available in Korea. Billed as the fastest Android handset yet, it is aimed at the same market segment as Samsung's Galaxy S II.
  • The Samsung SHW-A170K is a touch screen featurephone designed for KT and to meet the needs of the Korean market. It features SWP and is the launch handset for KT's Show Touch commercial NFC service.
  • Chinese phone manufacturer Hedy is supplying SWP-compliant NFC handsets for China Unicom's NFC roll out, using an NFC controller manufactured by Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics.
  • Shanghai Simcom is also manufacturing NFC handsets using Shanghai Fudan components. The EVDO phones are marketed under the East Com brand name.
  • The Motorola MC75A HF is an enterprise-class rugged handheld computer that combines mobile communication and secure contactless transaction capability.
  • Malaysian manufacturer Fifth Media offers specialist NFC PDAs/smartphones aimed at the B2B market. The Axia A206, a collaboration with Garmin Asus and based on the M10, runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and costs from US$620 to $700 depending on volume.
  • The Casio IT-800 is another ruggedised handheld PDA built for business use that incorporates NFC.
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Coming soon...

Phones that have been announced but are not yet shipping or widely available:

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