In Recent Years, The Use Of New Communication Technologies Has Replaced The Old Solutions, And Today You Can Hardly Find A Device That  Does Not Use NFC Technology. But What Is NFC And How To Use NFC? 

If you have recently purchased a device equipped with NFC technology and are eager to know what it is used for and how to use it, you can read the rest of this article from Hardware City.

In the changing world of technology, new technologies emerge daily and affect human life more than before. One of these technologies is NFC technology, which we will discuss in the rest of this article from the hardware city.

Many phones use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, a proximity-based wireless communication standard. Although NFC may not seem like a big deal to some technology users due to its short range, it brings many benefits overall. In the following, we discuss the nature of this technology, how it works, and its applications.

What is NFC technology?

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a simple and secure communication method introduced to the commercial market in 2004 by an alliance of Sony, Philips, and Nokia companies.

The operating frequency of this communication technology is 13.56 MHz (in contrast to Bluetooth, which is on a frequency of 2.4 GHz) and transfers data at a speed between 106 and 424 Kbps. Also, its preparation time to start data exchange is less than 0.1 seconds, and its current consumption is less than 15 milliamps, but its practical range does not reach more than a few centimeters. In the following, we will tell you what NFC is in the phone and its use.

What is the use of NFC?

The applications of NFC can be summarized as transferring and moving information, synchronizing devices with each other, electronic payment of money, creating credit cards, and simplifying device settings using a special tag.

Use NFC to transfer files.

In the Android operating system, there was the Beam feature, which made it possible to send information through NFC. To take advantage of this feature, the back panel of both phones must be placed on top of each other. Of course, later, Beam was completely abandoned, and Google replaced it with Nearby Share, which uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct technology to transfer files.

Use NFC to pay with your smartphone.

Services such as Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay use the NFC chip in the phone for mobile payments. In many countries, credit cards have an NFC tag, and in general, just by bringing the phone or card close to the card reader, the specified amount is deducted from the user’s account.

Quickly connect devices with NFC technology.

In this part of NFC training, it should be said that many wireless speakers and headphones use NFC technology to connect to your phone very quickly. Some cameras are associated with NFC and then use Wi-Fi Direct to transfer photos and videos.

Application of NFC in public transportation

The public transport system of many cities in the world, such as Hong Kong and London, support NFC cards. Even in some cities, users can pay for public transportation using payment applications such as Google Pay on their phones.

NFC technology and gaming

NFC is even used in some computer games; you can connect physical game tools to computer games using this technology. Nintendo is one of the most important game companies that use NFC technology.

The key role of NFC in smart homes

Another application of NFC technology is used in home automation and creating smart homes, in which you can control home appliances using various communication tools; for example, you can use NFC to turn off the lights in the house or turn them on.

How does NFC technology work?

In terms of structure, this technology is from the family of radio communication devices or RFID that we may use daily in different places, such as control door openers or control toys and other things. Of course, with a slight difference, manufacturers can use and exploit NFC in mobile phones. In the continuation of NFC training, we will tell you how this technology works.

In addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, today’s smartphones offer NFC, including a built-in controller chip and an inductor coil to connect with other devices. The question that arises here is why the ring? Why don’t manufacturers use internal antennae like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to increase the range? The answer is simple!

One is the short range of NFC, which has made it popular and turned it into a safe tool, and on the other hand, due to the low working frequency of NFC technology, it is not possible to place the antenna in the same size as a mobile phone, and for this reason, the manufacturers of the antenna They do not use it to increase its range.

Now what is this coil, and what does it do? This coil does something similar to an antenna for you; you need to bring two devices with NFC capabilities close to each other from the side of the inductor coil to establish a connection between them.

Also, unlike Bluetooth, there is no need to pair the devices to communicate, and by bringing the two closer to each other, you confirm the security of the transferred data, and there is no need to enter a code anymore. You can usually find the NFC inductor behind the smartphone battery cover. Like the photo, you see below.

What are the uses of NFC tags?

So, what is Tag now, and what can be done with it? In continuing this part of NFC training, it should be said that big companies such as Sony and Samsung sell NFC tags along with their smartphones. You can run and use different profile modes and programs with these tags. You must be asking how? It is enough to introduce a label to the device in advance and bring it close to its induction circuit so that pre-determined commands and programs are executed.

For example, you can define a tag for use at work so that the device goes into silent mode and activates the Wi-Fi network as soon as you approach it or supposedly runs a special program for you. Even you can increase these features with multiple applications!

Also, with various programs for NFC technology, you can identify a tag and save its details for the phone and use it instead of that Tag from your phone. For example, you can bring your bus card near your phone, read and save its details with the relevant program, and use it from your phone instead of a bus or subway card.

Application of NFC in Iran

There are rumors about the use of NFC in Iran, but banks and other institutions can create the platform for its use, normally used as described. Until now, NFC technology has not been widespread in Iran.

NFC technology may have been used in some parking meters, metro and city bus stations, or even in a handful of stores with the help of card readers. Also, software such as Dorj Irancell and Seke Pay Mellat use NFC technology, which has not been well received.

We believe this technology can be developed in Iran and other countries due to the good progress in banking capabilities. In the not-too-distant future, we will see the increasing use of NFC in payments and electronic money transfers.

Summary and answers to frequently asked questions

In this article, we fully discussed NFC technology and its applications. Even though this technology is used in several fields in our country, its use for mobile payments is not widespread yet. At the end of the NFC training article, we will answer some of the most common questions about NFC technology that you may have.

Is NFC used in Iran?

So far, this technology is not widespread in Iran; only some banks and mobile phone operators have implemented NFC technology in their infrastructure.

Which banks have NFC?

It seems that some banks such as Shahr, Parsian, Mellat, and Melli have succeeded in implementing NFC technology in their infrastructures, and shortly, with the spread of this technology, other banks will also join the circle of using NFC technology.

Which Samsung phone has NFC?

Almost all mid-range and flagship Samsung phones support NFC technology. Of course, by referring to the phone settings, you can ensure whether your device supports NFC.

Which phones have NFC?

Most of the phones that have been produced in the last few years have NFC technology, although there is a possibility that some cheap phones do not support this technology.

Which Xiaomi phone has NFC?

Most Xiaomi phones manufactured from 2020 onwards support NFC technology. Of course, it is impossible to list the names of these phones, and by going to the settings section or searching for your phone model on the Internet, you can make sure whether or not you have this technology.

Does NFC need to be turned on?

To use payment services, you must keep the NFC function of your phone on.

Can NFC be installed?

NFC technology is added to smartphones by manufacturers, but some mobile operators or large companies provide NFC tags to users separately.

How do we know if the phone has NFC?

In the settings section of your phone, go to the Connected Devices or Network and Sharing sub-menu, and if you see the NFC section in one of these sub-menus, your phone supports this technology.