Understanding the NFC
The full form of NFC is Near Field Communication. It is another wireless communication method just like wifi and Bluetooth. But let me tell you the concept and usage of it is quite different from them. NFC uses the radio communication method to exchange data from one device to another. Setting up the NFC connection between two devices for sharing data is way too fast in NFC in compare of wifi and Bluetooth. NFC can also communicate with unpowered NFC chip which is also known as ‘tag’. So any NFC enabled device can get the data from NFC enabled chip when it get nears to it. So in short NFC is like point to point connection which using radio communication technology to transfer the data between NFC enabled devices or between NFC enabled device and NFC chip. Let’s see how we can setup the connection and use this great technology.
How to setup connection and Share data using NFC?
Now just make sure that device have enabled the NFC mode. As I mentioned NFC uses point to point connection, so you just need to take it near to another NFC enabled device or NFC enabled chip to share data between them. No need to do any extra stuff for setting up the connection. So sharing stuff can be easy and fast. In less than second you can have setup connection between two devices. Just keep them together and agree the file transfer, that’s it.
It’s Usage and expected future
Right now we are seeing this NFC thing mostly on smart phones and other electronic devices to transfer the data. So right now it is users are using it to share data like contacts, URLs and files. We are already having music devices and speakers too which can get connection with each other just by tapping on it. No need to wait for getting connected. So to transfer file or data between to phones you just need to open that file and put that device near with another device on which you want to share that file. That will do sharing task for you.
In future you may see it on various other things like ATM card, banners, on products and many more. For Example, NFC unpowered chip can be used on any device or product to share information about it with other NFC enabled device, and you just need to tap that device on that chip and all information about that product will be with you. Like this you can get anything like contact number from banner, product information and many more. So to note down something you don’t need to even write, tap it and information will be with you.
Benefit of NFC technology
I guess I have already mentioned about benefit of it. It took less than a second to have connection between other NFC enabled devices. So it is the big advantage. You don’t need to even search the connection and pair the device to transfer the data. Tap it and take it. The future of this technology seems really bright as it can be used at many places and for many purposes.
NFC vs. Bluetooth vs. Wi-fi
Wifi: Wifi is the fastest in sharing the content between two devices. And with fastest sharing speed it is also having maximum area range to setup the connection. You have to search the wifi connection and get connected with it to transfer any kind of data. So setting up connection may take little time. But once you get connected you can transfer files in no time.
Bluetooth: Bluetooth is also wireless technology to transfer data between two devices. Range of Bluetooth is lot lesser in compare of wifi. Same goes for speed too, it is too slow in transferring data in compare of wifi. But still it is widely getting used for transferring data between two devices, mostly between mobile phones. It also takes time for setting up connection and pairing devices to start file transfer mode.
NFC: Unlike Bluetooth and Wifi, NFC is like point to point connection and you have to put two devices in very close range to start transferring mode. It is also having less data transfer speed in compare of Bluetooth and wifi. But the time for setting up the connection and start data transfer mode is too fast in compare of both wifi and Bluetooth. As I mentioned it took less than one second to have setup. As speed is slow you may doubt that transferring big files can create problem. But we can also use wifi and Bluetooth technology to boost up the transfer speed. Devices can setup the connection using NFC and transfer the file using any of two other wireless technologies. So NFC itself can setup faster connection for Bluetooth and Wifi. So this is big advantage for having NFC on any device.
Disadvantage of NFC
There are two disadvantages of this technology. One is that you need to put devices very near to start transferring mode. So you can’t communicate if you are far away. And second one is that communicating speed is little slow in compare of Bluetooth and wifi. But you can use both these wireless technology to increase the speed. So it can get covered up.
NFC in different smart phones
Windows phones: Microsoft has provided the NFC mode in their windows mobile operating system. They called it tap to share option to share the data with other device.
Google’s Android OS: Android OS have also used this technology to share data between other NFC enabled devices. They have also came up with software called Android beam which uses NFC technology to transfer files between android devices. This software use Bluetooth or wifi for exchanging data to have faster speed than normal NFC which is good move from Android.
Black Berry: This mobile OS has also introduced this useful technology in their some of devices.
Apple’s IOS: So far Apple have never used this technology on their IOS. But as this technology has bright future, they can implement it in future. So far no official word about it or maybe I missed.
So this is it. You can use NFC with so many options and features. It is having great advantages and it can be used in many ways in future. So future is quite bright of this one. It cannot take place of Bluetooth and wifi completely but still it provides good advantage over these two wireless technologies. Right now it is not available in all smart phones or other gadgets, but in future every gadget may have it.
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