NFC technology definition and its difference from RFID

As an evolved version of RFID technology, what advantages does NFC have compared to RFID that makes it so popular among mobile phone manufacturers and operators? Let us analyze them one by one.

　　NFC definition

　　NFC is the abbreviation of Near Field Communication, which is a short-range wireless communication technology. Developed by Philips and Sony, NFC is a contactless identification and interconnection technology that can perform short-range wireless communication between mobile devices, consumer electronics, PCs and smart control tools. NFC provides a simple, touch-based solution that allows consumers to exchange information, access content and services simply and intuitively.

　　Differences between RFID and NFC

　　First, NFC integrates the contactless card reader, contactless card and point-to-point functions into a single chip, while RFID must consist of a reader and a tag. RFID can only read and determine information, while NFC technology emphasizes information interaction. In layman's terms, NFC is an evolved version of RFID, and both parties can exchange information at close range. Current NFC mobile phones have built-in NFC chips, which form part of the RFID module. They can be used as RFID passive tags for payment; they can also be used as RFID readers and writers for data exchange and collection, and can also communicate data between NFC mobile phones.

　　Second, the transmission range of NFC is smaller than that of RFID. The transmission range of RFID can reach several meters or even dozens of meters. However, due to the unique signal attenuation technology adopted by NFC, compared with RFID, NFC has the characteristics of short distance, high bandwidth and low energy consumption.

　　Third, the application directions are different. NFC is currently more targeted at communication between consumer electronic devices, while active RFID is better at long-distance identification. RFID is more used in production, logistics, tracking, and asset management, while NFC plays a huge role in access control, public transportation, mobile payment and other fields.

　　With the popularization of the Internet of Things, mobile phones, as the most direct smart terminals of the Internet of Things, will inevitably cause a technological revolution. Just like the previous standard features such as Bluetooth, USB, GPS, NFC will become the most important standard feature of mobile phones in the future. Through NFC technology, mobile payments, watching movies, and taking the subway can all be realized, which will play a greater role in our daily lives.