The functionality of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology will be greatly expanded in the coming years. This is evident from the roadmap recently released by standards organization NFC Forum.
According to the NFC Forum, which includes tech companies such as Apple, Google, Huawei, NXP, Qualcomm, Sony and SMTechnologies, the features of the technology will be greatly enhanced until 2028.
The reason for the upgrade is that the use of NFC has increased significantly. It is thought that by improving the functionality in the coming years, new products and applications can soon be developed.
Five focal points
The roadmap has five focus points. First, NFC must transmit more energy for wireless charging. Currently, the communication technology offers 1 watt of wireless energy transfer, by 2028 it should be 3 watts. This will make new and smaller devices easier to charge wirelessly.
Second, the NFC range must be increased. The maximum range is 5 millimetres, but the NFC Forum wants to make it four to six times as far. This will make contactless transactions faster and easier and the correct antenna position less important.
In addition, NFC should soon perform multiple actions simultaneously with a single click. Think simultaneous receipt of receipts, identification with loyalty programs and a complete ticketing experience.
Furthermore, NFC should have better device-to-device communication. This will make using smartphones as PIN devices easier and allow businesses or individuals anywhere to receive payments.
Finally, NFC technology should allow transmitting information about sustainability. This includes, for example, how to recycle a product.
Work already started
Meanwhile, initial work on the new technology updates has begun. This work ranges from researching the specific market requirements to already drafting the first preliminary versions of new specifications.