Understanding Android NFC and its Real World Implementation

NFC, or Near Field Communication for Android is one of the most sought-after technology in the recent times, which mobile app development companies are actively considering for gaining the first-mover advantage in NFC-enabled Android app development. Here in this article, I’m taking you on an in-depth journey to understand Android NFC and its real world implementation.

Android NFC – An Introduction

NFC for Android is a set of short-range wireless technologies that allows you to share small payloads of data between two compatible Android-powered devices or between an NFC tag and an Android-powered device. Typically requiring a distance of 4cm or less to initiate a connection, NFC requires at least one transmitting device, and another to receive the signal.

Active NFC vs. Passive NFC

Although a range of Android devices can use the NFC standard, it can however be considered either passive or active, depending on how the device works. Active NFC (the best representation of which are smartphones), allows you to both send and receive data, and can communicate with each other as well as with passive devices.

Passive NFC devices (often represented by interactive signs on walls or advertisements), include tags, and other small transmitters, that can send information to other NFC devices without the need for a power source of their own. However, what needs to be understood is that NFC’s don’t really process any information sent from other sources, and can’t connect to other passive components.

Here in this diagram, we see that electromagnetic fields can be used to transmit data or induce electrical currents in a receiving device. Passive NFC devices mostly draw power from the fields produced by active NFC devices, when it comes into range.

Android NFC – How it Works

Android NFC works on the principle of sending information over radio waves. Near Field Communication is nonetheless another standard for wireless data transitions, which means that there are specifications, which devices have to adhere to in order to communicate with each other properly. The technology used in NFC is based on older RFID (Radio-frequency identification) ideas that uses electromagnetic induction in order to transmit information.

The transmission frequency for data across NFC is 13.56 megahertz, and data can be sent at either 106, 212 or 424 kilobits per second. This is in fact can be considered quick enough for a range of data transfers – from contact details to swapping pictures and music.

Understanding the Basics: NFC vs. Bluetooth

Wireless technologies like cellular connectivity (3G, 4G), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC are the lifeline of mobile devices; however, the ones that rule the roost is Bluetooth and NFC - as they are the ones that can work in close proximity from a few centimeters to a few meters. Although Bluetooth has been more widely available, Near Field Communication is gradually turning out to be a more preferred option by Smartphone users. Here we discuss the differences of both the technologies so that you can arrive at your own informed conclusion:

NFC Tags – Making a difference!

Most of you have been using NFC technology in our day-to-day life, without actually realizing it. Remember the instance when you touch your metro pass against a ticket reader to have your ticket scanned. That sort of action is based on NFC/RFID technology. Amazing isn’t it?

As such NFC technology isn’t an invention by smartphone makers. In fact, RFID technology that takes advantage of the electromagnetic fields generated by radio waves to transfer data between two RFID-enabled devices, allows NFC-enabled smartphones to read unpowered NFC tags (such as Sony SmartTags, LG Tags, Samsung’s TecTiles). These are pre-programmable (and re-programmable) with certain data that can activate a response on the smartphone. The smartphone in this case, powers the unpowered NFC tag, wherein you’ll find NFC using a little more energy than when pairing with a NFC device that has its own power source.

NFC & Real World Implementation

Healthcare

Healthcare sector has been innovatively implementing Near Field Communication technology in hospitals (mainly large ones with an increased number of patients to track and take care of), and also those caring for patients on assisted living. As such managing patient’s record, keeping a track of their improvement, maintaining patient care, scheduling medication and monitoring treatment process requires a lot of alertness considering the sensitivity attached with the sector.

Hospitals are gradually incorporating NFC technology into their medical technology systems. All you need is a NFC-enabled smartphone or device, using which nurses can track the hours they spent with a patient and what medications or treatments they administered simply by swiping the phone over an NFC reader designed to record that information and transfer it into the system.

Travel

Travelling is fun, but they do have their share of hassles, which of course could be reduced by NFC technology. If you are flying during travel, NFC-enabled smartphones could serve as identification and plane tickets, besides allowing you to pay for extra services as and when required. Also besides allowing last minute changes in schedule including cancellation, you can book new tickets by just scanning your phone at a payment desk or kiosk. Moreover, passengers can also label their luggage with NFC tags for easy identification and retrieval.

Tour Guides

You can convert your ordinary smartphone into a tour guide for visitors by enabling it with NFC tags. You can find museums, parks, and other buildings set up displays with embedded NFC tags for visitors to scan; so as to see and hear relevant information about the place of interest you are visiting.

Advertisements

The advertising industry can be one of the biggest beneficiaries of NFC technology, which can be used to pass information, deals, and coupons to potential customers. For instance, real estate advertisement signs could contain a tag holding all the information and pictures about the property along with a link to the realtor’s website. Similarly, any product ad could contain a link to a product website or a special coupon for buying the product at a discounted price.

5 Recommended NFC-enabled Apps for Android

NFC Smart Q

NFC Smart Q allows you to write tags that prompt tasks and change your phone's settings for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Sound, Alarm and display brightness. It also helps you launch URLs, send texts, create electronic business cards or open photos, music or documents.

Besides these feature, the best thing about Smart Q is the ability to lock your tags, which prevents anyone else to overwrite them. It also allows you to copy a tag to other NFC-capable devices and with the Switch function, just use one tag to toggle between two different modes. Instead of using two stickers for your bedside table, you can tap the tag to switch between sleep and wake modes.

WiFi Tap WiFi NFC

It's annoying to enter Wi-Fi credentials every time you attempt to connect to a new wireless network. Wifi Tap WiFi NFC does away with that. All you need to do is just hold your mobile device close to your friend's NFC tag, the network stored on the tag will automatically be added to your list of known networks and an automatic attempt to connect to that wireless network begins. The app does not even have to be started.

This WiFi app works by combining WiFi and NFC, so your friends and family can connect to your wireless network quickly and easily. So for connecting to your friends, you no longer need to type in the username and password - just simply wave their smartphone over your NFC tag and connect instantly.

Time Sheet (with NFC Add-On)

The popular Timesheet app enables you to track your working time on projects with NFC. However, with the NFC Add-On, all you need to do is just tap your device on a tag to log your hours. Moreover, the app also allows you to create tasks, projects, track expenses and also the breaks you take - and export all this information to Excel. The Timesheet app is an asset for freelancers or anyone who wants better time management.

Any.Do

This powerful task list app helps you keep track of your busy life by managing complex lists of activities, besides helping you to manage or involve your friends too. It also lets you assign tasks or turn your missed calls into items on the list. The latest version of Any.DO supports NFC via Android Beam on supported devices, thus allowing you to share your lists with a tap of your device for easier project collaboration.

Key benefits

Seamless cloud sync, Speech recognition, Alerts, Any.do Moment, Snooze tasks, Google Task Sync, Notes, Sub tasks, Amazing Widgets, Repeating / Recurring Tasks, Missed call, Auto complete, In app actions, Gesture support, and many more.

NFC TagWriter

The NFC TagWriter application from NXP lets you add your own content to your NFC tags. From storing contacts, URLs, text messages and generic URLs to any NFC-enabled tags, it also keeps record of tags you’ve read and written. The NFC TagWriter also allows you to store items containing NFC-enabled electronics like poster, business cards, watches, etc.

Synopsis: NFC – The Future of Mobile Payment

Power efficiency and Security are two of the prominent advantages that NFC has over other wireless communications technologies, the latter being largely considered an asset as it refutes the possibility of hackers getting in between data exchanges of your smartphone and the NFC device - since NFC allows interactivity only around 4cm or less.

Apart from the real world implementation initiative mentioned above, with the growth of interactive advertising, mobile payment systems, and the introduction of services like Google Wallet (in the US), NFC is undoubtedly setting new standards in wireless communication - making your smartphones a viable alternative to credit and transport cards. Also NFC-enabled mobile apps makes for a strong contender to dominate the mobile payment apps market in the future.


Have you been using NFC for sharing information from your smartphone? Share your experiences.

Joseph Mdaka

Sharepoint Developer Lead at EOH MS

8y

Can the NFC embedded on a smartphone device work when the phone is off?

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