NFC versus Bluetooth

Most Smartphones users have connected to another Smartphone or device, such as a wireless headset, using Bluetooth before, or have at least heard of the concept. Bluetooth can connect to devices up to 32 feet away, yet near field communication can connect to devices at a maximum distance of 4 centimeters on average.

Why is NFC so exciting if it is so limited in range?

Unlike Bluetooth, NFC can interact with another device with a single wave of your Smartphone.

It’s fast and requires little effort on your part. In contrast, Bluetooth connections take time and require many steps to activate. With such a close range between devices required, the potential for signal interference or hackers trying to steal your data is reduced. Let's go a bit deeper.

With the current trend of its presence in almost all major Smartphones, you should be able to handle it well.

What Is NFC and Why Should I Care?

Meet NFC: Magic from the 1800s

If you’re a sports fan, NFC stands for National Football Conference. Naturally, technology nerds had no idea this abbreviation was already taken so they chose to call a new form of close-range communication technology, “Near Field Communication”.

At heart, NFC is exactly what it sounds like. A way for devices to communicate when they are near each other, (i.e. physically nearer without the aid of any wireless connection). In fact, two devices using NFC can not only share data, but also power. You read that right, NFC is capable of wirelessly transmitting power to an external device. So device “A” in your hand has no battery but is actually being powered by device “B” on your desk.

Wireless energy transmission sounds like it’s straight out of Star Trek, but the ideas in place here are based on principles discovered by Michael Faraday in 1831!; taking you down memory lane. NFC accomplishes its magic through the process of electromagnetic induction. Basically, two loop antennas share a magnetic field generated by the initiator device. Any flux in that magnetic field can cause an electrical current to be produced in the target device. In fact, “near field” is actually a designation for a specific region in the field of electromagnetic radiation coming from the antennas (as opposed to far field).

If both devices are independently powered, each can take its turn generating a magnetic field, which is in turn received by the other device and the result is an exchange of data between the two. This is known as “Active Communication Mode”.

Cell phones with NFC will be able to connect in less than a second

NFC vs. Bluetooth

That was a whole lot of geek speak so if you’re scratching your head at this point, don’t worry, you pretty much don’t need to understand any of it to get the gist of what NFC is all about.

The simple version is that NFC is a way for two devices to wirelessly communicate. We’re surrounded by devices that communicate without wires so this probably isn’t very exciting or mind-boggling to hear.

In fact, our iPhones already have something very similar built into them: Bluetooth. The very first question that I had upon reading about NFC was how it deferred from Bluetooth, surely it’s just newer and better right? The answer is surprising.

As it turns out, Bluetooth is effective over a range of within ten meters, while NFC only works in ranges of under 0.2 meters. Similarly, the speed of Bluetooth is around 2.1 Mbit/s while that of NFC is only 424 kbit/s. So the technology that is already built into your iPhone is faster and works over longer distances than the technology that you should be excited about coming in the future! What gives?

Benefits of NFC over Bluetooth

One of the clear benefits of NFC is connection time, which is what all of us runs after. Have you ever paired a Bluetooth device with your phone? It often requires multiple steps and can take several seconds for the actual pairing to take place. With NFC devices the connection is established automatically within a tenth of a second! NFC can even be used in conjunction with Bluetooth to automate and speed up the pairing process.

Further, the shorter range of NFC is actually touted as a benefit. Since you use NFC for distances of only a few centimeters, the likelihood of interference is much lower. A third benefit is power consumption. When both devices are powered, NFC consumes much less power than typical Bluetooth (though Bluetooth Low Energy is close to NFC in its efficiency). However, in the instance described above where one device is receiving its power from another, NFC is actually less efficient than Bluetooth.

Which Is Better?

With this in mind, one is tempted to ask, WHICH ONE IS NOW BETTER. Though common, this question is not exactly an appropriate one as it requires a choice of one technology over the other in all circumstances. However, Bluetooth and NFC are distinct technologies and each possesses its own unique strengths and weaknesses. In the real world we don’t have to choose one over the other but can enjoy the benefits of both working synergistically and seamlessly in the same device!

The Revolution: How NFC Will Change Everything

Now that you have a basic grasp of what NFC is and how it can co-exist with Bluetooth, you’re probably still wondering why any of this is good news. Yet another way for phones to communicate doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as the potential for an Angry Birds TV show right? To answer this, consider what this technology represents based on the information above. NFC allows us to make near instantaneous wireless electronic connections and data transfers at close range. NFC in a cell phone means that the thing in your pocket is suddenly much better equipped to communicate with the electronic devices around it.

No credit card required, just swipe your phone.

The app revolution has skyrocketed the usefulness of our phones in the digital world with games, web browsers and productivity tools. NFC will do the same for the usefulness of our phones in the real world. Credit cards, security badges, plane tickets, all can be potentially replaced with simply holding out your cell phone.

There are educational and fun implications as well. A museum or landmark could transmit information to your phone about the location and connecting with someone nearby on Facebook will be extremely fast (like Bump only better). As with any new technology implemented on the iPhone, developers will jump on NFC like a pack of wolves and create amazing social games and helpful utilities that we haven’t even dreamed up yet.

Do drop me your comment below and tell me what you think of NFC. 

Enjoy.