NFC on smartphones:  a safety assurance

One of the big tech advancements coming in 2012 will be the addition of NFC, or near field communication, to smartphones.   The iPhone 5 due out in June 2012 will surely have the technology.  What is NFC exactly?  It will allow your smartphone to talk back and forth with other devices, such as payment kiosks and check-in’s.  Think of going to a store and instead of getting a credit card out of your wallet, simply swipe you smartphone at the checkout and your account will automatically be charged.  No carrying cards or cash.  Projections are that 1 in 5 cell phones will have NFC technology by 2013. 

What about credit card protection and safety?  Can my credit card number be easily stolen when I use my smartphone for payment?  Matrix Product Development engineers say no.   Because the 2012 smartphones will be active NFC transponders, safety will not be an issue.  What this means is that the working range for data transmission will be very short (about 1 inch), and the smartphone user will need to physically activate the transaction with a pin number or the pressing of a button.  Unless someone puts their “reading” device within 1 inch of your iPhone at the exact time you have your phone payment system activated, your information will be safe.  This is different technology than the passive NFC technology credit cards in Europe, where safety is a legitimate concern.  European passive cards are powered up by a “reader” and the information can be retrieved by brushing a “reader” against a person’s hand bag or pocket, therefore easily allowing personal information to be stolen.

NFC enabled smartphones will be a great technology leap that will be safe, secure and efficient.  Read this article for examples of NFC enabled applications.