How to make a phone with nfc function. NFC technology in smartphones and its practical use

IN Lately You can increasingly hear the mention of some NFC technology in the context of electronic payments through a smartphone. Many use it without knowing either the name or the principle of operation. There are a lot of rumors around NFC that affect the security of personal data, money, and sometimes health. It is to explain these questions that this article was written.

NFC in the phone - what it is, how it works and where it is used

Deciphering the abbreviation NFC is literally translated into Russian as "near contactless communication." From the name, one can immediately conclude that one of the main features of NFC is that data is transmitted at a very close distance, up to 10 cm. Of course, nothing prevents the exchange of information at a distance of several centimeters via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but here it is worth understanding the details .

The principle of operation of NFC is based on the phenomenon of induction magnetic field, through which short-range high-frequency data transmission between two devices at a frequency of 13.56 MHz is implemented.

One reason for the existence of this technology is the need for security. It is logical that it is physically difficult to “hack” a contact that occurs in a small area, unlike other wireless connections. But what is the use of such technology if it cannot be used to communicate with a device even ten meters away? It's simple: NFC has a completely different focus. From the obvious - contactless payment by bringing the smartphone to the terminal. But this is far from the only area in which NFS can be used.

Examples of using the NFC chip:

Transfer media files, contacts or settings between smartphones.
Cashless payment. Perhaps the most popular use of the system, which is widely used in Russia. There are also various options: paying for travel, providing personal data by touch, etc.
Reading information. NFC tags in smart cards and other objects allow you to instantly enter information into your smartphone, for example, from a business card. NFC chips are small enough to be embedded in almost any item.
Some Sony TVs have a function one touch Mirroring, which allows you to display video from the phone's memory on the TV screen.
Access control to various services or objects where a device with an NFC chip is used instead of a key.

The first phone equipped with NFC appeared back in 2006 (Nokia 6131), but the mass similar devices received only in recent years, and now NFC can be found not only in flagships, but also in models of the middle price segment, and even budget smartphones.

Benefits of NFC

Instant connection. NFC allows devices to connect without additional manipulations, entering settings and other things, it is enough to bring two gadgets with NFC chips to each other.
Safety. As already mentioned, the short range greatly complicates the process of hacking, but this does not mean that NFC does not have other means of protection. In addition, having lost a bank card, the risk of losing money on it is much higher than in the case of losing a phone, where funds are protected not only by a password, but also by the need to confirm access to the gadget itself.
Ease of use. You can add several bank cards to the memory of your smartphone at once and pay with them from one device, in addition, NFC works not only with bank cards, but also with transport and discount cards.

Which devices support NFC

Most modern smartphones support this technology, but old or completely budget solutions may be deprived of it. Some manufacturers put the name of the technology on the surface of the device case, but there is a more effective way to check if your smartphone has it:

Open the device settings menu.
Go to "Wireless Networks" or "Connected Devices".
Open More.
Find the NFC item.

And of course, you can always just google the name of your smartphone by adding NFC next to it, and everything will become clear.

How to pay by phone

Here we will consider the most popular way to use NFC - card emulation. Using emulation, you can create a virtual duplicate of the card and pay from your phone, as if from MasterCard PayPass or Visa Paywave cards, which are simply applied to the terminal to debit funds.

Smartphones with an NFC chip running Android OC make contactless payments using android apps Pay, which can be downloaded from the Play Market at the following link. Samsung phones work with a proprietary application Samsung Pay, which is usually pre-installed in the operating system out of the box. The principle of operation of both applications is completely identical.

A user who has never used a device unlock with a password, gesture or fingerprint will be forced to establish secure access to the device when launching Android Pay for the first time. This required condition for contactless payment.

How to use Android Pay:

If you have connected more than one card, then you must first select the one that will be used for payment, if it is not set by default. Transactions are confirmed at the time of unlocking the smartphone using a code, pattern or fingerprint scanner. Payments in the amount of more than a thousand rubles, at the request of the seller, may need to be confirmed by entering a PIN code from a bank card in the terminal or by signing.

For quick access to NFC, pin the activation icon for this function in the notification shade so as not to look for it in the wilds of settings every time you need to pay.

How to pay with a smartphone in the subway or bus? This is done in a similar way: we launch Android Pay, confirm authorization and pay for the trip by touching the smartphone to the turnstile. In the same way, you can pay for admission to museums, exhibitions and similar places, without having to stand in line for a ticket.

Sharing data and files via NFC

To transfer files from smartphone to smartphone via NFC, an auxiliary android technology Beam (or Samsung Beam on devices from the manufacturer of the same name). Let's figure out how to send files via NFC:

Similarly, you can transfer other information, such as a list of contacts, which makes life much easier when switching from an old smartphone to a new one.

Conclusion

Since most smartphones have long been equipped with an NFC module, today the basis for changing the system of electronic payments is being formed. And despite the rather high popularity of NFC as a payment method, the demand for this technology (relative to its potential) is very small. In the future, NFC may become an integral part of our lives, as smartphones themselves once did, since it is really convenient to pay with your phone.

Why are more and more mobile manufacturers equipping smartphones with an NFC chip, and what opportunities does this technology open up for the user?

Now on the mobile market there is a wide variety of high- and mid-range smartphones that are equipped with an NFC chip. Before paying for an additional feature, you need to figure out what it is and why you need it in your phone at all.

What is NFC?

NFC (Near field communication, or near field communication) is a wireless communication interface, one of the main characteristics of which, as the name implies, is a short range (up to 10 cm). Other features of the technology include:

Ability to exchange with other devices and passive tags.
Compact dimensions.
Low power consumption.
Low data transfer rate.
Connection establishment time - 0.1 seconds.
budget cost.

Due to its small size and low power consumption, NFC can be used in small devices. In smartphones, the antenna is usually mounted on the battery cover or on the inside of the rear panel if the battery is removable. So that users do not have a question about how to apply the gadget for data transfer (this problem is especially typical for tablets due to their large size and small range of the technology), the location of the chip is often marked with a special sticker on the case.

Since the NFC interface is only a base, which does not give a clear solution for use, then mobile manufacturers and application developers have to develop work scenarios on their own. This can cause interoperability issues between applications and devices from different manufacturers.

Ways to use NFC

Perhaps one of the most common ways to use NFC is. The user can attach a bank card to his mobile device, with which he will pay in the future, for example, if the card is left at home. In this case, the possibility of intercepting data is extremely small due to the small range of the interface; a lost or stolen unlocked smartphone poses a great danger.

To make a payment via NFC, you will need:

Bank card marked paypass.
Application of the respective bank.
Find the NFC item in the application menu.
Attach the card to the back cover of the phone for reading.
Remember the password for carrying out payment transactions, sent in an SMS message.

The next method of using the technology is data exchange. With the Android Beam app, you can stream various files from one mobile device to another. However, the transmission speed is very slow, so this function is more suitable for sending small text messages and links.

Instruction:

1. Activate NFC - check the box next to this item in the "Wireless Networks" menu, unlock your smartphone and turn on the screen.

2. Select an agent:

Google Chrome - to pass the current active link.
Google Maps- to transfer the route.
Google Play- to transfer applications, books and other content presented in the service.
YouTube - to send a link to a video.
Contacts - to transfer a contact.
Gallery - for transferring photos and pictures (however, this may take a long time due to the low transfer speed, so in this case it is better to use special applications, which will be discussed below).

3. Move the devices closer until the alarm sounds.

4. Touch and hold the screen to confirm the transfer.

5. Another beep will sound to indicate that the file transfer was successful.

Exist various applications, which use the NFC interface only for negotiation, and the subsequent transfer of files is carried out via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection: Send! File Transfer, File Expert HD and Super Beam WiFi Direct Share.

The next way is reading and writing labels. This function works similarly, only it uses not a smartphone camera, but an NFC chip. It can be useful for automating home and work life. To create your own, you will need blank blanks and special programs for recording necessary information. You can assign the following actions to the tag, which will be performed after reading it: sending an SMS message or email, call a contact, open a link, connect via Bluetooth, launch an app, and more.

Several programs for creating labels:

WiFiTap WiFi NFC - to connect wireless network. Help guests connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot quickly and without entering a password.
ABA NFC - for creating various standard format tags.
Smart Tag Maker- special application for users of Sony products, which contains a number of blanks used not only with the NFC interface, but also with a headset, Bluetooth devices, power supply, etc.

Outcome

Each user decides for himself whether he needs additional function NFC in a smartphone or not. However, this technology is used in an increasing number of mobile devices. Therefore, if you nevertheless purchased an NFC-enabled gadget, now you know how to use all its features to make life more convenient.

The combination of “NFC” (Near field communication) is increasingly found in the specifications of modern smartphones and tablets. In this article, we will try to consider this interface from the point of view of practical use, so that readers can independently conclude that it is necessary to have it on their phone.

In testing, we used two models of smartphones that have already been discussed in detail on our resource: Acer CloudMobile S500 and Sony Xperia acro S. We also want to note that most of the information, including the described programs and usage scenarios, will only apply to smartphones on Android based. It is this operating system that is the most “friendly” today when it comes to working with NFC.

Introduction

At first glance, it may seem that numerous wireless interfaces today already cover all possible popular tasks and scenarios, so another option is simply not needed. However, if we look at the development modern technologies, you can see that more and more attention is paid to energy consumption, especially when it comes to mobile devices. In particular, version 4.0 of the well-known family of Bluetooth protocols is just focused on reducing battery costs. The second point worth mentioning is that not every task requires a long range. It even happens the other way around - you want to explicitly limit the distance between interacting devices. In addition to the obvious reduction in consumption, this also affects safety. Yes, and about the volume of transmitted data, you can also make a similar remark. So the idea of a slow wireless interface that operates over short distances and is characterized by low power consumption is quite right to exist.

The starting point in the history of NFC development can be taken in 2004, when Nokia, Philips and Sony announced the creation in order to develop and standardize the interaction interface various devices, based on touch. However, the first versions of the specifications were created a little earlier. Perhaps, by modern standards, the technology can be considered very young (if you do not take into account the history of RFID), but it is already quite common in real products and services. In particular, at the Mobile World Congress 2013 held at the end of February, many stands and demonstrations were devoted to this topic.

This sign can be found on devices with NFC technology.

The formal characteristics of the interface are as follows: work at a distance of several centimeters, maximum speed information exchange is about 400 Kbps, full duplex data exchange is supported, the operating frequency is 13.56 MHz, the connection establishment time does not exceed 0.1 s, the operation mode is point-to-point. It can be seen that these parameters fundamentally distinguish NFC from other popular wireless interfaces.

If we talk about devices, then in addition to active controllers in NFC, there are also passive options (they are usually called tags), which receive power wirelessly from the active controller. One example is modern cards for public transport. Labels are simply data storage, typically less than 4 KB in size. Most often, only read mode is provided for them, but there are options with write support.

One of the simplest options for a passive NFC tag

The compact size of the controller and its low consumption allows NFC to be implemented even in small designs such as SIM cards or cards microSD memory. However, for full operation, the use of a special antenna is required. In phones, it is usually located on reverse side battery cover or built into the rear panel if the device does not require a removable battery.

The NFC antenna is often placed on the back of a smartphone.

The short range can be detrimental when using tablets - finding the right place to "attach" may not be as easy as we would like. To solve this problem, some manufacturers mark the location of the antenna with a special sign. As for the range, in our case, the connection worked at a distance of no more than four centimeters - both between phones and with a passive tag.

From a security point of view, the developers did not implement elements of protection against interception and relay attacks. This of course makes implementation difficult. safe solutions, since it requires protection from the applications themselves for more high level. Note that in fact, such a well-known protocol as TCP / IP behaves similarly. So from a practical point of view, it seems more dangerous to lose the phone without additional protection with customized payment systems programs than interception of communications.

Perhaps the most important thing to know about NFC today is that the interface itself does not provide any real practical use cases or solutions. Unlike, for example, Bluetooth, whose profiles clearly describe how to transfer a file, how to connect a headset, or provide network access, NFC is only a base, and direct work scenarios are provided by additional software that works through it. On the one hand, this opens up wide opportunities for developers, and on the other hand, it is a problem for them when ensuring interaction. different applications and devices.

Interestingly, any programs installed on a smartphone or tablet can register in the operating system as NFC-related event handlers, and then when you externally “call”, you will see standard menu"How do you want to carry out this action?". Since some scenarios for using NFC involve convenient automation of actions, it is advisable not to overload the device with such utilities.

The NFC forum tries to help with this uncertainty by suggesting standardization of protocols for certain scenarios (specifically NDEF for storage short messages on tags and SNEP (Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol) for exchanging information between devices), but the practical determination of the compatibility of specific devices is usually difficult due to the lack of detailed information from the manufacturer and diagnostic tools. Here is another helper Google which proposed in latest versions Android own development of Android Beam. It allows certain types of information to be exchanged between compatible devices.

Android Beam

First you need to make sure that both devices have NFC enabled, Android Beam active, and their screens are unlocked. On the models we tested, NFC only works if the screen is on and the device is fully unlocked. But it is possible that another algorithm will be used in other devices. In any case, the active interface requires very little battery power to operate, and so far the approach described seems to be quite reasonable. One of the options to simplify the work is to turn off the lock screen. In this case, to recognize the tag, it will be enough just to turn on the smartphone. Another inconvenience is the need to confirm the operation by touching the screen after the devices find each other. This is not always easy to do without breaking the connection, especially when both devices are in the hands of two different people.

The next step is to select one of the applications on the device from which the transfer is planned. In particular, these may be:

Google Chrome - transfer of the current open link;
YouTube client - transfer of a video clip (as a link);
Google Maps - transfer of a place or route;
Contacts - send a contact card;
Google Play - application transfer;
Gallery - transfer photos.

Next, bring the devices closer to each other. When a partner is found, you will hear a tone on the sending device and the desktop image will shrink. At this point, you need to touch the screen image and hold your finger until you hear the second signal - about a successful transfer.

We have tried the options in the list, and almost all of them really work. Even the fact that our devices were produced by different manufacturers did not prevent them from finding a common language. But a few comments are still worth making. There are no problems with routes in Google Maps, and the location option is not very interesting, because only the current map display is transmitted. The point marked on the screen of the source phone does not reach the recipient. The situation is corrected by using the "Addresses" application, which transfers the data correctly. When sending contacts, a photo is lost because, from a technical point of view, the transfer format corresponds to text files vcf. If we talk about applications, then you can send not only those installed on your phone, but also just open cards on Google Play. Similarly, books and other content from the store are supported. Naturally, we are talking about the transfer of links, and not the downloaded or purchased elements themselves. There was a problem with sending photos: the Sony device was unable to work with this type of data. The official wording is "The recipient's device does not support large data transfers via Android Beam." Here you have the first sign of the youth of the interface or the lack of detail in the technical specifications of the devices. Formally, we have both NFC and Android Beam in two devices, but in practice their real capabilities differ significantly, and you can find out about this only as a result of verification. What can we say about less famous manufacturers - their implementation of this technology can be completely unpredictable.

By the way, as for the very operation of Android Beam. The description of the technology indicates that for data transfer, the establishment of a connection via Bluetooth is used after the initial negotiation of settings via NFC. Considering that all working formats assumed a really small amount of transmitted data, NFC speed was quite enough for them, but for photos it would be clearly not enough. So we can assume that Sony just did not implement switching to a faster interface. It is not possible to understand whether this problem is software (recall that Android 4.0.4 is installed on this device) or hardware.

We also tried to send our own music and videos in the same way from the respective apps, but nothing appeared on the receiver.

Reading and writing labels

The described Android Beam uses the ability to transmit and process short information messages. However, in reality, they can not only be transmitted from the phone, but also read from passive tags. In a sense, this technology is similar to the well-known QR codes that are read by the phone's camera. Wherein helpful information(for example, a link to a website page) takes just a few tens of bytes. Tags can be used by companies, for example, to promote their products or services. Given the compact size of the passive tag (more precisely, the thickness comparable to a sheet of paper - because of the antenna, the area will still be significant, no less than a five-ruble coin), it can be placed almost anywhere: on a box with a product, in a magazine, on an information rack and other places.

Passive NFC tags can be made into key fobs

If we talk about hand-made labels, then this is a completely feasible scenario. To do this, you need to purchase blank blanks and, using a special program for the phone, write down the required information on them. For example, we bought several different options: a sticker with a minimum thickness, a protected plastic circle and key chains. All of them had a very small amount of memory - only 144 bytes (there are options on the market for 4 KB). The number of rewrite cycles was not specified, but for most application scenarios this parameter is not critical. To work with tags, NXP Semiconductors programs - TagInfo and TagWriter - can be recommended.

The first will allow you to read the data from the tag and decrypt the information according to the NDEF standard, and the second will help you create your own tags. At the same time, several NDEF sub-variants are supported: contact, link, text, SMS, mail message, phone number, Bluetooth connection, geographical location, link to local file, application launch, URI. Please note that when creating a record, you need to take into account the amount of data stored. For example, a contact photo can take up several kilobytes, messages or text can also easily go beyond 144 bytes. By the way, the NFC TagInfo program from the NFC Research Lab with a special plug-in can read and show you a color photo from a biometric passport. With a data volume of one and a half dozen kilobytes, reading them via NFC takes about 20 seconds. An additional level of protection in this case is provided by the need to specify some details of the passport for reading data from the chip.

Note that automatic processing the tags read depends on the content. In particular, sometimes additional confirmation is required to carry out the action itself. For example, in the case of SMS, a completed message form opens, but the actual sending must be confirmed by the user. But the recorded web link can immediately open in the browser. Any automation is associated with a loss of control, so the described features should be used with caution, because by simply replacing or reprogramming labels, attackers can redirect you to a fake site instead of the original one. We did not find regular OS settings to limit such autorun (unless you disable NFC itself).

Another important point when using labels in public places - protection against overwriting. When writing a label, you can set a protection flag that will block all attempts to change information, but it will be impossible to remove it. So the label will continue to be used in read-only mode. For home use this is not critical in most cases.

Let's mention a few more programs for writing labels:

Using predefined tags to manage a device

One of the active participants in the implementation of NFC is Sony. Its devices are pre-installed with the Smart Connect program that supports work with original Sony tags. If you wish, using the SmartTag Maker utility, you can create them yourself from blank blanks. The system uses the NDEF URI format with the tag number/color encoded in the text link. In total, the system provides up to eight labels, which are designated as “home”, “office”, “car”, “bedroom”, “listen”, “play”, “activity”, “watch”.

Variant of original Sony SmartTags

The Smart Connect program itself works not only with NFC tags, but also with other devices connected to the phone, including headsets, power supply, Bluetooth devices. Conveniently enough, the standard settings already correspond well to the above scenarios. In this case, the user can reprogram all circuits; each of them specifies a set of conditions and actions.

As a condition, you can use tag recognition or device connection, in addition, you can limit the operation time of the circuit. The set of actions is quite wide, it includes launching an application, opening a link in a browser, launching music, adjusting the volume and mode, connecting a Bluetooth audio device, sending SMS, making a call, managing wireless interfaces, adjusting brightness, and other actions. Moreover, they can also be assigned to the exit from this mode, which is carried out by re-identification of the tag, by a new event/tag, or by the expiration of the specified time interval.

But in fact, it is not necessary to use Sony branded tags - you can also find use for ready-made tags that do not allow information to be overwritten. For example, it can be used transport cards. The fact is that each of them has its own unique identifier that can be tied to certain actions. special programs. As a possible reaction, such operations as changing the profile, enabling / disabling interfaces, and many others can act.

In the shop Play Store There are several utilities for this scenario, to mention a couple of them:

Recall that you should not install several such programs at once. Convenience from this mode will not be added, since when a label is detected on the phone screen, a dialog box will appear with the choice of a program for processing it.

While searching for programs to work with labels, we also came across another class of utilities that may be of interest in the case of writable labels. These programs use their own original recording format, which only they themselves can work with. At the same time, the set possible actions almost the same as described above:

Recall that at the moment the label is read only when the device is unlocked. So the scenario “came home, put the phone on the nightstand - automatically switched the profile, turned off the call and Bluetooth, set the alarm” will require some actions from the user. This behavior still limits the possibilities of programs a little.

Exchange of information between devices

With the exception of Android Beam, the scenarios described above assume the operation of one phone with a tag or specialized terminal. If we talk about the direct connection of the devices to each other, then the main issue here is compatibility. Of course, in the case of products from one manufacturer, especially a large one, it is possible to simply install the appropriate program into the firmware. But if the devices are produced by different manufacturers, everyone will have to use the same utilities. And it’s not at all a fact that your partner will have the same program installed as you.

Considering that the native speed of NFC is very slow, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is usually used for fast file transfer, and NFC only works during the connection negotiation and pairing phase. To test this scenario, we tried several file transfer programs that claim to support NFC on our devices.

send! File Transfer(NFC) in free version allows you to share files of photos, music and videos. You can use NFC or QR codes to establish a connection. The transmission is carried out via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (in case both devices support Wi-Fi Direct, which in the used Sony phone did not appear). As a result, we managed to see a speed of 65 KB / s, which, of course, is too low even for photos.

Blue NFC, as the name suggests, also simplifies Bluetooth file sharing by replacing the power, search, and pairing steps with touch and NFC sharing. The speed of work is not very high - at the level of the program mentioned above.

File Expert HD also uses Bluetooth, but the speed is already 100-200 KB/s. True, in fairness it is worth noting that this program has many other file sharing modes.

Conclusion

As of the spring of 2013, we can say that NFC technology is already confidently taking its place in modern top-end and mid-range smartphones. Indirectly, interest in it can be estimated by the number of programs in the Play Store: only free projects there are already several hundred. Considering market dominance (especially in terms of number of models) Android platforms, it is she who is today the most popular for NFC devices. On iOS regular funds for NFC is not provided, and Windows Phone 8 has a significant limited opportunities work with NFC for third-party applications.

By itself, NFC technology has several features that allow it to occupy a unique position:

contactless data transmission;
work only at short distances;
the ability to exchange information with other devices or passive tags;
low cost solution;
low power consumption;
low data rate.

At the moment, for smartphones and tablets, there are three most relevant options for using NFC: data exchange between devices (contacts, applications, links, photos and other files), reading tags with special information and changing device modes / settings / profiles, quick pairing with peripherals(for example, headsets). In the first case, you can try to work with the standard Android program Beam or install alternatives. They can be useful if you need a high exchange rate (via Wi-Fi), but require the same program on every device.

Passive tags can be used almost anywhere, from posters to magazines and product tags. They can record information about the product, a link to the site, Wi-Fi settings, contact information, geographical coordinates or other small amount of data. The spread of this method of information exchange directly depends on the number compatible devices at users. This scenario can be compared to common QR codes, which today are perhaps easier to implement and more popular.

For change system settings even non-writable labels can be used with some programs, so many users will be able to try this scenario in practice. True, it should be noted that in this case, the set of options will be recorded in a specific device, and it may be difficult to transfer it to another device. Most utilities of this purpose still require their own recorded tags, which allows them to store all the required information in an encoded form directly in the tag (or cloud), so that in order to use these settings on another device, it will be enough to have the same program on it.

We have not considered in this article such NFC use cases as payment systems, electronic wallets and micropayments, tickets and coupons, transport cards and passes. These topics, especially the first one, deserve separate consideration. We will try to return to them in the presence of reader interest and the dissemination of such solutions.

Payment services like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, which began their work in Russia just a month ago, have already managed to change our lives for the better. Thanks to them, we stopped digging into wallets, delaying the queue, and “shine” banknotes in front of everyone. So, in any case, say those who have already managed to experience all the advantages of contactless payment for themselves. But what about those who do not have this privilege?

Despite the relatively widespread mobile services for transactions, many Russians (and not only them) do not have the opportunity to use them. The reason for this is quite simple and literally lies on the surface - the smartphone market is not limited to Apple devices and Samsung. Some prefer to use something less flashy, but certainly more accessible.

There are many ways to turn your smartphone, regardless of manufacturer, into a real wallet. Let's start in order.

The first and, in my opinion, the most preferred is Yandex.Money.

Few people know that the Yandex.Money application supports contactless payments, requiring only the NFC module integrated into the smartphone from the client. The user himself should take care of replenishing the wallet with title units (read - money).

The second way is an NFC SIM card.

These are issued by the mobile operator MTS in cooperation with the bank of the same name. Install a functional card in your smartphone and pay for purchases with a light touch on the terminal. No one will guess that you cheated!

Of course, call it complete Apple replacement Pay is still impossible, since transactions are not encrypted and do not require fingerprint identification. In addition, you still have to open a separate account with MTS PJSC or Russian Standard Bank.

However, if you are already a cardholder of one of the two banks, the problem disappears by itself. All you have to do is visit the nearest mobile phone salon or a bank branch, where you can get the above-described SIM card for free.

Method three - NFC antenna.

Live antenna looks less intimidating

For all those whose smartphone does not have a “near field” module in its arsenal, the path to “contactless” will be somewhat more difficult. They will either have to replace the device with a new one, which is irrational, or equip it with an NFC antenna on their own. Contrary to popular belief, doing this is much easier than imagining.

To do this, you need to purchase an external NFC antenna, which is sold in mobile phone stores, and, after gluing it to the surface of the SIM card, place it under the cover of your smartphone. A small remark: this operation will not be possible for owners of devices with non-removable rear panel and side slot for SIM-cards.

NFC bracelets.

Some banks, including Alfa-Bank, are engaged in the release of seemingly ingenious bracelets that carry in their design an NFC chip associated with your personal account. It works exactly on the same principle as plastic cards with PayPass or PayWave technology.

Check with the bank representatives about the availability of appropriate accessories in their range and, having obtained a copy, remove the chip from the purchased bracelet and simply put it in the case of your smartphone or tablet. Thus, you will not only have to remember the need to have a wallet with you, but also worry about the autonomy of the main gadget.

The cost of an NFC bracelet, depending on the bank, ranges from 500 to 1000 rubles. The same amount will cost you a case with a small pocket on the back.

* Recommended to upload a 720*312 image as the cover image

Article Description

Near field communication (NFC) (translated as: “near field communication”) - new technology short-range wireless high-frequency communication. Nfc chip allows you to exchange data between different devices located at a distance of 10 centimeters. This technology is a simple extension of the existing contactless card standard (ISO 14443 classification), combines the working interface of smart cards and the reader into a common device. Such an NFC device is able to communicate even with existing smart cards, as well as with readers of the ISO 14443 standard, and others. NFC devices and, may be compatible with the working infrastructure of contactless cards already in use in public transport/payment systems. NFC is aimed primarily at use in mobile devices. What is an nfc module? A module is an external device that allows you to provide quick identification using a radio channel at a distance. The short-range communication module operates at a frequency of 13.56 MHz at speeds up to 424 kbps. This technology is based on the use of specialized chips (including telephone SIM cards) in communication devices. The widest spread of NFC technology in the near future is associated with the possibility of using it together with smartphones and mobile phones: a mobile device is equipped with a module (an external nfc module for a phone is suitable), which will allow the subscriber to make timely payments for services and goods, simply by bringing his phone closer to the reader. It is usually understood that cash written off from bank account client, and not from the account with the mob operator. connections. Types of modules The main types of nfc modules are SIM cards, external devices and chips. Also, you can use additional devices for communication and payment, such as NFC modules and stickers. The nfc module for the phone can be ordered separately, or it can be purchased already in the phone as built-in equipment. Stickers are attached to the body of the phone. There are passive and active. The first ones are not able to exchange data with the phone and do not make it possible to write information to the NFC device through the communication channels of the mobile operator. Active - use the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth communication channel to communicate with the device, which leads to increased power consumption, or the need for constant recharging of the module. A common drawback of such modules is the presence of a mount. How to add an NFC chip to a smartphone The first option is an NFC SIM card. They are produced by many mobile operators. Install a ready-made functional card in your smartphone and pay for purchases with a light touch on the terminal. Of course, call it quality replacement Apple Pay is not available because ongoing transactions are not encrypted and do not require fingerprint identification. In addition, the user will most likely have to open a new account with a mobile operator/bank. However, if he is the holder of a plastic card of one of the banks, the problem will disappear by itself. All you have to do is visit a mobile phone salon or a bank branch and get a SIM card. NFC antenna. Another working way. For all users whose phone or smartphone does not have a “near field” module in their arsenal, the path to “contactless” is a little more difficult. You will have to either replace the device, which is irrational, or equip it with an NFC antenna yourself. Contrary to popular belief, this is much easier to do than previously imagined. To do this, you need to purchase a special external NFC antenna. You can do this in mobile phone stores, then, after gluing it to the SIM card, install it under the cover of your mobile device. back cover and a side slot for SIM cards. You can install the module in almost all phone models. This solution is simple and will be used until phones with built-in NFC modules appear on the market. Source Tich-in