Contactless technology should become even easier to use in the years to come. — AFP Relaxnews
Contactless technology has become an almost indispensable part of our daily lives, and it still has more to offer. In the future, it should be even easier to use, thanks in particular to increased range and new functionalities.
In a new roadmap to 2028, the NFC Forum is putting forward a number of initiatives that should enhance the use of this technology, which is now present in our bank cards, travel tickets, smartphones and more.
Already, from a practical point of view, the technology should get even easier to use, thanks to increased range. Today, NFC connections are theoretically limited to a range of around 5 mm, a performance that could soon be multiplied sixfold, to 3 or 4cm.
The idea is to make transactions quicker and easier. Another idea is to increase the power for wireless charging, from 1 to 3W. In practical terms, this should make it possible to offer more compact payment terminals, for example.
Another very practical project involves multiplying uses. The aim is to be able to carry out several actions at once, with a single tap, such as automatic identification of a loyalty card when making a payment at a retailer.
Finally, advances in device-to-device communication should make it easy to receive contactless payments, turning your smartphone into a payment terminal like any other.
The NFC Forum is an international consortium promoting contactless technology. It now has over 400 members, including Sony, Apple, Google, Huawei, Qualcomm and STMicroelectronics. It’s up to individual members to implement all these changes, bearing in mind that the various projects are currently at different stages of development. – AFP Relaxnews
