The NFC Forum today formally announced NFC Release 15, a new NFC standard that will make mobile payments like Apple Pay a tad smoother. The most important improvement is that NFC Release 15 will extend the range of contactless connections by a factor of four. As it stands now, using Apple Pay, for example, requires that the device be within 0.5cm of the POS terminal. It’s typically a seamless process, but I’ve certainly seen some people struggle to figure it out or get their device close enough. With the new NFC protocol, a mobile device can establish a contactless connection at a distance of 2cm, an improvement which will undoubtedly be a godsend for Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch users.
Of course, it goes without saying that the benefits of NFC Release 15 will impact all sorts of devices and use cases. People who use digital car keys, mobile transit cards, or even headphones with NFC-based pairing will have an easier time thanks to the the new protocol.
What’s notable about extending the range of contactless payments, the NFC Forum adds, is that “connections will start sooner and require less precise device alignment, making NFC quicker, more reliable and easier to use than ever.”
NFC Forum Executive Director Mike McCamon added the following in a press release:
Extending the range of NFC contactless connections was one of the key priorities outlined in the NFC Forum Five-Year Roadmap, to meet changing market needs and deliver faster, easier transactions across all NFC enabled devices – including smaller form factors such as wearables or smartphones.
Many markets are set to benefit from extended range, with consumers set to gain the most through an enhanced user experience. Redefining the baseline for contactless connections, NFC Release 15 is also expected to advance new and exciting use cases, such as using your mobile phone as a payment terminal, as well as optimize NFC usability across a variety of sectors, including automotive, transit and access control.
What is the NFC Forum?
For those unfamiliar, the NFC Forum has been around for over two decades and is a governing body comprised of industry leaders that map out the NFC specifications and standards to be used across industries.
Apple is one of eight companies on the NFC Forum board, a group that also includes Google, Huawei, Identiv, Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors, Sony, and STMicroelectronics. While these companies help lay out the NFC roadmap, the NFC Forum also includes dozens of other companies like Mastercard, which assist with mapping out technical specifications and addressing interoperability issues.
As for when users will be able to take advantage of the new NFC standard, the Forum notes certification compliance for the NFC Release 15 standard will begin later this fall.
