In today's increasingly mobile world, we love the convenience of using wireless technologies. We want our wireless data to be transferred quickly from one device to another without worrying about security. We must have access to safe and secure methods of transferring data from one device to another. Who wants to worry about someone stealing your credit card information while you're paying for your morning coffee?
Fortunately, there are two different wireless technologies that work in different ways to make these fast and secure transfers possible. These are NFC and Bluetooth.
Both NFC and Bluetooth establish connections between two devices over short distances. They provide reliable communication between these devices to transfer data. Beyond that, they are very different.
NFC is short for Near Field Communication. It is a wireless touchscreen technology that quickly pairs two devices without the physical pairing process. To connect these types of devices wirelessly, you just need to bring them close enough to read the other device.
This wireless technology, now in version 5.1, is present in almost all electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, speakers, gaming equipment and wireless headphones. One device can act as the master device and pair with up to seven other different devices at once, acting as slaves to the master device.
Bluetooth cannot establish long range connections. It can only connect devices within about ten meters distance. Although it's not a long distance solution, it's a hundred times bigger than what NFC can do.
While Bluetooth pairs slower than NFC, it sends data faster. Data transfer rates for Bluetooth connections range from around 2-3 Mbit/s. It uses short wavelength ultra-high frequency radio waves in the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
The power required is about one milliwatt. This low power prevents interference with other wireless devices in the same area. This also makes it ideal for battery-powered devices. It uses battery life when it scans for available connections. So if you're not using it and want to save your battery, turn it off.
NFC and Bluetooth are both very different wireless transfer methods from each other and serve different purposes. NFC is ideal for transferring small amounts of data over a very short distance and is primarily used for wireless payments and keycards. Bluetooth allows for a wider range of connectivity and devices such as cell phones, speakers and headphones commonly use it.
Both technologies can work together to create even better connectivity between wireless devices. NFC quickly connects devices, then sends a signal to Bluetooth that allows devices to move further away while staying connected and avoiding the dreaded “Looking for Device” message.
Combining the best of these two technologies will bring us even faster and more stable wireless transfers in the future.
