NFC (or Near Field Communication)is opening up new possibilities for mobile applications. While the term which was unheard of few years ago, it’s now finding its place in almost all of the smartphones. And, it is proving to immensely useful allowing contactless payments, sharing of files, etc. between NFC enabled devices, working as a loyalty card, and much more with just a single tap. Barring Apple and its iPhone, almost all the smartphone manufacturers are offering NFC capability in their devices. That’s why we bring to you premium flagship smartphones supporting NFC:
BlackBerry Z10
BlackBerry Z10 is the first smartphone from BlackBerry featuring its latest BB OS 10 and offers tons of BlackBerry’s proprietary technologies like push mails, BBM and BlackBerry Hub.
Key Specifications
Z10 sports a 4.2 inch screen (resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels).It’s powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor with 2 GB RAM. For memory, it has 16 GB in-built storage expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card. For shutterbugs, the smartphone offers 8 MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED Flash. The front-facing camera of 2 MP is useful for video calling purposes. Connectivity-wise, it supports 2G/ 3G/ 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC. It has a Li-ion battery of 1800 mAh.
NFC capabilities
- Single Tap for Files and Contacts Transfer
- Card Transactions for payments or building/ parking access
- Smart Tags app allows users to create custom tags for initiating actions like Text, Email or Phone
HTC One
HTC One is an Android smartphone and has been garnering rave reviews for zero-gap construction using aluminum giving it a premium feel.
Key Specifications
HTC One has a beautiful 4.7” display with Full HD resolution (~469 ppi). It runs on 1.7 GHz quad-core QUALCOMM snapdragon processor accompanied by 2 GB RAM. It has internal memory of 32GB/ 64 GB which is not expandable. It sports a 4 MP camera with ultra pixel technology. It also has a secondary camera of 2 MP. For connectivity, it offers 2G/ 3G/ 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and of course NFC. It is given juice by a non-removable Li-Po battery of 2300 mAh.
NFC capabilities
Being an Android smartphone, it has Android Beam app which allows transfer of contacts, images and other files between two NFC devices.
Nokia Lumia 925
Nokia Lumia 925 is based on Windows Phone OS and is upgrade to Lumia 920 with metallic casing and camera technology.
Key Specifications
The smartphone flaunts a 4.5 inch display having 768 x 1280 pixels resolution, which equates to pixel density of 332 ppi. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core Krait processor along with Adreno 225 graphics processor. In terms of memory, Lumia 925 have a 1 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. It has a rear camera of 8 MP and a front-facing camera of 1.3 MP. The rear camera is based upon Carl Zeiss optics and offers various features like Dual-LED flash, image stabilization, etc. It has support for 2G/ 3G/ 4G network support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, DLNA, GPS and NFC for connectivity. It has non-removable Li-ion battery of 2000 mAh.
NFC Capabilities
Apart from the basic features of exchanging information between two devices, paying/ authenticating like a NFC card, Nokia offers a Write app for Windows Phone. It allows to read/write any standard NFC tag and do-
- Calling/ messaging/ emailing a contact.
- Sharing one’s virtual business card.
- Initiating some actions like Foursquare check-in, visiting a web-page, etc.
Samsung Galaxy S4
S4 is the successor to Samsung’s hugely successful Galaxy S series running on Android platform and offers top of the line configuration with lots of software enhancements.
Key Specifications
Galaxy S4 sports a humongous 5 inch display with Full HD resolution, which is equivalent to pixel density of 441 ppi. For processor, it has two variants of 1.6 GHz octa-core and 1.9 GHz quad-core which will be launched in markets accordingly. It has internal storage of 16GB, which can be expanded to 64 GB via microSD card. It features a 13 MP camera with LED flash and lots of features like dual shot, eraser, face detection, sound and shot, etc. For connectivity, it has 2G/ 3G/ 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC. It is provided juice by removable Li-ion 2600 mAh battery.
NFC capabilities
It gives usual options of transferring files, making payments, etc. and also have Samsung’s TecTiles app. This app allows user to customize the NFC tags for initiating certain tasks like making call, sending message, etc.
Sony Xperia Z ![Xperia Z]()
Sony Xperia Z is premium smartphone for Sony offering unique proposition of water and dust resistance making it durable and rugged device.
Key Specifications
The smartphone have a 5 inch display with Full HD resolution (~ 441 ppi). It is powered by 1.5 GHz quad-core qualcomm processor which is given company by 2 GB RAM. It has internal memory of 16 GB, with option for expanding it up to 64 GB via microSD card. It has 13 MP camera with Sony’s Exmor RS lens offering features like face and smile detection, geo-tagging, HDR, simultaneous image and video recording, etc. It also have a 2 MP secondary camera which is useful for video calling. In terms of connectivity, it has 2G/ 3G/ 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC. It runs on a non-removable Li-ion battery of 2330 mAh with STAMING mode from Sony (auto shutdown of apps when device goes to sleep).
NFC Capabilities
While one can use basic NFC features like sharing files, payment processing, etc., user can also use SmartTags app which lets them personalize it for initializing various behaviors depending upon the situation. For example- user can create various profiles (change ringtone setting, connect to Wi-Fi, etc) which are activated when user is at the Home or at Work.
Guest post; This article is written by Sanjay Kumar Negi. He works at 91Mobiles, an online portal for finding lowest prices of mobiles and tablets.