You’ve probably heard of it before and may even own a smartphone that features that technology, but what is NFC on a phone anyhow? Most smartphones these days are equipped with Near Field Communication technology, better known as NFC. In a nutshell, it is a proximity-based wireless communication standard. Unlike Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, however, NFC interaction is limited to an extremely short range. Besides smartphones, you can sometimes find NFC on tablets, speakers, collectibles, and even gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch and 3DS.
Even though NFC may seem a bit lackluster on paper, given its short range, it is still a pretty convenient feature that many of us take for granted every day. So in this article, let’s take a quick look at what NFC is and how it works. We’ll also explore where you’re most likely to encounter the technology in the real world.