NFC already supported by Windows Phone – when will Lumia have NFC?

NFC is great, it has a lot of potential. NFC allows quick wireless short range information transfer that can simplify things from bluetooth pairing to getting ticket data, browser web pages, unlocking game levels, setting GPS destinations, giving coupons – that’s really not even 0.1% of the things you could do.

Through Symbian Nokia was looking to be ahead of NFC, with every new Symbian phone (and N9) with NFC. However, the new Windows Phones from Nokia doesn’t have it. Is it because Windows Phone can’t do it? Actually, apparently NFC is already supported in Windows Phone says TechRadar in an interview with Will Coleman, Product Manager at Microsoft.

Now we know Nokia sometimes likes to put secret chips into their phones. Any possibilities (like C7) that Lumia might actually have NFC?

The future of NFC at Nokia confused some earlier this week as three execs working with NFC were reported to be or had already jumped ship. But of course, they aren’t the only ones at Nokia continuing to work on Symbian/MeeGo-Harmattan/S40 to develop NFC, and NFC has already been hinted by Elop to be coming in future Windows Phones.

Certain omissions I talked about in a rant on the Lumia 800, such as NFC, USB OTG, Front Facing cameras, MicroSD cards, possible cost and time saving measures that means the Lumia can be cheaper, having only the features its target consumers will really expect/use. If users aren’t really going to miss it, well Nokia might as well leave it out for now.

For NFC in particular, the general public don’t really know about it. But unlike something like USB OTG and MicroSD cards (something a little extra fiddly), NFC isn’t just for techies. It’s the complete opposite in fact. Watching BlackBerry users swap BBM details by producing barcodes and scanning, or sending files over by bluetooth with that cumbersome pairing action, it would be most beneficial to the noobs out there to have NFC. Where NFC is lacking though is that it’s not that widespread yet. So even if it is used, it might be just by a few.

I remember a BBC show talking about new technologies. Mark Selby was in fact in that and BBC suggested that due to iPhone’s dominance, iPhone having NFC dictates whether or not NFC will become a hit. Should iPhone 5 have it, there will be a slew of developers taking advantage and using NFC everywhere perhaps? Marks answer was that there’s a significant mass of NFC users and that time waits for no man(ufacturer).

When Nokia are ready to push Lumia in volume, yes, NFC will be on the expected no excuses list, especially now we hear WP supports it (whether APIs are available I don’t know). It won’t matter then that the public doesn’t use it. That’s why it’s high end. The public don’t know yet, that’s why you have to push it, that’s called taking a lead, right? 2012, no compromises, Nokia.

Source: TechRadar, via WPcentral

Thanks Viipottaja for the tip!

Category: Nokia, Windows Phone