New NFC standard will make contactless payments easier

The NFC Forum has officially unveiled the new NFC Release 15 standard, which will improve contactless payments, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. The main advantage of the update is a four-fold increase in the connection range. Now a mobile device will be able to establish a connection at a distance of up to 2 cm, while previously this limit was only 0.5 cm.

This innovation will make payments faster and more convenient, especially for users of smartwatches such as the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch. In addition, the extended range will make it easier to use digital car keys, transportation cards and NFC-compatible headphones.

According to the NFC Forum, the new connection will start faster and will not require precise alignment of the device, making the technology even more convenient. Certification of the new NFC standard will begin in the fall, after which users will be able to evaluate its benefits in real-world conditions. This update will also open up new use cases for NFC, including the ability to turn a smartphone into a payment terminal.