Why You Need NFC Earbuds

The invention of NFC has transformed payment systems around the world. They have the ability to provide fast cashless payments with just a tap or wave of your smartphone. The number of NFC payments has plummeted since everyone wants easy and fast payments. Established brands like Google, Amazon and Samsung already have NFC based payment wallets. This shows that NFC is going nowhere.  It is now possible to connect your device and earbuds via NFC to listen to your favorite music. So, what is NFC?

What is NFC?

 It is likely that you’ve heard of the term NFC before. Besides, it’s possible that the smartphone you are using right now is NFC enabled.  But like many people you probably have no idea what NFS really is. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It uses electromagnetic fields to establish connection between two nearby compatible devices. The devices have to be a maximum of 4 inches to exchange information.  

This means that NFC is similar to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but with a shorter range. However, NFC establishes connections instantly and is easy to set up. You only need to tap or wave your device to connect two devices.  NFC is a derivative of Radio Frequency Identification.  It aims at providing more secure connection at a shorter range. Before looking at why you need NFC devices, let’s look at what it entails in detail to understand how it works.

How Does NFC Work?

To transmit data using NFC technology, you need two compatible devices: A transmitter and a receiver such as an NFC tag or sticker and your smartphone. In this case, the NFC tag is a passive device. It can only receive data but not share it. On the other hand, your smartphone is an active NFC device. It can both send and receive data from other NFC enabled devices. 

Although Bluetooth technology works similarly, it works differently because you do not have to pair two devices to establish a connection. You also don’t need any permission to send or receive data. All you need to do to make a payment or receive data is to tap or wave your smartphone. NFC communication works in two ways.

One Way Communication

This communication requires an active and passive device. An example is the communication between your smartphone and an NFC tag or a card reader and an NFC payment card.

Two Way Communication

Two way communication requires two active NFC devices.  An example is communication between two enabled smartphone devices for file transfer.

The Three NFC Modes 

NFC has three distinct modes of operating.

1. Peer-to-peer Mode

This mode allows NFC devices to share data back and forth similar to when a friend sends you music or photos.

2. Read/Write

In read/ write mode, one active device reads information from a passive device. An example is when reading wall posters.

3. Card Emulation

Here, your NFC device turns into a contactless card. This allows you to pay for your shopping by simply holding your phone up a compatible device.

What are NFC Tags?

NFC tags are small discs of plastics located in NFC devices.  NFC tags require no charging. They are powered by electromagnetic fields when sharing information between two devices. They pass information to be interpreted by the NFC chip inside your smartphone. 

These tags are usually unformatted. It means they are like a blank slate. You need applications such as NFC Task Launcher to write instructions to these tags. You can write data such as texts, contacts, or even URL.

How to Create a Profile Tag for Your Workplace

Your phone ringing at your workplace could be annoying especially if you have an embarrassing ringtone. Most of the time, we forget to switch our mobile phones to silent mode when setting foot in the office.  However, NFC tags can help you establish this with a single tap. They also help you to handle other settings on your phone.

As mentioned earlier, apps like NFC Task Launcher can help you create profile tags. In the Task Launcher app, there are options for creating a new list such as wireless connectivity and sound. To create a tag that will allow you to work in piece at your work environment,  select sound and volume and set it to silent or vibrate depending on what you prefer and select Add This to Task. After you add the action, pick Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and connections and add to the task as well.  This will switch your Wi-Fi connection on and allow you to connect to your work’s wireless network as soon as you are sat at your workplace. However, your workplace should have such facilities.

What Can I Use NFC for?

NFC has lots of applications. Here are examples of how we NFC.

1. Wireless Wallet

You can use NFC to pay to pay for your travel or concert ticket, shopping and so on.  There are mobile wallets such as Apple pay that allow you to pay for your purchases by a single tap. Credit cards are prone to fraud attacks and will soon become extinct.

2. Wireless Keys

It is possible to lock or open your car by simply waving an encrypted NFC key in front of the car.

3. Instant  File Sharing

NFC allows instant file sharing. You can instantly send music or photos to your friends if you are too lazy to use other methods.  Android phones have NFC based Android Beam that helps to share files quickly. 

4. Getting Information

NFC has made it possible to download stiff from advertisement banners or information stand by simply swiping your phone close to it. This means QR codes will soon become extinct.

5. Bluetooth Pairing

NFC allows you to pair your NFC earbuds with your smartphone by just a tap. Read on to learn how this works.

6. Exchanging Contacts

NFC has made it easier to exchange contacts. You do not need to type any digits. Just navigate and press “touch to beam” to exchange contacts.

7. Directing someone to an app

You can use NFC to direct fellow Android users to the Play Store to download their favorite app. However, this can only happen if you are using the app at that time .This is useful when someone sees you playing great game and would like to join you. 

Some Problems with NFC on Android

1. Although NFC IS becoming more common, not all devices have NFC CHIPS.
2. NFC chips are not always located in the same location making it difficult to use with devices of different types.
3. NFC is not a universal network. Cross compatibility is thus not possible.

How to Pair NFC Earbuds with Your Smartphone

 If you have used Bluetooth before, you probably know the steps involved in setting up a connection. NFC technology allows you to easily connect your wireless headphones with your mobile device. Although it is similar to Bluetooth, its much easier to use. Not many people are accustomed to pairing NFC earbuds with mobile devices. This guide will help you.

Pairing NFC Earbuds with Your Smartphone for the First Time

Follow the following steps to connect your earbuds and smartphone via NFC for the first time.

• Step 1: Check if your smartphone and wireless device are NFC enabled. NFC is still a new technology and may not be equipped in every device. So, you have to make sure that your device is NFC enabled before using it. The NFC forum provides a list of all NFC enabled phones. . Available devices include HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy x2, and  Sony Xperia S.

• Step 2: The second step is to activate both Bluetooth and NFC on your phone. Slide you phone slowly from top to bottom across the earbuds to make it close to the NFC module. You will hear a beeping sound that indicates that the two devices are ready to connect.
• Step 3: Click “Yes” to confirm that you want to connect your earbuds and smartphone.

Pairing NFC Earbuds with Your Smartphone the Next Time

If you’ve paired your device via NFC before, follow the following steps.

Step 1:  Activate the NFC function on your device.

Step 2: Turn your earbuds on and slowly slide your phone from top to bottom to close the NFC module. You will then hear a beep that confirms your connection.

Use Cases for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Pairing via NFC

NFC helps to share information between two enabled NFC devices.  Here are some of its use cases,

• To connect to your TV to share screens or transfer videos from your phone.
• For connecting with your camera to share videos.
• To connect your smartphone to a wireless speaker.
• To connect your devices to the home network.
• To set up a multi audio NFC system

Benefits of NFC Pairing Solution

• Pairing different NFC devices has a myriad of benefits. These benefits include:
• NFC provides a faster and efficient way of linking wireless devices.
• Exchanging data through NFC is one of the most secure methods of data sharing.
• From the manufacturer’s point of view, the devices are more attractive because they have additional features. Besides, because these devices are easy to use, they reduce costs such as customer technical support.

In general, NFC pairing is one of the best wireless communication solutions because it combines the simplicity of NFC with higher speeds and longer distances communication via Bluetooth.

NFC Un-pairing Process steps

The process of un-pairing your earbuds and smartphone NFC connection is pretty simple as well. You only need a second tap to disconnect the earbuds.

1. Audio streaming automatically turns off after the second tap.
2. It is impossible to un-pair the wrong devices because you can identify the devices to disconnect. 

Is NFC safe?

NFC communication has no real protection against eavesdropping.  However, for NFC two NFC devices have to be close. This weakens its vulnerability to hack attacks. For someone to steal your data using NFC, they have to be close to you.  If you are making paying using Google Pay, you can be sure that your credit card number is not exposed.  Instead, it is your digital account which is used to verify your payments. This makes NFC a quick and secure way of sending money online. Besides, NFC allows transfer of data even if you are without data, credit, carrier signal or Wi-Fi. 

Bluetooth Low Energy and Near Field Communication

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is an incarnation of Bluetooth developed for Internet of Things. (IoT) Classic Bluetooth has advantages such as low cost of implementation and a wide communication range.  However, BLE offers low power consumption. This makes it ideal for IoT devices.  Smartphones have Bluetooth low energy capabilities. NFC is also being added in mobile devices. 

NFC allows access to security related functionality where Bluetooth communication could be viewed as malicious third party. This is referred to as the Man In The Middle (MITM) scenario. Combining Bluetooth’s open communication and NFC’s security has many benefits.

Bluetooth has AES-128 encryption which offers robust resistance to eaves dropping.  This security can be improved by incorporating Near Field Communication. Because NFC devices only operate at close range, it helps to minimize the MITM scenario.

The Difference Between Bluetooth BLE and NFC

First Bluetooth BLE and NFC serve different purposes.  NFC aims to establish a low power wireless technology for short range operations in areas with low data traffic. On the other hand operates in high traffic environment but it consumes higher energy. The integration of BLE into the Bluetooth standard changed all this. BLE serves to enable small data transfer and low power consumption.  For this reason, some experts in the industry expect the demise of NFC because of the emergence of BLE.

Another difference between BLE and NFC is that NFC allows data transfer an active NFC chip and a passive NFC chip. On the other hand, BLE can’t communicate with a BLE chip without an energy source. This makes the passive mode in NFC devices the biggest difference between these two technologies. Passive NFC devices are ideal because they allow contactless payments.  NFC is undoubtedly better than BLE in this sector. However, it’s challenging to compare power consumption in these devices because they have different uses.

Lastly Bluetooth BLE and NFC operate in different ranges. NFC covers only 4cm while BLE can cover up to 10 meters. However, this short range limitation in NFC devices is actually an advantage because of increased security in NFC transaction.  Bank transactions for instance can only go through if the NFC card is close to an NFC reader.

Note:

Although you can use Bluetooth to connect your earbuds and smartphone, the process is very tedious.  NFC technology makes it simpler. NFC allows sharing small amounts of data over a short range and for contactless payments. On the other hand, Bluetooth has an extended connectivity range and  can be found in multiple devices.

However, these two amazing technologies can work together for better connectivity in wireless devices. NFC instantly connects devices and sends a signal to Bluetooth. This allows the signal to reach a wider range. Combining these two technologies will ensure more stable and faster wireless connections in future

Types of Wireless Earbuds 

Most people prefer earbuds to headphones. This is because their smaller size and weight makes it comfortable to walk with them around.  Wireless technology has made earbuds more useful.  You no longer need to deal with messy wires which lower the quality of the audio. In addition, there are many types of wireless earbuds to choose from. Here are some examples of the most common wireless earbuds in the market.

1. Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Noise cancelling earbuds are designed to specifically cancel background noise especially during phone conversation. Most earbuds don’t have noise cancelling feature and have an inferior sound quality in comparison with headphones. Consider buying these types of headphones if you want to cancel out noise to listen to clear audio.

2. Bluetooth Earbuds

Bluetooth is the most common technology used in earbuds.  Be careful when choosing these types of headphones because they are prone to latency issues. Latency occurs because audio signals require signals to enter the earbuds. This means that when listening to music via Bluetooth, the sound we hear is a few milliseconds later after it’s produced from the source. However, this delay is unnoticeable when listening to music. When watching videos, you can notice that the audio and video don’t match.

3. NFC Earbuds

NFC earbuds offer the same connectivity as Bluetooth. These earbuds are however becoming more popular because they offer an easy pairing system. You do not need any pass code to link any devices via NFC. A tap or a wave is enough.

4. Neck Sitting Earbuds

Wireless earbuds are not truly wireless, they have a cable that connects the left bud and the right bud. The wires are located inside a band that sits on the neck. This is the reason why these types of headphones are referred to as neck sitting earbuds. These earbuds are very compact and thus ideal for outdoor activities. However, they are not ideal if you like listening to music while sleeping.

Factors to Consider When Buying NFC Earbuds

Choosing the best NFC earbuds in the market can be daunting. We’ve created a guide to help you in making that buying decision. Here are the factors to consider:

1. Sound Quality

The audio quality should be the first thing to consider because listening to poor audio could ruin the experience. Check note of the following specs before buying your next NFC headphones:

• The peak db:  This is an important stat to check. The bigger the better. The peak db shows the loudest the earbuds can be without losing sound quality.
• Frequency Response:  This indicates the frequency range. Choose earbuds with a wider frequency range for improved audio quality. Most earbuds range between 20HZ – 20k HZ. However, always look for wider frequencies.
• EQ: Most earbuds lack in-built EQs. EQ improves the audio quality depending on your tatse. If you love bass, then improve it to the maximum.

2. Brand

Choose earbuds from well – known brands. Well-known brands almost guarantee quality audio because they have to maintain their reputation. They thus produce the best earbuds and provide customer support.  In addition, big brands often offer a warranty. This can save you money if you accidentally break your earbuds. If you buy NFC earbuds from unknown brands, you can’t be sure about the sound quality. To be safe, check out reviews before buying your next earbuds. Most small brands are cheap because they compete with the already established brands.

3. Comfort

Buy comfortable earbuds that fit you. It can be frustrating to put on earbuds that don’t fit enough or that strain you.  Here are other factors to consider.

Wire: First, choose wireless versions to save yourself from wire tangling. In wired versions, the wire should be made of quality and durable material so that it doesn’t break in case you overextend it. The cable should also be long to allow you to move around with ease.

Eartips:  Choose earbuds with eartips that fit you. Choosing the wrong size can be really uncomfortable. The most comfortable eartips are silicon eartips.  You can also purchase these eartips separately if the ones you are using are of a poor quality.

4. Connectivity

Connection methods vary.  Some methods are better than others.  Bluetooth and NFC pairing are the most common technologies for connecting your earbuds.  However, you can use wires to connect your earbuds to the source.  This means that you won’t enjoy the benefits of wireless communication. This is beneficial because wired devices have better audio quality than their wireless compatriots because of minimal signal interference.

Conclusion

In conclusion, NFC or Near Field Communication hardware is being included in more and more devices especially smartphones and some laptops. It’s an upgrade of other wireless communication techniques such as QR codes a. NFC connections are pretty fast, easy, and secure. The pairing process is not as tedious as in Bluetooth. A tap is enough to link two NFC devices. 

Android phones now have a feature (Android Beam) which allows smartphones to quickly share information. You can also listen to your favorite music on NFC earbuds without much hassle. This is only but a snapshot of what NFC can do. Many more things can be built using this technology. Thanks for reading this comprehensive blog tutorial on why you need NFC earbuds. Keep it here for related content.

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