What Is NFC and Bluetooth Technology?
Bluetooth and NFC are used by digital devices, including phones and computers, to pass information from the device to another via radio waves.
Both technologies enable the connection between two devices over short ranges, providing a reliable communication path for devices to transfer the data.
However, whilst they both provide a similar function, Bluetooth and NFC are different. This article outlines the main differences between the two technologies.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth was first introduced in May 1998, however, it dates back to 1989 and was originally developed by Ericsson Mobile.
It is managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and consists of a wireless radio based technology that provides the exchange of data between devices over a short distance. The connection uses frequency-hopping spread spectrum UHF radio waves between 2.402 GHz and 2.480 GHz.
Bluetooth transmits data on one of 79 designated channels with each channel having a bandwidth of 1 MHz.
Bluetooth utilises a radio technology called frequency-hopping spread spectrum. It divides transmitted data into packets and transmits each packet on one of 79 designated Bluetooth channels. Each channel has a bandwidth of 1 MHz.
The transmission is limited to 2.5 milliwatts, meaning that, whilst it can vary significantly with location and device differences, it has a short maximum range of around 33 feet.
Bluetooth requires power in order to function, Bluetooth 4.0 was introduced in 2011 and provides low energy consumption compared to previous versions. The difference being that Bluetooth 4.0 (commonly known as Bluetooth Low Energy) remains in sleep mode unless the connection is initiated.
What is NFC?
RFID, upon which NFC is based was first developed in 1983 and became known as NFC from 2006 when it was enabled on a mobile phone for the first time.
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. This technology operates on an alternating magnetic field, meaning that no power is emitted via radio waves and provides a short-range communication between compatible devices at 13.56 MHz.
This prevents any interference from occurring between similar devices or any radio communications operating at the same frequency.
NFC requires no power to operate, however, it typically operates on a range of 4 cm or less with a speed of around 424 KB per second, making it usable for a relatively small number of device connections, although, unlike Bluetooth, it does not require manual pairing to communication with another device.
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