The use of NFC chips in smartphones and tablets has increased over the past couple of years. Samsung has always at the forefront when it comes to the usage of latest communication technologies in its devices. The Galaxy S2 was one of the first Android smartphones to use an NFC chip and since then there have been improvements in the hardware as well as the software related to NFC features. In a latest official blogpost, Samsung has explained important bits about its newest NFC chip, the S3FWRN5. The 3rd generation NFC chip from Samsung, which is already being used in the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge, features a high RF performance, a ‘Smart Antenna', and embedded flash memory. Samsung explains that the high radio frequency (RF) performance is one of the most important aspects about its new NFC chip. As various metallic components are in smartphones, they can cause interference with the signals from the NFC chip, so it is very important to have a better RF performance. Also, the S3FWRN5 uses a ‘Smart Antenna', which is 30 percent smaller than previous chips, which results in lower power consumption as well as lower bill of materials.
Unlike the older NFC chips, which use ROM or EEPROM for storing data and firmware, the new chip from Samsung uses flash memory, which results into faster data access and safe firmware updates. This means that the new NFC chip allows more NFC related features to be added later through software updates. Samsung has not only managed to reduce the size of the chip, but also made the chip more secure. As a result, the Samsung S3FWRN5 is certified by all the reputed organisations including Visa (EMV), MasterCard, Europay, Softcard, KSCC, AQ, Yikatong, China UnionPay, China Mobile Communication Corporation (CMCC), and the NFC Forum.
