Near Field Communications technology may have taken a step back this year with Apple’s iPhone 5 coming up short with the technology, but that isn’t stopping the likes of Qualcomm from moving full-steam ahead.
Qualcomm announced Thursday that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Atheros, has introduced a new ultra-low power near field communication (NFC) solution that will enable mobile devices with contactless communications and data exchange, including next-generation mobile payments.
Known as “QCA1990,” this is the industry’s smallest, ultra-low power system-on-chip (SoC) with an overall footprint that is 50 percent smaller than current NFC chips available in the market.
“Qualcomm Atheros believes NFC will be another key element of an enriched experience for smartphone and tablet consumers. As consumers continue to adopt functions like mobile payments and contactless data exchange, Qualcomm intends to be at the forefront of delivering simple, easy-to-use solutions to OEM partners,” says David Favreau, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Atheros. “By enabling client devices, Qualcomm Atheros is paving the way for rapid adoption of products that incorporate NFC technology.”
Qualcomm says that the QCA1990 is pre-tested to meet the requirements from payment schemes, mobile operators and OEMs globally.
