NFC vs Bluetooth: What’s the real difference?

When I think of ‘NFC vs Bluetooth’, I think of ‘apples vs oranges’. Both are different from each other, and have different use cases. Still, many people find it confusing, especially when buying a new phone or an NFC tag. And I don’t blame them. There are many similarities between Bluetooth and NFC. Both are wireless technologies. Both require special hardware. And both share information between two terminals. Still, they are quite different. So, let’s find out how.

NFC operates at much lower speeds than Bluetooth, but consumes much less power and does not require pairing.

However, if you are looking for an in-depth analysis, here are some of the key differences between NFC and Bluetooth.

1. NFC has a short range

NFC is a weak radio signal. So it only works when you are close to it. I mean, the two devices have to be touching each other quite a bit. For example, when sending a photo to your friend’s phone using NFC, the backs of the two phones should almost touch each other, same is the case when making an NFC payment.

As you all know, Bluetooth has better range. For example, you can send photos to your friend’s phone via Bluetooth while you are in the same room. In fact, the latest Bluetooth 5.0 Can work up to 300 meters (ideally 100 meters)

2. NFC is fast

Well, when I say faster, I don’t mean the transfer speed. The new Bluetooth 5.0 can transfer data at up to 48 MB/s, while NFC can do a few KB/s at most. However, NFC is faster to set up.

There is no need to connect two NFC devices with a passcode. To send data, all you need to do is bring two NFC supported phones near each other and the data will be transferred automatically. It is best to send small data like images and URLs.

3. NFC is anonymous

No user data is collected when establishing a connection using NFC, thus you remain anonymous. Since Bluetooth requires frequent paring, it can possibly remember the last connected device.

Read: How secure is NFC technology

4. Supports NFC mobile payment

NFC payments are widely accepted in the US, Japan and will soon be available worldwide. Even the new Mi Band 4 is rumored to have NFC. On the other hand, Bluetooth technology is not capable of mobile payments.

5. NFC works without any power

No matter which Bluetooth device you use, it will require some kind of power supply, either directly or from a battery. NFC, on the other hand, are special RFID tags that are passive in nature. That is, they do not require electricity to work. Confused? Well, passive tags do not have their own power supply, rather they get their energy supply from a nearby device. Bluetooth, in comparison, can be quite power consuming.

6. Bluetooth is popular

Bluetooth has been present in smartphones ever since they started getting smart. Almost every smartphone, truly wireless earphones, wireless mouse, keyboard, etc. has Bluetooth. NFC or Near Field Communication is a comparatively new technology and is not as popular as Bluetooth yet. NFC support is present in flagship phones like Google Pixel, iPhones, OnePlus, Samsung Note series, etc. However, budget Chinese phones like Xiaomi and Oppo do not offer NFC in their phones.

Read: Best Android apps that make full use of NFC tags

NFC is not better than Bluetooth; nor is Bluetooth better than NFC. Both are different technologies with their own advantages and disadvantages depending on the usage. For example, to share a song, I prefer Bluetooth, while for a short link or mobile payment, I use NFC.

NFC was a promising technology in the past, but due to slow adoption in developing countries like India and China, it did not take off. One of the key features of NFC is mobile payments, but since India and China rely heavily on cash or Alipay, NFC never reached budget smartphones. But, I still have high hopes.

Please let me know in the comments below what your creative uses of NFC have been.