NFC already supported in Windows Phone 7.5 [Updated]

NFC?

Virtually field communication (NFC) is certainly one of the bigger technologies to come out in mobile phones in the last year, only its mainstream appeal won't become evident till 2022. Whether or not Windows Phone currently supports it though has non been well understood. While Microsoft (and Nokia) accept made it clear that NFC is on their roadmap, we don't know if if and when that will happen.

Now in an interview with TechRadar, Volition Coleman, programmer evangelist and product director at Microsoft UK, has stated that our current OS does have NFC on board merely no OEM has added information technology to their hardware yet:

"As far as I'yard aware, NFC is supported by [Windows Phone], just needs to be enabled by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). So, if any OEM wants to enable information technology, that can be done by all ways. Think it's virtually but about timing, in the not too afar hereafter in that location are some heady things that will be coming through with NFC from Microsoft."

That is certainly interesting. We can of course speculate why no one has added NFC including lack of wide-spread support, Microsoft has yet to ringlet out any supporting services and cost-reduction in devices. Of course to our enthusiasts out in that location, no reason would be satisfactory.

Even Keith Varty, head of apps and partnerships for Nokia has chimed in on the matter:

"NFC isn't an if, it's a when, it will happen. Plainly there's no NFC on our launch devices, so it'south hard to comment too much on that, but the chief divisions betwixt secure and non-secure [NFC] mean there's bags of opportunity for the applied science [on our phones] particularly with so many operators launching services. We need to get a [Windows Telephone] device into the market with NFC capabilities, and when we practise we can really commencement to showcase our services".

For some of us, the benefit of NFC is a bit weak right now without whatsoever official services to support--nosotros don't have a Google Wallet and 'beaming' still looks like a means off. But we think the next round for Nokia and other OEMs should finally see NFC being added and used to a meaning degree.

Updated: There again looks to be some defoliation around this issue and we're now being told that NFC is not currently supported in Windows Phone seven.5 but of course that it is coming in 2022--evidently there is some nitty-gritty tech bits that are being glossed over, but Microsoft is taking the line that it is non currently on board in any form. Take that every bit you will. From Microsoft:

"While Near Field Communications is not currently supported on Windows Phone vii.five, it is coming. We expect NFC-enabled Windows Phone devices to send within the adjacent yr."

Source: TechRadar; via Windows Phone Metro; Thanks, Steven S, for the tip!