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NFC, real world experience, anybody actually using it?

S

spacepower7

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 6, 2004
1,509
1
1st
Apologize if its been covered (please link to a thread)

2nd
Not trolling, just want to know if its usage is real and widespread. I have never seen it advertised at retail or know anyone who has actually used it.

3rd
I've seen that Samsung GS III commercial many times but I don't understand. When those guys share a playlist, are they sharing a list of songs, or some type of playlist file. Or are they actually exchanging music files, which many consumers assume, but would be illegal. Is it like the Zune squirt, where you can share a music file with a friend and they can listen to it 3 times?

Anyway I'd appreciate any factual answers.
 
I used it once when Google was giving out free McDonald's $10 Google Wallet credits. That's it.

NFC won't get widespread adoption until the iPhone supports it. Other than McDonald's I haven't seen too many of those NFC machines around.

So I don't know if Apple will support it anytime soon. Passbook/barcode seems to be the way they're heading, especially since the infrastructure is already there. A much more refined experience, I think.
 
I use it to check the balance on my metro card. While not necessary, since the feature is already there I might as well use it.

Plus, its pretty fun scanning over a friend's wallet and picking up one of their credit cards with an RFID chip, and having them freak out about the security on their cards :p
 
Unsafe? It's safer than actual cards.

I used it all the time on my old Nexus. Macy's, gas stations, Wendy's, vending machines, Walgreens , etc.

I still have a tag on my desk at work. It puts my phone on silent, and turns on wifi. Swipe it a second time and it turns sounds back on, disables wifi, and put my phone in car mode.

On the GS3 commercials they are just sending playlist files. When they are sharing videos they are actually transferring the video with wifi direct, the NFC just links the devices. NFC is only capable of sending bytes of information.
 
vastoholic said:
Here is what I would actually use it for if I had it.

http://m.cnet.com/news/the-most-pra...se-nfc-with-your-android-device/57478334?ds=1
Click to expand...

"Here is what I would use it it for if I actually had it"

Wow, maybe I wasn't clear but you don't have NFC and that entire cnet list is all about having your own NFC receptor chips and in no way applies to real world consumer usage.

I wanted to know real world consumer usage, not someone day hypothetical.

I'm curious if it is actually being used in stores or by the public
 
Last edited by a moderator:
spacepower7 said:
"Here is what I would use it it for if I actually had it"

Wow, maybe I wasn't clear but you don't have NFC and that entire cnet list is all about having your own NFC receptor chips and in no way applies to real world consumer usage.

I wanted to know real world consumer usage, not someone day hypothetical.

I'm curious if it is actually being used in stores or by the public
Click to expand...

You can buy those tags in any phone store. How is that not real world consumer usage? That is also why I said you're asking in the wrong forum. This is an iphone forum, where no one has NFC. Move your thread to the alternative to iOS forum and you'll get a greater more specific answer.
 
I've used it to share websites with my co-worker without e-mailing or telling them a URL. I've also used it for a vending machine or two. Works pretty flawlessly.
 
duneriderltr450 said:
What's NFC?
Click to expand...

Near field communication is a chip built in the galaxy nexus and s3 that allows fast communications such payments, file transfer while holding two phones together. Think of it like Bluetooth but better

----------
spacepower7 said:
1st
Apologize if its been covered (please link to a thread)

2nd
Not trolling, just want to know if its usage is real and widespread. I have never seen it advertised at retail or know anyone who has actually used it.

3rd
I've seen that Samsung GS III commercial many times but I don't understand. When those guys share a playlist, are they sharing a list of songs, or some type of playlist file. Or are they actually exchanging music files, which many consumers assume, but would be illegal. Is it like the Zune squirt, where you can share a music file with a friend and they can listen to it 3 times?

Anyway I'd appreciate any factual answers.
Click to expand...

I use my gs3 at gas stations, cvs and rite aid. Pretty handy and fast

----------
walie said:
Seriously. This.

I use it in my car, home, place of work to instantly change settings on my phone to suit that particular environment.
Click to expand...

NFC tags right?
 
This forum is too American centric and don't think about the other parts of the world where NFC is prolific. America is just way behind the times in this regard with respect to nations like Japan.
 
WhiteIphone5 said:
Near field communication is a chip built in the galaxy nexus and s3 that allows fast communications such payments, file transfer while holding two phones together. Think of it like Bluetooth but better
Click to expand...


People in Hong Kong have been using NFC in the form of "Octopus cards" (more than 10M in circulation if my memory is correct) since 1998 for subway and bus fares, payments, entering car parks, unlocking doors, and many of the cards are linked to a credit card account so that the Octopus cards can be used for quick credit payments without swiping the card and signing receipts. So it's nothing new and I don't see a high demand for incorporating the Octopus card into the phone. Japan incorporated NFC into their mobile phones long time ago and it doesn't seem to be holding people back from buying iPhones and Android phones without NFC.
 
Last edited:
Hardly any places use NFC for anything here, let alone passbook. None of it.

So it's a waste of time currently in the UK.
 
Haven't seen anywhere that I could use it if I had it. But then again I haven't exactly been looking for places to use it.
 
In my country, I have NEVER seen anyone use it. And there are tons of people using Android like the Galaxy S3.
 
To me it looks pretty awkward to use. It will almost never see widespread usage until Apple adopts it when the technology develops a little more. Even then it will be like "Siri". Casually mentioned, rarely used.
 
When I had the Galaxy S3, I used it ALL the time... once Google enabled using your own debit cards with Google Wallet. Very convenient. Wish iPhone 5 had it.
 
I use it four times every day...on my public transit card here in Sweden. You can pay, refill, check your balance, conduct transfers, etc. just be holding up your card to the reader in every bus, street car, and commuter train.

NFC is not just a chip in a phone. It has many real world applications, and is found all over the place in the world.
 
walie said:
Seriously. This.

I use it in my car, home, place of work to instantly change settings on my phone to suit that particular environment.
Click to expand...

Same here, so did I, the tags are very cheap from Amazon, if people think that they are just for payment they are missing other uses.
 
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