New NFC Specification Will Let Smartphones Charge Small Devices

A new NFC specification announced this week by the NFC Froum will allow future NFC enabled devices to offer wireless charging capabilities, which means a smartphone could be used to charge a small accessory like headphones.

airpods apple watch duo
According to the NFC Forum, the Wireless Charging Specification (WLC) will allow smartphones or other NFC charging devices to wirelessly charge small, battery-powered consumer and IoT devices at a power transfer rate of up to one watt.

The 1W rating is much slower than the Qi-based standard used by iPhones and other smartphones. Qi-based wireless charging on the iPhone maxes out at 7.5W, but is even faster on some Android devices.

Charging over NFC would require new hardware, and it's not a feature that can be added to existing devices. The NFC Forum believes the WLC specification could be used to complement Qi-based wireless charging.

It works using a single antenna to manage communications and charging, which is convenient for low-power devices like smart watches, fitness trackers, and earbuds that already use NFC for connectivity because there's no need to build in Qi support.

"The NFC Forum's Wireless Charging Technical Specification allows for wireless charging of small battery-powered devices like those found in many of the estimated 36 billion IoT devices in use today," said Koichi Tagawa, chair, NFC Forum. "NFC wireless charging is truly transformative because it changes the way we design and interact with small, battery-powered devices as the elimination of plugs and cords enables the creation of smaller, hermetically-sealed devices."

Apple in 2015 joined the NFC Forum and participates in the approval of new NFC specifications and developments.

Rumors in 2019 suggested that Apple was working on bilateral wireless charging that would allow its iPhones to charge the AirPods and the Apple Watch, but the feature was ultimately nixed. At the time, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the two-way wireless charging feature Apple was exploring did not meet Apple's requirements.

Samsung has implemented bilateral wireless charging in its smartphones, but the Wireless PowerShare option does not use NFC and is powered by the Qi-based charging coils in the device. Samsung's smartphones can charge other smartphones or accessories like headphones that support Qi wireless chargers.

Tag: NFC

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...

Top Rated Comments

Radeon85 Avatar
65 months ago

1W?! That's five times slower than Apple's bundled 5W charger. Pass.
Better than nothing, I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Handy for small top ups.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anek007 Avatar
65 months ago

I think there is a key point missing here. Assumption on my part, but I expect the whole point of this is no contact is required.

So imagine your Airpods being charged, or at least the case, from your phone while your Airpod case is in your pocket and your phone is in your hand.

Wireless, contact-free charging. So the time it takes is of course much less relevant.

Now, imagine an NFC charging transmitter on your desk, charging everything in range. Your phone, your earbuds...

I think there is a key point missing here. Assumption on my part, but I expect the whole point of this is no contact is required.

So imagine your Airpods being charged, or at least the case, from your phone while your Airpod case is in your pocket and your phone is in your hand.

Wireless, contact-free charging. So the time it takes is of course much less relevant.

Now, imagine an NFC charging transmitter on your desk, charging everything in range. Your phone, your earbuds...
NFC stands for near field communication. It’s contact less but range is only 50-100mm with most nfc devices. Highly doubt nfc will ever be long range. NFC has been in iPhones for over 5 years and Apple barely open up only to recent iPhones and iOS 13.
The Apple Watch doesn’t even use the standard Qi charging but a modified proprietary version. Would love to juice my Apple watch from my iPhone. Even if I can get 10-20% it helps get through my 2nd day when I forget to put the watch on the charger at night.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mi7chy Avatar
65 months ago
1W?! That's five times slower than Apple's bundled 5W charger. Pass.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
65 months ago
wondering if this has something to do with the Apple Key for cars.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Will.O.Bie Avatar
65 months ago
...then everyone complains even more about the iPhone's battery life, next!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Attirex Avatar
65 months ago
"....as the elimination of plugs and cords enables the creation of smaller, hermetically-sealed devices."

And creates an ever-growing mountain of gadget, battery, and electronic waste. #wall-e #buynlarge
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)