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The connection range has quadrupled! Another major update in communication technology
Recently, the NFC Forum officially released NFC Release 15 (NFC 15), which expands the operational range of near-field communication interactions by four times and enables a faster and more seamless experience.
Aug 11th,2025
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The NFC version 15 certified contactless connection has expanded its coverage range from 0.5 cm to 2 cm, enabling faster and more reliable contactless interactions, suitable for various scenarios such as wireless charging, kitchen appliances, wearable devices, and digital keys.
Despite the expanded coverage, the NFC Forum stated that the new standard will not compromise security. It remains a proximity-based function and can safeguard contactless payments, preserving user intent and ensuring secure interactions necessary for payment and access control.
It is worth noting that Apple is one of the eight key board-level members of the NFC Forum, alongside companies such as Google, Sony, and NXP. Both the iPhone and Apple Watch support NFC, so the improvements in NFC version 15 should significantly enhance the performance and reliability of these devices in the future.
Another highlight of the update is its support for the NFC Digital Product Passport (NDPP) standard, which allows users to use their mobile phones as payment terminals without the need for dedicated devices. From a technical perspective, the standard incorporates a data-agnostic framework that enables a single NFC tag embedded in a product to store and transmit standard and extended DPP data using the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF).
Another key highlight of NFC version 15 lies in its backward compatibility. This means that it fully supports existing NFC tags and devices. This ensures a smooth transition and eliminates the need for a complete overhaul of the current infrastructure.
The NFC Forum stated that the new version introduces updated technical specifications and certification processes to ensure seamless interoperability among all NFC-enabled devices. While enhancing performance, it fully maintains compatibility with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard.
Currently, major technology companies such as Apple, Google, Huawei, NXP, and Sony have obtained the NFC 15 version of the specification, and it is possible that the new NFC module will be integrated into the iPhone 17 this autumn.
