Samsung has revealed a new near field communications (NFC) chip designed for smartphones. The design is the first to have built-in flash memory and can be upgraded on the spot. Making the change would let phone creators adapt the chip to new formats and prevent them from being locked in.
Phones would also have the option of handing off an NFC connection to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, Samsung said. This would let devices pair up by getting physically close but transfer information over a more traditional and usually faster connection. Phones could either connect to peripherals like Bluetooth headsets or sync with computers just by getting close.
The component uses 20 percent less power than earlier designs and can be ready to connect even without actively receiving energy when idle.
Mass production of the NFC chip should start sometime in early 2011.
