Future iPhones Could Get Extended NFC Range for Easier Tap-to-Unlock

[MacRumors]

The NFC Forum announced NFC Certification Release 15 (CR15), introducing a change that boosts the potential read range of NFC devices. CR15 defines the certification program for compliance with the NFC Release 15 specification that was announced earlier this year.

CR15 allows devices to certify for a read range of up to 20mm, which is a meaningful improvement over the prior 5mm limit. The NFC Forum says that the range increase will improve the user experience by requiring less precise alignment for a connection.

Future Apple Watch and iPhone models could adopt the increased 20mm range, but existing devices won't benefit because the change requires updated NFC hardware.

For iPhone and Apple Watch users, the update could allow future Apple devices to activate hotel room doors, house doors, car doors, and other NFC-enabled devices from further away. NFC is used for short-range interactions, like unlocking a HomeKit-compatible door as the homeowner approaches or opening a hotel room door without a physical key. Apple technologies like HomeKit and hotel key wallet integration could be faster and more reliable with the change.

The 15mm increase means users won't have to align devices as precisely, but NFC will still be more secure than longer-range technologies like Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband. Devices that support the 20mm certification could be available in the coming months now that the testing and certification process is available.

Apple, Google, and other major tech companies are members of the NFC Forum, so Apple was likely involved in the specification upgrade.

Article Link: Future iPhones Could Get Extended NFC Range for Easier Tap-to-Unlock

 

[MacUserFella]

Because everyone’s been asking for this

 

[jz0309]

seems like a step in the right direction

 

[Justin Cymbal]

This is such a cool feature and I’m glad that Apple is continuing to improve the technology behind it

I saw a video of this being demonstrated at one of the hotels that currently offers this a few few years ago:

I hope that more hotels continue to implement this technology because it’s definitely much better than the hotel keys that are provided directly (via the hotel’s app-based key)

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Still less than an inch. This does mean you could be more clumsy and still get a good read, though.

I wonder if new NFC hardware is required on the phone and device side or just the phone side.

 

[zilchfox]

I love this feature so much.

 

[SKeijmel]

ahhh thats why the nfc range is so much worse nog on the 17 pro max compares to the 16 PM.
so they can claim is 15x better on the iphone 18 pro max

 

[arc of the universe]

ahhh thats why the nfc range is so much worse nog on the 17 pro max compares to the 16 PM.
so they can claim is 15x better on the iphone 18 pro max

im not sure if i understand your post, but in my case, with the iPhone Air, i am having a very difficult time getting my Air to authenticate with cards that have an NFC chip in them.
in the past, and in all the instructions for this kind of authentication of cards that have NFC, there are often instructions that show where to position the card and the phone so the iPhone can read the card.
but with the Air, the plateau's bump is making the reading of these NFC chip cards very difficult.
i have looked for info on the net for a schematic to show just where the NFC chip is in the Air, but i haven't found that info yet. and anyway, no matter where it is located in the Air, its in a place difficult to read NFC chipped cards.

 

[coolfactor]

For the benefit of "imperialists" here, that's 0.787402 inches.

 

[coolfactor]

in the video, the guy actually shows in all three instances that he isn't opening the door with maintaining a small gap.
the guy in the video is actually touching the phone to the lock. and in one of the three times needs to keep his phone at an angle in order for it to register. this shows that apple is aware that putting all the guts of the phone into the plateau is making reading NFC more difficult. and therefore is getting ahead of the problem by increasing the allowed distance.

That video was from 3 years ago when the Keys feature was first added to iPhone.

I don't think the angle mattered; he was just trying to show us the display, so tilted the phone down for the camera.

Have people reported issues with the hardware being in the plateau causing issues during checkout and unlocking?

 

[Plutonius]

Open your neighbor's locks .

 

[platinumaqua]

Playing out like Bluetooth where the original spec was short range on purpose and then later revisions added more range.

 

[Daws]

This is a prelude to an iTaser.

 

[macduke]

So isn’t the NFC tag you tap more of a passive thing? Like the field itself that your phone generates powers the tag? If so, wouldn’t this require a lot more power from your phone to activate passive tags?

Also I want this to upgrade CarKey. Or is that a part of CarKey 2? I have CarKey on my Telluride but I basically have to tap my iPhone right on the handle to unlock.

 

[julesme]

This makes no sense to me - I always bring my device right up to the reader, and after hundreds of transactions over the years, I can’t recall ever having an issue due to range.

Historically, issues with NFC transactions have occurred because 1) The point of sale device’s software was slow or required the cashier to physically press a key to enable it; and 2) Particularly during early years of Apple Pay, it was often unclear whether it was supported at a given store.

And yes, I understand the new NFC range is still less than an inch.

 

[JCrz]

I can see it now... Tim Apple unveils the iPhone 18 Pro Ultra Max VTEC with a background that reads in giant letters "UP TO 300% GREATER NFC RANGE"

 

[svish]

Should definitely happen in the future. But it might not feature immediately in the next iPhone.

 

[lurkkr]

Because everyone’s been asking for this

I’ m pretty happy w nfc data and uses requiring a “touch”. Scammers are going to all over this.

 

[Big_D]

This is such a cool feature and I’m glad that Apple is continuing to improve the technology behind it

I saw a video of this being demonstrated at one of the hotels that currently offers this a few few years ago:

I hope that more hotels continue to implement this technology because it’s definitely much better than the hotel keys that are provided directly (via the hotel’s app-based key)

The last 2 hotels I stayed at had large metal key rings (about half a kilo in weight, big and bulky, with a traditional key attached to it). I find it somehow reassuring to have a real key, where a hacker can't unlock all doors remotely or configure themselves a master keycard or spoof an app. With the physical keys, they still have to steal the room key directly or they have to physically steal a master key (or have a lock-picking kit or a crowbar).

 

[TarkinDale]

I wonder if this would help when trying to take payments from a credit card with an iphone. I often have to resort to using my square reader when the transaction isn't phone to phone.

 

[Big_D]

This makes no sense to me - I always bring my device right up to the reader, and after hundreds of transactions over the years, I can’t recall ever having an issue due to range.

Historically, issues with NFC transactions have occurred because 1) The point of sale device’s software was slow or required the cashier to physically press a key to enable it; and 2) Particularly during early years of Apple Pay, it was often unclear whether it was supported at a given store.

And yes, I understand the new NFC range is still less than an inch.

And there were problems with the NFC readers being too powerful and picking up other cards in the area. I believe some UK retailers had problems around 2015 or so, where the wrong card was being picked up, even though the right card was being held up to the reader. Adding more range would make the problem worse. I keep my cards in a wallet with Faraday Cage built into it.

 

[Powerbooky]

This makes no sense to me - I always bring my device right up to the reader, and after hundreds of transactions over the years, I can’t recall ever having an issue due to range.

I my experience if there were issues, it always was the pay terminals themselves that were faulty.

 

[MilaM]

This makes no sense to me - I always bring my device right up to the reader, and after hundreds of transactions over the years, I can’t recall ever having an issue due to range.

NFC (like Apple Pay) works well, if you know how to align the phone with the reader. On most (all?) iPhones, the NFC antenna is at the top edge oft the phone. Many users don't know (or care) where the antenna is though. Just yesterday I watched a woman trying to align the Apple symbol on the back with the card reader. She tried several times to make the payment and almost gave up. A more powerful NFC radio would have been useful in such a case.

 

[platinumaqua]

And there were problems with the NFC readers being too powerful and picking up other cards in the area. I believe some UK retailers had problems around 2015 or so, where the wrong card was being picked up, even though the right card was being held up to the reader. Adding more range would make the problem worse. I keep my cards in a wallet with Faraday Cage built into it.

Yeah, agree. The range is short for a reason. Adding range feels like either feature creep or trying to appear to be working.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

When your phone senses you approaching your door lock it could listen for your prerecorded "special knock" or anything that sounds similar—taps on the glass—two slaps on the wall—knuckle jingle on the wood of the door. Imagine the reaction from your date? Shaken, not stirred.