NFC is quite a useful technology among smartphones. It helps perform various contactless functions such as connecting accessories such as Bluetooth headphones and much more. It also helps in file sharing via Android and users can even use programmable NFC chips to perform various functions. Amidst these useful features, Several manufacturers in Asia are reluctant to power their devices with NFC.
According to a report from ScientiaMobile's Mobile Overview, Manufacturers like Xiaomi, LG, Alcatel and Oppo are not using NFC technology in their devices as before. Mainly, they have reduced the addition of NFC chips in devices designed for the Asian region. We give you the details!
According to official data, LG reduced the use of NFC chips from 69% in 2015 to 55% in 2018. Similarly, Xiaomi's share of NFC-enabled devices has decreased from 11.9% to 8.85% this year. Additionally, Oppo had cut the stake to at least 3% from 28% in 2018. (Discover: Tricks to get more out of your phone's NFC)
The decline is significant in Asian markets for a few reasons. According to the report, the reduction is seen in these brands because they ship the majority of their devices to the East Asian markets. These markets are not mature enough for high-end devices. Removing NFC from devices reduces the cost of the device by a few dollars.
Despite countries such as India and China using QR codes more frequently than NFC chips, many payment services, such as WeChat Pay, PayTM, UPI, and Alipay are prominent in these countries for these systems. The decline of these companies in the use of NFC is due to their penetration in developing markets. On the other hand, manufacturers like Huawei, Motorola, HTC, Sony, and Apple greatly improved the availability of NFC on their devices.
En general, the trend of NFC use is quite prominent in the western world, rather than in East Asian countries. Due to various restrictions, the use of NFC is quite limited in developing countries. Therefore, the overall decline in NFC-enabled mobile phones has slowed down considerably over time. This could have an upcoming twist.
(Via)
