Microsoft reveals NFC is already supported in Windows Phone 7.5

By Tom Warren, on 10th Dec 11 11:31 am with 16 Comments

Windows Phone 7.5

Update: Please see an important correction regarding this article here.

Microsoft revealed this week that Windows Phone 7.5 already supports NFC chips.

The software giant revealed the existence of NFC support in an interview with British tech blog TechRadar earlier this week. Will Coleman, developer evangelist and product manager at Microsoft UK, told TechRadar that it’s up to device manufacturers to enable the support in Windows Phone. “As far as I’m aware, NFC is supported by [Windows Phone], but needs to be enabled by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer),” said Coleman. “So, if any OEM wants to enable it, that can be done by all means.”

Coleman went on to explain that it’s all about timing for Microsoft and that the company has its own plans for NFC. “Think it’s about just about timing, in the not too distant future there are some exciting things that will be coming through with NFC from Microsoft,” said Coleman. Microsoft has previously promised support for NFC and more hardware choices with Windows Phone in 2012. Microsoft’s Windows Phone chief Andy Lees, revealed the company’s plans to support NFC earlier this year.

Near field communication (NFC) technologies are commonly used for quick payments at retailers. Google has its own wallet system that uses NFC chips on Android devices to pay for goods at retailers across the United States. Microsoft currently holds 14 NFC related patents, according to the U.S. Patent Office. The software maker is rumored to be preparing a “beaming” file transfer feature for Windows 8, Windows Phone and Xbox. The feature could be part of Microsoft’s NFC plans.

Update: Please see an important correction regarding this article here.

  • Kieran Kelly

    Hopefully my Nokia Lumia has a got a secret NFC Chip Inside it

    • Impartial

      amen

    • juho

      Amen

    • Anonymous

      preach

    • Seth_p

      wtf

    • http://www.gadgeterija.net Denis Jelec

      Happened before. :)

    • http://www.facebook.com/chuckwhit Chuck Whitaker

      sadly i doubt it, they didnt even put a FFC on the thing smh 

  • Zam

     Didn’t Nokia say that WP7.5 doesn’t support NFC?
    And Developement time? Didn’t they just copy the N9 and replaced just a few things (actually removed a lot and added a few)

  • http://twitter.com/eferron Edward Ferron

    Does the Samsung focus have this enabled?

    • Entegy

      No, there’s no NFC in the Focus.

  • Sam D.

    Can’t wait for Windows Phone 8 Apollo. The possibilities in this article (http://aveynes.com/2011/11/windows-phone-8-apollo-predictions/) make me look forward to it so much! 

  • AvMax

    Does HTC Titan have NFC?

  • http://techin5.com Jubbin Grewal @Techin5.com

    Hopefully that stops that stupid Troll that keeps going around saying Wp7 doesn’t even have NFC.

  • Anonymous

    Weird that Verizon had tried to remove Google search in place of Bing, and now this. I can’t imagine Verizon didn’t know. Doesn’t matter, the only two phones I like right now is this Galaxy Nexus which blows away any Android I’ve ever used, and Samsung Focus S. I’ve tried a lot of only the best phones over the years. My favorite phones hands down. IPhone third of course, but an iPhone is an iPhone is an iPhone. I like variety in my choices. Even though this Nexus will be one of a kind.

  • DjDjek

    Does it mean new released Windows Phones are packed with NFC possibilities secretly?