What are the best Xiaomi phones with NFC?

One of the most innovative and eye-catching technologies is NFC (Near Field Communication). Even though it’s a new concept, since it was approved back in 2003 —yes, even before the arrival of smartphones as we know them— today, it can be used to great advantage.

The first devices that began to take advantage of NFC technology in combination with Bluetooth were introduced in 2008. A little later, the first Android phones began to include it in high-end models and it was used as one of the main sales arguments to compete against Apple's iPhone since the company took many years to adapt this technology.

Of course, the best Xiaomi phones have NFC technology.

What is NFC technology?

As the name suggests, NFC is a short-range communication technology that allows two devices to connect and communicate with each other. For this to be possible, both devices must be at a distance of no more than 4 centimeters. It’s important to mention that this type of technology uses a different communication band than Wi-Fi or wireless data networks (which is 13.56 MHz), so it’s not subject to the use of a license. This has allowed NFC's use to be diversified in different applications.

Through NFC technology two smartphones establish communication and receive instructions, for example, to send or receive data to or from each other via other wireless protocols such as Bluetooth. In this way, one phone can send photos to another without the need for a cable and at a decent speed.

Nonetheless, this is only one of the applications of NFC, albeit the most popular and one of the reasons why it’s included in phones. But its use goes far beyond that; for example, the uploading of data through tags to a smartphone via NFC: these tags can have different levels of complexity and thus different functions.

As they have an Android operating system, the best NFC Xiaomi phones can perform many actions with this technology.

How does NFC technology work?

When talking about smartphones, such as the best NFC Xiaomi mobiles, there are three main types of functions that can be performed through this technology:

• P2P: This mode allows devices (phones and tablets running the Android operating system) to exchange data with each other. Google calls this function Android Beam, but different brands may change the name of this function for marketing purposes.
• Read/write: Through this mode, the NFC-enabled device can write or read passive NFC tags.
• Card emulation: This is one of the modes that has gained more popularity recently due to the implementation of contactless payment methods such as Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or Apple Pay.

In this way, the best Xiaomi NFC-enabled phones can make transactions with compatible banking terminals quickly and securely.

What can I do with NFC?

NFC technology can be very useful, so it’s always a good idea to choose a phone that includes it.

Among the most popular NFC functions are:

• Mobile payments, which, as we’ve mentioned, are becoming increasingly popular.
• Access to information. For example, you can have a business card with an NFC tag that will allow others to access your contact information by simply touching their phone to this smart card.
• Identification method in an ATM (in ATMs that have this technology). So you’ll no longer have to use your debit card to make transactions.
• Automation. Through programmable tags, they allow configuring certain actions that a smartphone will perform when it reads one of these tags, such as connecting to a printer or to a wireless Internet network.
• Device synchronization. Brands like Sony provide NFC technology to their portable Bluetooth speakers, so if you have one of an NFC Xiaomi phone, you can automatically and almost instantly link your smartphone with the speaker just by bringing it close to it.
• Electronic ID reader. Not only to read this type of document but also to identify oneself on some compatible apps. In this same section, there are many countries that already have electronic transport passes that work thanks to NFC.

Advantages of NFC technology

• It’s fast.
• Thanks to advances in technology and the proliferation of its use for banking transactions, its security has increased.
• When active in a phone its power consumption is minimal.
• The tags that you can use to automate actions are accessible.
• You can access content in museums and different establishments that use this technology to provide information.
• In some countries, you could even leave your wallet behind and just carry your NFC-enabled phone, as they already have electronic IDs and passes for public transport and mobile payments.

Disadvantages

• It only works within a very short distance. If the NFC-enabled phone is more than 4 centimeters away from the tag or the other smartphone, they won’t be able to establish communication.
• Its data transfer speed is slow compared to other technologies.
• Like any communication and data transfer technology, it’s susceptible to vulnerabilities.

How is NFC used?

Using this technology on the best NFC Xiaomi phones is really simple. The only thing you have to do before using it is to verify that the function is turned on. This is also easy and fast. To achieve this, you must access the control center of the mobile, sliding your finger from the top of the screen down, there look for the NFC logo, and verifying that it’s illuminated. If it’s not, just touch it to activate it.

On some phones, this setting isn’t available as a shortcut in the control center, but don’t worry! You can configure it so that it is.

Once the NFC of your Xiaomi phone is turned on, you just have to bring the back of the smartphone close to the tag to read it. If this is correct, the smartphone should notify you through a sound, a vibration, or both.

If you’re going to transfer information from one mobile to another, you must align the back of both phones so that the NFC chips can sense each other and establish the connection. Now, if you perform this action to transfer a photo or information, both the sending and receiving phones will notify their respective users with a sound or vibration. The phones will also ask if they want to send/receive information between the smartphones, which must be confirmed by the users.

In the case of contactless mobile payments, the process takes more steps for security reasons. The user must add their credit or debit cards to a digital wallet. To use it, they must not only bring the phone close to the terminal but also open the wallet, select the card, and authorize the transaction through a password or biometric security, such as fingerprint or facial recognition.

Does NFC work the same on Android and iPhone?

The answer is no. Unlike the best NFC Xiaomi phones, this technology works differently on an iPhone because of how closed the iOS operating system is. In fact, it took Apple many years to include NFC in iPhones and when it did, it was only for the purpose of enabling mobile payments via Apple Pay.

Thus, it’s not possible to transfer files between one iPhone and another via NFC, nor is it possible to send information or photos between an Android phone and an iPhone.

It’s for this very reason that an iPhone doesn’t have a section in its settings application that allows you to turn on or turn off the mobile's NFC.

Knowing whether an iPhone has NFC technology is very simple: starting with the iPhone 6, introduced by Apple in 2014, all iPhone models have NFC, but only to enable Apple Pay.

Where can I buy the best NFC Xiaomi mobiles?

AliExpress

AliExpress is characterized by offering a wide catalog of mobiles of different brands. There you can find some of the best Xiaomi mobiles with NFC. This online store has grown in popularity and every day more and more users rely on it. Additionally, Xiaomi has an official store within this platform, which increases the confidence of its users.

The search and purchase process within AliExpress is simple and intuitive; besides, the store shows the shipping service that will be used for your purchase and includes an estimated delivery date. Nonetheless, it’s important to mention that, unlike other online stores, their delivery times are rather slow, although they have the advantage of offering very competitive prices.

And if that doesn’t seem enough, AliExpress also protects its customers with a buyer protection guarantee. This is extended for up to 75 days and has the option of a refund in case the order presents a problem and isn’t delivered to the customer.

Physical and online Mi Stores

Xiaomi has a very wide network of physical stores, which represents an advantage for users who want one of their phones because these stores generally have all the models that the brand has. There you can physically see them, try them and even receive advice from the brand's experts. Besides, in physical Mi Stores, you can also explore Xiaomi’s ecosystem: headphones, speakers, tablets, smartwatches, and smartbands, and see how they work together with the smartphone.

These stores also have an online presence and as a customer, you have the security of buying your products directly from the brand. There are also times when Xiaomi creates bundles or special packages and promotions that are only present in its online store.

Amazon

Amazon is the most important online store in the world, recognized for its customer service. Within this platform, you’ll find many of the best NFC Xiaomi phones, but also options from other brands.

Its platform is recognized for being user-friendly and easy to navigate. It has a filter system that allows customers to select the specifications they’re looking for in a phone to make a refined search and only see the products that meet their needs.

Amazon delivers quickly and securely, and as a customer, you can be sure that if something happens to your order you can easily request a refund. Not only that but their tracking system is accurate and keeps the buyer informed at all times.

One of Amazon's biggest advantages is its Prime membership. With this membership, members can receive their orders even the same day they placed them. Although in most cases it actually gets delivered a day later. You can also have access to Amazon’s music and video streaming platforms. Amazon Prime membership includes a trial period and can be paid annually or monthly.