With NFC – near field communication – built in, smartwatches are transforming from fashion accessories into powerful health and fitness trackers and payment devices. NFC enables your wearable to communicate with other devices and services over short distances, from making contactless payments to unlocking your doors with a simple wrist gesture.
Smartwatch com nfc can perform a wide variety of tasks without connecting to a smartphone, but many models are still best used as an extension of your phone. They can act as a remote display for your notifications, and some support caller ID so you can use them to answer phone calls. Others can perform their own set of functions independently, such as a heart rate monitor or GPS tracking unit.
Most NFC-compatible smartwatches can make contactless payments at retail stores and restaurants. You can load a payment card in the watch’s wallet app, and when you need to pay, just hold the watch against the point of sale terminal to complete the transaction.
Other uses for NFC on a smartwatch include tapping a tag to start a timer, or using your wearable as a digital key for accessing your home or car. You can also store emergency medical information in your watch for quick reference. Many smartwatches with NFC can also be used to control music on your phone, or to launch apps on your device, such as navigation software or a media player. NFC can even enable the automatic download of your favorite songs for offline listening.