Apple mobile phone reads access card

As we all know, although the mobile phone has a built-in NFC chip, the NFC-based application is only mobile payment. Once the NFC authority is fully liberalized, can this alleviate Apple's difficulties in software innovation?

NFC is the lifeline of Apple's innovation.

As a short-distance communication technology, the application of NFC based on mobile phone begins with bus card swiping. In 20 13, Beijing mobile signed a cooperation agreement with Beijing municipal one-card company, and officially launched the one-card ride application based on NFC. Subsequently, Apple also built an NFC chip into the iPhone 6.

In the last two years, many mobile phones have been equipped with NFC chips, but the related applications have not formed a scale. Apple's NFC-based applications started with Apple Pay, which can also be said to be the explosion point of NFC-based applications in China. Subsequently, Android mobile phone manufacturers represented by Huawei and Xiaomi began to apply NFC to public transportation on the basis of NFC mobile phone payment. In the field of public transportation, Apple is relatively backward. Until March this year, mobile phones could only be used in Beijing and Shanghai, and even fewer cities were opened.

In contrast, Android phone manufacturers are more advanced in tapping the functions of NFC chips. Technically, NFC chips can expand more applications. For a simple example, many smart door locks now support chip unlocking, so a mobile phone with built-in NFC chip can also be the key of smart door locks. Because many Android phone systems have turned off the ROOT privilege, it is difficult for Android phones to become smart door locks. Of course, if Android phone manufacturers let go of system permissions, there will be more NFC-based applications.

Similarly, the built-in NFC chip of Apple phone has the same function as that of Android phone. If Apple doesn't let go of the authority of NFC chip, there will be no NFC-based application. It is for this reason that Apple decided to fully liberalize the authority of NFC, which can also be said to be a major feature of iOS 12. You know, once Apple releases the NFC authority, Apple's mobile phone can not only become the key of the smart door lock, but also become the access card of the community or office ... NFC can then derive more functions. From this perspective, NFC is a life-saving straw for Apple, which is troubled by innovation.

Security is still the key to Apple's NFC application.

Apple has been very cautious about the liberalization of NFC permissions. In this regard, Apple's explanation is that the decision to close NFC chip access and writing is mainly to protect iOS. Therefore, the Apple Watch released later, its Watch OS also prohibits access to NFC functions, which limits the more functions that NFC may achieve.

Obviously, Apple is worried that if the access and writing rights of NFC chips are released, there will be security risks. This kind of worry is not superfluous. In Android phones, the permission of NFC chip is also closed. If the user wants to write the information of the access card into the NFC chip, he must use the mobile phone ROO to complete it. Although the mechanism of iOS system is different from that of Android system, for security reasons, Apple has also restricted the authority of NFC chip. At present, Apple should fully liberalize NFC rights. How to solve the security problems caused by this? What is certain is that after the NFC permission is released, Apple's mobile phone will have more applications, which can greatly enhance the user experience. But from a technical point of view, security is still the life door of Apple's NFC application. In the future, how Apple balances security and innovation is a question worth discussing.

Just like Android, Apple must fully release the access and writing rights of NFC chips to its partners in order to develop more abundant functions. Of course, it does not rule out the possibility of Apple's own development. Based on all aspects of analysis, it is very likely that Apple will authorize the authority of NFC to software developers, but all NFC-based applications must pass the official audit of Apple before they can go online. It is reported that Apple employees can already use the iPhone to open the door of the new headquarters Apple Park.

It was also revealed that Apple Park's secure access system was designed by HID Global, a subsidiary of Assa Abloy, which used NFC solutions compatible with Android camp devices. Obviously, NFC applications based on Android system also have certain security risks. Judging from Apple's practice of releasing NFC permissions, Apple may already have a security solution.

Written at the end: With the popularity of smart homes, NFC chips can be combined with smart homes to derive richer applications. Letting go of the authority of NFC chip can alleviate Apple's difficulties in software innovation to some extent. However, how to ensure the data security of NFC chips is still a difficult problem that Apple must face squarely.