Smartphone manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to surprise customers. Displays are getting brighter, cameras are getting better, and more memory is being installed. Now another technological innovation in the phone market, such as a contactless communication chip, has become the norm. Xiaomi is also keeping up with its competitors; most new devices are equipped with NFC modules.

Near Field Communication (this is what the abbreviation stands for) or NFC module - wireless technology data exchange based on the old smart card standard. This connection works within a small radius (5-10 cm). Contactless or smart cards are plastic travel cards familiar to most, which are applied to the turnstile in the metro. The principle of operation of the chip in a smartphone is the same, only the receiver and transmitter are combined.

What opportunities does the “NFC Support” inscription on the box with the Xiaomi gadget give the user:

1. Electronic money. Apple technologies are common and Android Pay. The smartphone is brought to the POS terminal in the store, and the banking information is read by the receiver from the phone. Smart watches and tablets are also used for this purpose.
2. Using a phone instead of a smart card. For example, paying for travel on public transport. Instead of a plastic travel card, a telephone equipped with an appropriate chip is brought to the turnstile. Such expansion of infrastructure has not yet become widespread in the CIS countries.
3. Establishing a connection between two mobile devices. You can quickly pair two smartphones via Bluetooth, skipping the search and mutual authentication steps.
4. Near field communication is used for file transfer. The speed and width of the channel, however, are small, as is the range. Used Android function Beam.
5. Reading information from radio frequency tags. In Western countries they are installed on bulletin boards and contain Additional information. RFID tags are common as a means of preventing theft in supermarkets. These are stickers with a conductive track applied in the form of a spiral. You can program such tags yourself and then read information from them. For example, the phone turns on silent mode when you bring the device to an RFID sticker.

Available in Russia contactless payment Apple and Google. The remaining features are not yet in demand or are being tested.

Models with NFC module

Let's look at Xiaomi smartphones from 2016-2018. The table below shows the names of the models, which devices support Near Field Communication, as well as the main parameters - memory capacity in gigabytes (RAM and flash), technology and display diagonal, battery capacity in milliamp-hours.

How to set up data transfer and payments

The principle is the same on all Xiaomi phones.

Payment using a smartphone is available in stores with a POS terminal. The setup is as follows.

1. Prerequisites: root access is disabled, the firmware is standard official, the bootloader is locked. Otherwise, payments will not work, which is dictated by security requirements.
2. Go to “Settings” - “More” - “NFC” - “Security element location”. Select the item “Use HCE Wallet”. By default, Integrated Security Element is selected. The NFC module itself also needs to be turned on.
3. Download official application Android Pay from Play Market.
4. When you first start it, you will be asked to link a bank card. To do this, enter the number, expiration date and CVV code, as well as the owner’s home address. If the card has already been linked to, for example, Google Play Music, then you can select it.
5. The Android Pay application should be set to autoload and select the “No restrictions” energy saving mode for it.
6. Bring your unlocked smartphone to the terminal. After a couple of seconds, a payment message will appear.

In custody

Function contactless payments convenient, but not yet reliable. Some terminals have incorrect settings, in some places there are old models installed that do not support NFC payment at all. Some banks require that even if using Android Pay user entered the PIN code and signed the check. It is better to keep a plastic card with you to pay if new technology won't work.

Data exchange between Xiaomi devices NFC looks promising. The speed and ease of connection are obvious advantages. But in terms of channel width, good old Bluetooth wins. While the technology is suitable for transferring small text files, pictures, notes and contacts.

Programming your RFID tags is an activity for enthusiasts with a high barrier to entry. To do this, you need to order stickers from overseas and understand third party applications, which the average user does not need.

In general, Near Field Communication is a promising, but still underdeveloped option. We can only hope that the contactless communications infrastructure will expand over time.

NFC is modern technology contactless communication, which is designed to transfer data between two devices located at a distance of up to 10 centimeters from each other. Gradually this module is gaining popularity, but currently Not installed on all mobile devices. What Xiaomi smartphones with NFC module exist at the moment?

Like most other manufacturers, Xiaomi introduces the NFC module only into premium devices.

The NFC module is equipped with:

And also Xiaomi Mi 2A. As you can see, the list does not include the 4th generation of MI series smartphones, namely Xiaomi Mi 4. This is due to the fact that in 2014, at the time of release of this device, Xiaomi did not have much faith in the success of NFC technology and simply excluded this module from the list of necessary components of its mobile device.

However, later, the manufacturer came to its senses and, deciding to keep up with its competitors, began again equipping its top-end devices with this module.

Unfortunately, the NFC module in the Xiaomi Redmi 5 phone (as in any other mobile device in the Xiaomi Redmi line) is missing, which means you can take advantage of all the delights of this technology on budget smartphones You can not. The same can be said for the Xiaomi Mi A2, where NFC is absent despite the more premium positioning of the Android One line.

It is quite possible that in 2019 year Xiaomi will still start installing NFC in its cheap phones and they will be able to compete with smartphones from other brands that cost up to $200.

Having bought a smartphone with an NFC module, the most important thing is that you will be able to pay in stores without having to use your plastic card. All you need to do is take out your phone, unlock it and bring it to a supported terminal this technology. Such terminals began to be actively implemented by most stores back in 2018, and in 2019 they have already been installed in almost all villages, even remote ones.

To enable the NFC module, you need to go to the system settings and select “Additional functions” from the subsection “ Wireless network”, where in the window that opens, activate the “NFC” switch.

After this, you should activate the Android Beam item if it is disabled (the NFC function in Xiaomi is turned on in this way and is intended for wireless transmission short-range data).

Updated 04/15/2019

Having an NFC chip in your phone is not something cool. Most flagships are equipped with it, Xiaomi is no exception. But only the Mi line of smartphones received it, although Huawei, for example, even puts them in some budget phones.

1st place – Xiaomi Mi 9

This model was released in March 2019, and in April it is the world's best flagship with a favorable price/quality ratio. For more than 500 dollars, Xiaomi offers Snapdragon processor 855, cool Super Amoled display with Gorilla Glass 6 and HDR10 support. During testing, high brightness and infinite contrast, low color rendering error were determined.

The 3300 mAh battery provides 23:32 hours of communication and 17 hours of video playback at a brightness of 200 cd/m2, supports wireless and fast charging from a 27 W adapter, which gives 70% in 30 minutes. True, in included QC 3.0 compatible Charger with a slower charging speed.

The main camera is 48 megapixels with a Quad-Bayer filter. A new and advanced sensor is used here Sony size 0.5 inches and 0.8 micron pixels. On the matrix, four neighboring pixels are combined and record one color, which gives a frame resolution of 12 megapixels, but also high quality with a minimum amount of noise and wide DD. Additional cameras – with wide-angle and telephoto optics.

NFC, Wi-Fi 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, fingerprint scanner under the display are included. The problem is that there are no stereo speakers or a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Mi 9 is not a music flagship at all, and if sound quality is important to you first and foremost, then there is no point in buying Xiaomi Mi 9.

2nd place – Mi Mix 3

The most beautiful phone in the Xiaomi line and possibly in the world. There are no bangs, no thick frames below and above, front cameras hidden in the edge of the case, which are activated by sliding the screen down. By the way, in the review it also received 2nd place, which is logical.

I received the smartphone Super Amoled screen, Android 9 Pie, Snapdragon 845 processor is the TOP in 2018 and showed high performance in benchmarks. Still, this is a 10nm processor, which is noticeably weaker than the new 7nm Snapdragon 855 installed on the Xiaomi Mi 9.

The cameras are cool - with regular and wide-angle lenses, 12 + 12 MP matrices, f/1.7 aperture, 4-axis optical stabilization and Dual Pixel focusing technology. As you understand, additional camera needed for optical 2x zoom. As for the photo quality, everything is fine - in the ranking of camera phones, the phone ranks 9th in the world, behind Samsung S9, S10, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, P30 Pro, iPhone XS, Xiaomi Mi 9.

Inside there is a 3400 mAh battery, the charge of which is enough for 21:35 hours of communication, 14 hours of video playback. Mi Mix 3 is not the most autonomous in the line. But fast charging is supported with the included 18 W adapter; it gives a 54% charge in 30 minutes. Plus you get an adapter included wireless charging power 10 W (from zero to 32% in 30 minutes).

NFC, Wi-Fi 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 included. Let me add that Xiaomi released new phone Mi Mix 3 5G is the same Mi Mix 3, but with an advanced Snapdragon 855 processor and a 5G modem. It turned out that not all SD855 chips receive 5G modems, only “selected” ones.

3rd place – Mi8

No one doubted that this particular flagship would become the best. At the end of 2018, this is the TOP phone from Xiaomi based on the Snapdragon 845 processor. It runs Android 8.1 with an update to 9.0 under the MIUI 10 shell.

• Screen – Amoled, 6.1 inches; 2248×1080, 402 ppi, Gorilla Glass.
• Memory: 6/128 GB.
• Camera – dual, 12/12 MP, f/1.8, stabilization, 2X-Zoom, 4K video shooting.
• The front camera is 20 megapixels.
• Battery: 3400 mAh + Quick Charge 4+, USB Type-C.
• Communication: Wi-Fi 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC.
• 3D scanning of faces.

The smartphone is exceptionally powerful and equipped with cool cameras – this is evidenced by the DxOMark testing results. Plus, the face scanner works very quickly here, although only for Asian regions. For scanning to work, you must select the “India” region. It also uses Dual GPS technology, which accurately and instantly determines the location and guarantees high-quality navigation.

And, of course, NFC works great, but only on global versions. When choosing, be sure to check with the seller which version he offers.

4th place – Mi 9 SE

Along with the full-fledged Mi 9, Xiaomi has released a “lightweight” version – Mi 9 SE. It looks exactly the same, but the size is smaller. By the way, Mi 9 SE is one of the few Xiaomi phones, which received an NFC chip, being in the middle segment. Usually only expensive flagships of the brand are equipped with it.

The Mi 9 SE has an Amoled matrix with HDR support and Gorilla Glass 5, a processor – Snapdragon 712 – a new 10-nm mid-range chip with Adreno 616 graphics. There are three cameras, as on the full-fledged Mi 9. Moreover, the main one is with those same 48 MP and Quad-Bayer filter, with pixel alignment technology. Additional – with telephoto and wide-angle lenses.

18W fast charging, an under-display fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD support and of course NFC are included, making the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE very good choice. In April 2019, the phone was sold only on Aliexpress - the global version will cost an average of 22 thousand rubles.

5th place – Mi Mix 2S

The second top-class smartphone with an NFC chip and Google Pay support, works with Android 8.0 OS out of the box. Unlike Mi8, it has a 6-inch IPS matrix with Full HD+ resolution, protective glass there is also.

On the back there are 12 + 12 megapixel cameras with optical stabilization, f/1.8 aperture and 4K video recording. It is important that the camera here is worse compared to the Mi 8 - this is obvious from the DxOMark test results. Inside there is a Snapdragon 845 processor with an Adreno 630 video accelerator, 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. The battery is standard for a flagship - 3400 mAh, with support for QC 3.0 and a USB Type-C connector for charging. There is facial recognition technology, but it is not 3D scanning.

• No unibrow and thick frame on top.
• Working with gestures.
• Good battery life – one and a half days normal operation from charging to charging.
• The rear camera allows you to get a high-quality shot even in difficult light.
• Very high operating speed – the smartphone “flies”.
• No heating when starting games.

Flaws:

• The front camera - you need to turn the phone over when you want to use the front camera - it is located at the bottom, which made it possible to make the top frame thin.
• Weak strength - glass breaks when dropped from a height of 1 meter onto asphalt. I highly recommend gluing protective glass.
• Not an Amoled matrix, although expensive smartphones everyone wants Amoled.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless data exchange technology that operates according to a single standard. Communication between devices is carried out within a small radius of 5 to 10 centimeters.

List of Xiaomi with NFC support:

This list includes models for which we have reviews. Over time it will be supplemented.

As you can see, the budget Redmi line does not support NFC. The technology is available only on flagship models from the Mi series.

What is NFC for?

1. Transfer files between devices over a short distance.
2. Ability to read information from radio frequency tags. In European countries, similar tags are installed on notice boards, as well as in supermarkets to protect against theft.
3. Linking a bank card to a smartphone, smart watch or tablet and the ability to pay for goods and services in the store using them.
4. Possibility of using a smartphone as a pass on public transport. In Europe, people have been actively using this technology for a long time, while in the CIS countries it is not so widespread. It works on the same principle as linking a bank card.

How to enable NFC on Xiaomi?

To pay for purchases using your smartphone, you need to do the following:

1. Go to the menu Settings
2. Finding the point More or Additional functions(the name depends on the firmware version)
3. Activate the switch opposite the line NFC
4. Next you need to go to Android beam and activate it.
5. In the NFC section we find the line Security element location and select the item Use HCE Wallet.
6. Go to Play Market and download Android Pay.
7. When you first launch the application, you will be prompted to link a bank card - just enter all the necessary data (owner’s name, number, CVV)
8. To avoid having to launch Android Pay manually every time you make a payment, you can set it to autoload.
9. To pay for your purchase, bring your smartphone to the terminal and you’re done.

Ivanov Sergey

Technical Specialist for Contactless Payment Functions

Articles written

In recent years, payments via smartphones have become increasingly popular, in particular thanks to . Anyone with a bank card can pay for goods and services over the phone using a contactless method. But such an opportunity presents itself if mobile device NFC module is installed and installed special application bank that issued the card. How convenient are contactless purchases via smartphones and how to make them?

What is the NFC function in a Xiaomi phone: how does the chip work?

NFC is an innovative technology capability for contactless communication. Thanks to this option, it is possible to transfer information between two devices; these gadgets must have NFC modules and be at a distance of up to ten centimeters from each other.

However, not all smartphone manufacturers equip their models with such a chip, even despite the increasing popularity of this technology. Basically, the NFC function is missing on budget smartphones. If we consider Xiaomi's telephone inventions in this regard, we will notice that only flagship models. But this trend is also visible among other companies producing mobile units.

NFC functionality includes three of the most popular areas of use in current generation phones:

• Imitation of plastic and bank cards;
• P2P mode;
• reading function.

In the first case, the mobile device “pretends” by bank card, allowing its owner to pay at a terminal that supports a similar payment method.

P2P (Phone-to-Phone) mode allows you to transfer information from one phone to another, and in reading mode, the device recognizes markings on which a Wi-Fi password or other data for a smartphone can be written.

For example, after the device has read the tag, the settings on the phone can be automatically changed.

Contactless payment on Android using a phone module

You can make payments via Android Pay everywhere, the main condition is the availability of terminals and cards that support PayPass, PayWave. Using a smartphone, you can pay with one touch at many retail outlets and networks; you must first install a special application on your mobile phone.

To make a payment through the Android Pay application, you just need to bring your mobile device closer to the payment terminal for a few seconds. If the payment transaction is completed correctly, the terminal will notify “Approved” with a signal on the monitor.

Having analyzed the state of the bank settings, the terminal system can issue a request with the introduction of a special PIN code.

REFERENCE. When making such payments for an amount of more than a thousand rubles, Sberbank requests such a PIN.

Properties Android systems Pay made by contactless method:

To make payments, the Android Pay service does not process information about installed maps. Their copies are automatically created and the data is sent to the seller. Real details plastic card stored on Google servers.

When deactivated, all personal information from Android applications Pay will be automatically deleted. But even with such ideal privacy protection, developers advise locking your mobile device using a gesture or tactile method. Data is erased automatically if the smartphone is inactive for three months.

A smartphone with an NFC module allows the subscriber to purchase goods and pay for services directly through it. In this embodiment, the mobile device acts as a reading device. This means that money is withdrawn from the subscriber’s bank account, and not from the balance mobile communications. It is also necessary that the terminals or ATMs to which the mobile unit is connected have support for NFC payments.

Brief overview of Xiaomi phones with NFC module: list of all supported models

Xiaomi is not lagging behind its competitors and is also implementing the idea of ​​contactless communication.

The company's developers are actively introducing this interesting technology into the phones they produce.

At first, the company didn’t really believe that this option will bring success, but observing the increase in its popularity, they still decided to equip their creations with an NFC module.

Model range of Xiaomi phones with NFC module:

1. Mi Mix 2S;
2. Mi Mix 2;
3. Mi Mix;
4. Mi Note 3;
5. Mi Note 2;
6. Mi 8;
7. Mi 6;
8. Mi 5;
9. Mi 5S/Plus.

Xiaomi Mi5. The main smartphones from Xiaomi have always been considered compromises, but this model turned out to be extremely successful, and therefore the developers installed an NFC module in it. In the upper right corner you can see the already known symbols of the integrated NFC adapter. This set of functions is very popular among users from all over the world and I am glad that the new product is fully loaded with them.

Xiaomi Mi 5s. This sample also boasts the presence of an NFC module. Has a Snapdragon 821 processor.

Manufacturers have deliberately reduced the speed of operation of this processor up to 2.15 GHz, but due to this, the product has greater autonomy - a fully charged battery (3200 mAh battery) lasts for nine hours of watching videos and seven hours of intensive work (Internet, photo editor, working with text).

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2. Looks very futuristic, this is a fresh frameless phone model from the manufacturer Xiaomi. It has OS firmware version Android 7.1, designed for two SIM cards, 5.99″ display, 2160×1080 resolution, 12 MP camera, 64 GB of native memory, no slots for additional memory, 3G, 4G LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi , Bluetooth, NFC, volume random access memory- 4 GB, 3400 mAh battery.

Comparison table of Xiaomi smartphones: which phones have an NFS chip

Activating NFC on your device

To activate the NFC module on a mobile phone or tablet, you simply need to configure the permission to use the module.

ATTENTION! Activation is necessary, since without it you will not be able to exchange information with other NFC gadgets.

To do this, you need to do several manipulations in the menu of your smartphone:

• Go to the Settings menu and find the “Wireless Networks” sub-item.
• Check the box for “allow data exchange when combining the phone with another device” - the Android Beam function should start.
• If Android Beam does not launch, click on it and select “Yes”.

IMPORTANT! If Android Beam is disabled, sharing options NFC data limited.

NFC is a convenient innovation that allows you to quickly and conveniently configure your phone depending on the situation (using special tags), exchange information with other gadgets, or use your mobile device as a plastic card for payments. So far, NFC in Xiaomi smartphones is not so popular.

The most successful models of this company in terms of sales are Redmi and Redmi Note, unfortunately, are not equipped with such technology. On this moment only flagship Xiaomi samples are equipped NFC function. However, fans of these smartphones hope that the situation will change soon!