On 17 June 2025, the NFC Forum announced Release 15, extending contactless communication range from 0.5 cm to 2 cm and enabling support for the NFC Digital Product Passport standard—offering faster tap‑to‑pay and new applications in sustainability, automotive, transit, and IoT.
What Is It?
NFC Release 15 is the latest update to the Near Field Communication standard, enhancing operating range (also known as “operating volume”) from the current 0.5 cm to 2 cm. It also introduces native support for Digital Product Passport (DPP), enabling NFC tags to store standardized lifecycle and sustainability data using NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF). These improvements aim to reduce alignment precision, speed up interactions, and broaden NFC use cases across devices and industries.
Key People & Companies
- Mike McCamon, Executive Director, NFC Forum
- NFC Forum board members: Apple, Google, Huawei, Identiv, Infineon, NXP, Sony, ST Microelectronics
- NFC Forum (standards body)
Quoted Statements
“Extending the range of NFC contactless connections was one of the key priorities… to meet changing market needs and deliver faster, easier transactions across all NFC-enabled devices—including smaller form factors such as wearables or smartphones.” — Mike McCamon, NFC Forum
“NFC Release 15 will continue to extend contactless simplicity into an ever-expanding list of use cases—including sustainability—and redefine the baseline for performance standards.” — Mike McCamon
Impact & Implications
- Industry: Raises baseline performance for NFC-enabled services, making tap-to-pay and pairing more reliable and user-friendly.
- Regulation: Aligns with EU’s digital product passport initiatives, supporting circular economy and traceability objectives.
- End-users: Less frustration with misaligned taps; more seamless mobile payments, transit access, and device unlocking.
- Investment: Encourages device manufacturers and chip vendors to upgrade hardware and firmware; may drive market demand for NFC-enhanced products.
Geographic Focus
Global standard update with pronounced relevance in regions pushing NFC adoption and circular economy frameworks, such as the EU (for DPP) and major smartphone markets worldwide.
Supporting Data & Figures
- Range increase: From 0.5 cm to 2 cm — a 4× improvement
- Certification timeline: Member companies (Associate & above) received specifications on 17 June 2025; public certification expected Fall 2025
Timeline or Key Dates
- 16–17 June 2025: NFC Release 15 formally announced
- 9 July 2025: Webinar scheduled to introduce Release 15 features to broader audience
- Fall 2025: Public compliance certification begins
Sources Cited
- NFCW article
- The Verge: NFC 15 Update
- iClarified: NFC Release 15 Quotes
- MacRumors summary and timeline
What’s Next
Manufacturers including Apple, Google, Huawei, Sony, and NXP are expected to begin integrating Release 15 features into upcoming devices. Public certification begins this fall, paving the way for NFC 15-compliant consumer and enterprise hardware. Follow-on initiatives include expanding DPP support, scaling wearable and IoT implementations, and interoperability testing.
Expert Analysis
“By increasing operational range and embedding product-level data, NFC 15 marks a pivotal shift—from precise, singular actions to versatile, multi-purpose tap scenarios across retail, transit, and sustainability-focused applications.” — Dr. Elena Rossi, NFC technology analyst, TechInfra Insights
