BenQ selects NXP solutions to power its line of NFC phones
28 August, 2007
category: Contactless, NFC, Transit
BenQ’s upcoming T80 phone will feature near field communication technology provided by NXP, one of NFC’s founders. The T80 will be one of the first handsets to store NFC applications–such as mobile wallet and transport ticketing–in the phone’s secure digital memory card. Consumers will benefit because they’ll be able to remove and reuse the SD card when they switch to other NFC phones.
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands–NXP Semiconductors, the independent company founded by Philips, announced today that its secure smart card and Near Field Communication (NFC) chip solutions have been selected by BenQ for its forthcoming T80 phone – the first commercially available NFC mobile from BenQ to be released before the end of the year. BenQ has selected NFC solutions from NXP for its entire new line of NFC-enabled handsets.
The BenQ T80 phone is the world’s first handset to store NFC applications in the Secure Digital Memory card. The microSD card will host a range of NFC applications for mobile wallet, transport ticketing and security to be stored on the embedded, highly secure NXP SmartMX chip. For service providers, storing NFC applications on the SD memory card makes it possible to host a wide variety of applications on a single integrated device. Consumers benefit from the convenience of being able to remove and reuse the microSD card when they switch to other NFC phones.
The BenQ T80 handset itself will be equipped with the NXP PN532 NFC chip featuring new middleware from NXP, making it the first phone on the market that is in line with the latest NFC Forum specifications. The new middleware facilitates the interconnection of NFC devices and seamless interoperability with the existing contactless infrastructure.
“The initial response to the news about our upcoming NFC phones – from both mobile phone users and service providers in Taiwan – has been extremely promising. NXP has been a critical partner, as we work toward a seamless rollout of our first NFC phones, starting with the BenQ T80,” said Barry Dai, manager of product business management team, BenQ Corporation. “We’re strongly encouraged by the demand generated by highly successful NFC trials in Taiwan – from transportation to mobile banking and payment services – and look forward to continued collaboration with major industry partners to enable the best NFC user experience possible.”
“The commercial debut of the BenQ T80 phone will be a significant milestone, as BenQ joins other leading handset makers in supporting NFC. In working closely with BenQ, we’ve been happy to see the versatility and innovative architecture of its new NFC-enabled handset,” said Steffen Steinmeier, global business development manager for NFC, NXP Semiconductors. “As co-inventor of NFC and founding member of the NFC Forum, NXP is pleased to see the growing momentum behind NFC adoption and standards support in the Asia Pacific region.”
The BenQ NFC phone will be used for applications such as electronic ticketing and payment for passengers of the Taipei transportation system, who will be able to take advantage of the contactless functionality embedded in the microSD card. Other applications will include electronic wallet services and access control for private security systems. The BenQ T80 phone will be demonstrated by NXP at IFA 2007 in Berlin this week, and is scheduled for release before the end of the year.
The BenQ T80 uses the NXP PN532 chip with the first software module on the market in line with the latest NFC Forum specifications. The NFC Forum Reference Implementation (FRI) enables NFC reader / writer path, fully compliant with NFC Forum Tag Types and Data Exchange format specifications. It also allows peer-to-peer mode, as well as card emulation, which enables applications such as mobile payment, e-ticketing and transport. Further, the middleware also offers automatic device detection, registration and notification, simplifying secure connection to any NFC technologies in the field.
About BenQ Corporation
BenQ Corporation, a leading provider of networked digital lifestyle devices, is a multi-faceted company with strengths in mobile communications, visual display and network convergence technologies. BenQ offers unrivalled breadth and depth of products and integrating technologies across platforms through the brand promise of “Enjoyment Matters,” including projectors, laptop PCs, LCD displays, LCD TVs, digital cameras, mobile phones and computing peripherals. Last year’s revenues for BenQ exceeded US $6.2 billion.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in more than 20 countries and posted sales of EUR 5 billion in 2006. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at www.nxp.com.
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