Qualcomm integrates NXP NFC chipsets into Snapdragon platforms

US mobile chip giant Qualcomm will integrate NFC and embedded secure element (eSE) technologies from Dutch silicon company NXP in its Snapdragon reference designs.

Qualcomm creates a number of reference designs in which it does a lot of the electronics heavy lifting, allowing hardware designers and software developers to focus on their own points of differentiation. The inclusion of two of its core solutions in these reference designs is potentially great news for NFC as it could accelerate the development of contactless devices such as smart cards and other general IoT cleverness.

“NXP’s NFC and eSE chipsets are a natural addition to Qualcomm Technologies’ platforms, given NXP’s expertise in enabling secure transactions,” said Dr. Cormac Conroy, VP of Qualcomm Technologies. “Qualcomm Technologies is committed to offering the industry’s leading silicon technology that not only fuels today’s latest devices but also drives and enables innovative new applications and form factors in the future.”

“We continue to see the market use and acceptance of NFC grow daily, with new applications being created at an astounding rate. Collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies to provide full eSE and NFC functionality on its industry-leading platforms will further expand this growth potential,” said Rafael Sotomayor, SVP of NXP. “By working together, each company is able better to focus on its respective area of expertise, ensuring the industry receives a best-in-class, robust, tested and certified solution that can be designed in quickly by OEMs with minimal effort.”

NFC adoption is not progressing at quite the rate it was expected to when Android and Samsung first started supporting it back in 2010. This is probably due to the slow progress of the mobile wallet and the relatively recent interest in wearables. But the introduction of Apple Pay and the Apple Watch could be the necessary catalyst and Qualcomm is wise to position itself to capitalize on the contactless boom when it comes.