The global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, STMicroelectronics has revealed its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology is powering the contactless features of TCL Communication’s newly launched Alcatel 3V smartphone for the European market.
Prioritizing enhanced user experience and convenience through Alcatel 3V’s NFC features, TCL Communication selected ST’s NFC-controller chip for its unique technology that boosts RF performance without draining battery life.
ST’s technology ensures robust connectivity for fast and reliable contactless payments, e-ticket transactions, peer-to-peer data transfer, and emerging use cases including interacting with physical-web objects like smart posters or store-shelves. Superior RF performance also helped TCL Communication to streamline certification to mandatory stringent EMVCo, GSMA and NFC Forum standards for handsets.
“With the all-new direction of our Alcatel 2018 smartphone portfolio, we are committed to continuing delivering high-quality and affordably priced smartphones that appear more premium than their price,” said Stefan Streit, General Manager, Global Marketing, TCL Communication. ”We are pleased to partner with ST to equip Alcatel 3V with reliable and secure contactless connections for our customers around the globe and to provide even richer experiences and superior interoperability throughout the numerous contactless terminals in their everyday lives. The support provided by ST and the highly effective collaboration between our technical teams helped us quickly achieve the applicable certifications for the Alcatel 3V”, he added.
ST and TCL Communication aim to extend their collaboration to integrate ST’s hardware digital-security solutions into future TCL Communication products. ST has a portfolio of highly miniaturized, low-power chips, including an embedded Secure Element (eSE) for cryptography and key storage and combined NFC/eSE devices, which are certified to Common Criteria EAL5+ and EMVCo security standards for financial applications. ST also offers a wide range of solutions and form factors for eSIM.
ST’s active load modulation technology leverages synchronization with the reader’s RF field to boost signal strength and ensure reliable coupling during data exchanges. This gives designers more flexibility to use smaller antenna sizes and minimize system power consumption for longer battery life, while enabling users to experience smooth, hassle-free contactless transactions.
