RIM CEO confirms NFC in BlackBerry phones this year

By on Feb 16, 2011 at 12:10 PM
mobile February 16, 2011

Research In Motion Co-CEO Jim Balsillie on Wednesday confirmed that upcoming new BlackBerry smartphones will contain Near Field Communication chips in 2011. During a keynote shared with Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and NTT DoCoMo CEO Riuji Yamada at Mobile World Congress, Balsillie said “many, if not most” of his company’s smartphones released this year would include NFC capabilities. This confirms details from BGR’s exclusive report last month, which revealed several BlackBerry devices slated for release in 2011 and outlined specs that often included NFC capabilities. NFC is being promoted aggressively by cell phone makers, carriers, banks and other companies looking to profit from the new mobile payment systems NFC will facilitate. Google has already begun to show off Android’s NFC capabilities with its Nexus S smartphone, and Apple will soon unveil its next-generation iPhone with NFC capabilities as well.

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  • http://twitter.com/chrispgriffin Chris Griffin

    I definitely think NFC technology is very cool, but I’m still a little iffy about it. It reminds me of those SpeedPass cards the Exxon/Mobile offers. I’ve read multiple stories where people build devices that, when within just a few feet of the SpeedPass, can steal the customer’s information (in this case, their gas card information).

    Maybe I’m just a little paranoid about NFC tech after hearing those stories, but I’d like to know how secure NFC is before I use it to transmit my personal information.

    • sirpaul

      Exactly what I was thinking. Since no real contact is required for info to be stolen (unlike debit card which has to be swiped or inserted) a device could steal the info undetected. RIM is leader in cellphone security though, so I have high hopes for the development.

    • Chut Pata

      Even governments hate the rock solid security of Blackberry. You can always dispute charges on your credit card.

  • sirpaul

    NFC makes sense in a BlackBerry. I just hope, for RIMS sake, that security will not be an issue with this new implementation.

    BTW, have any of you ever seen NFC “stations” around? I’ve never seen one around in Canada.

    • Jackofram

      They’re in Tim Hortons and most fast food joints. That’s pretty much the only place I’ve noticed them.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=25001493 Hank Godwin

      You won’t see them until the big phone manufacturers (HTC, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Apple, and RIM) start putting the NFC chips in their phones.

  • Todd

    At least with RIM, I’d feel confident that my data would be secure when being passed.

  • Anonymous

    I’m uneasy about this. I like the fact that my wallet and my phone are two separate things. It may be convenient, but I start to get nervous when my phone unlocks/starts my car, and pays my bills…

    • Dextosenergy

      Agreed…If some how it is completely separate from the phone’s system and more of a drop onto a pin connection…then maybe…but still how many times have folks misplaced their phones, lost them or had them stolen. but hey it will create a new industry for someone to developer a shielded case to protect against signal hijacking while transmitting. Remember it may only have the ability to transmit over a shot distance but a receiver can be built to detect the weakest signal at a good range.

      • Chut Pata

        People are still not used to cell phones as a carry all the time accessory like a wallet. Just like kids always loose their wallets when they first start maintaining them.

      • Dextosenergy

        Oh very true and I completely agree….but the biggest issue here will be security, Same a laptops and WiFi. Remember how shocked folks were when they discovered that applications existed that allowed people to see all those connections out there and allow them to monitor what they were doing while wireless. Granted encryption is paramount in this instance also but if encryption could not be hacked then why the need for the ever inflating levels of encryptions.

  • Fswanepoel

    yo, i have been rimmed/bored to death………. bbs me when someting more exciting emerges from blurpberry…………

    francois

    • Todd

      TAT will take care of that for you.

    • Anonymous

      You’ve been rimmed? Gross.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GP2WYAHXS6CRUREISWBGPUSUGE Michael

    This is really good news for the 3 dozen people still using Blackberries.

    • Anonymous

      the other half dozen trolls like you feel jealous

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GP2WYAHXS6CRUREISWBGPUSUGE Michael

        nope not really. I’m not jealous of anything Research Standing Still does.

      • Chut Pata

        I understand, BB does not make toys for kids like you, they are serious business people and makes things that matters from business point of you. So they are “uncool” and “suck”. Go drink your kool-aid.

      • Anonymous

        @Chut Pata, Plain and simply put, you sir are an idiot! I own and operate a very successful business myself, and I just got rid of my Blackberry because it couldn’t keep up with me. The Problem with RIM is that they rested on the fact that they had a great messaging phone. Well I agree with Michael, You can get push email on any smartphone these days, plus tons of other features that the Blackberry just can’t do well at all, that are very essential to a Business person.

        So please enlighten us all as to which business point of view that you are referring to. Or maybe I should say “business point of you” so that you can understand what I’m asking you.

      • dmac

        BlackBerry® smartphones are designed to be data efficient. BlackBerry smartphones can give more emails, more web browsing and more social networking for the same amount of data as other leading smartphones. They call this DataSmartâ„¢ technology and it’s only available with BlackBerry smartphones. There’s also military grade triple DES encryption, BBM and better app integration to name a few.

  • Max

    Welcome to 2004, Blackberry MORONS.

    • Chut Pata

      You mean iPhone and Android phone have NFC? Who is the moron here?

  • Anonymous

    UHH My nexus s has been HAD NFC <3

  • Anonymous

    blackberry is a “HASBEEN” like Lil kim LOL <———————————

  • Max

    I can just see the bargain prices on their transactions. RIM will only add $4.99 to each of your transactions! That can of pop will only be $7.48! Just like their other bargain apps. Buy a fart noise maker app for only $148.99.

    • Private Citizen

      I see you’ve taken my advice and seen a speech therapist. Your stuttering problem has ‘magically’ disappeared. Now, you need to take the next step to becoming a nice person by seeing an anger management specialist.

  • BerryKing

    You see! RIM thinks ahead! Everything is falling into place and they will not only catch up, but blow away the competition! For all iPhone lovers with the article from Gizmodo about iPhone being robed of its passwords in 6 mins, well i wouldnt trust NFC on your phone! For all fagdroids lovers, well Google will be on your money faster than you can even get to it if NFC is in your phones! Of all, I’d rather trust RIM!
    Viva Playbook and RIM!!!

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