Digital Trends

Nokia's new 6212 Classic phone sports integrated Near Field Communication, enabling it to communicate with other nearby NFC-compatible devices.

Nokia has taken the wraps off its new Nokia 6212 Classic phone, which features integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) technology that lets users share content and conduct transactions with other NFC-compatible devices in close proximity. The idea is that users will be able easily swap Web links, pictures, contact information, audio, and more from phone to phone…and, of course, conduct transactions, like buying items and using the phone as a credit card or travel ticket.

"NFC-capable handsets such as the Nokia 6212 classic are set to change the way mobile phone users interact with devices and services in their surroundings," says Nokia's head of NFC Jeremy Belostock, in a statement. "With the Nokia 6212 classic, people can swap items like business cards or calendar notes by simply tapping their handsets together. With ever-increasing device functions and services available, ease-of-use is essential. One way to keep things simple is NFC."

NFC uses the same principles and RFID tags and operates over a very short distance—only a few inches—so it doesn't have the same security implications as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technologies that operate over a wider area. Nokia envisions transaction security being handled by a secure application, which could also only allow purchased when a users explicitly approves them via a passcode.

The Nokia 6212 Classic also comes with a typical range of phone features, including a 2 megapixel camera, a 2-inch QVGA display, an FM receiver, and microSD storage for music and video. Nokia expects to begin offering the phone in selected European and Asian markets in the third quarter of 2008 for about €200 before taxes and subsidies.