The release of Xiaomi Mi Band 4 with NFC has again caused unrest in the mobile community. Are there really contactless payments on Mi?
NFC on Mi Band
Many of us mistakenly believe that havingNFC module in any mobile device means the ability to make contactless payments already familiar in all ways. However, it is not so if we are talking about wrist accessories.
Today there is not such a large selection of wearable deviceswith mobile payment function. These include the Apple Watch, which runs its own WatchOS operating system with the Apple Pay payment system; smart watches on Android Wear and Wear OS with support for Google Pay, watches from Samsung on Tizen OS (Samsung Pay). These are perhaps the most popular options. Why didn’t the Xiaomi Mi Band get here, because even the third version of the bracelet already had support for the NFC module… And the latest news about the imminent appearance of Mi Pay has brought some confusion.
To implement contactless payment you need towearable accessory had a full OS that can provide adequate security. In the Mi Band, it is missing. Contactless NFC payments with this bracelet are not possible, even with Mi Pay.
Contactless Mi Band Payment
Believe that with the help of Mi Band 4 you canpaying for purchases in Russia is absurd. The accessory is designed exclusively for the Chinese market. And they can only be paid in China. By the way, as for contactless payment in China, there are now two payment methods available there. The first involves the use of a QR code. Second — using NFC. We'll tell you more about each below.
1 way:
Buyer uses his smartphone withpreloaded Alipay or WeChat with an electronic wallet. Either the buyer scans the QR code provided by the seller (the amount is entered manually or is already encrypted in the code), and the money is automatically debited. Or the buyer shows the sale of his QR code, which is generated by the mobile wallet, he scans it, and the funds are debited. The first option can not be used on a fitness bracelet in the absence of the camera. But the second way is completely realizable on such accessories, as there is a display on the bracelet, which is enough to show a QR code.
That's exactly the second option and was implemented withusing the Alipay system with the expectation that the user (buyer) ties his wrist accessory to the Alipay application, creates a separate account with a certain limit. Payment is carried out offline without the need to get a smartphone, and the operations themselves are transmitted to the Alipay server from the store's cash register. Naturally, this practice does not exist in Russia.
2 way:
Involves the use of NFC module. Using this method implies maximum security for contactless payments. Inexpensive fitness bracelets can not provide this very level of security. By the way, the assembly uses some of the cheapest NFC chips.
It's a different story if we're talking about transportcard, which is unlikely to contain large amounts of money. In Mi Band bracelets, NFC capabilities were primarily implemented for this purpose. The Chinese can use a specialized application in the NFC section to buy a virtual transport card for their fitness bracelet by adding money to their balance. The card is tied to a specific bracelet, and then everything is simple — The watch is used to pay for travel.
Contactless payments on the Mi Band with NFC in Russia today are not possible.
In Russia, this is still difficult, but development is moving in the right direction. Some municipal maps of Moscow are successfully attached to the NFC Mi Band, someone managed to bind the intercom key.
Will Mi Pay work on Mi Band?
Having analyzed all of the above, the conclusion isthe main question suggests itself. Don't expect your new Mi Band with NFC to support contactless payments in Russia. They do not have strong encryption certified by Visa or MasterCard. Payment using a QR code is not relevant in Russia; the use of transport cards using a Xiaomi bracelet is also not yet fully implemented in Russia, because this takes time to negotiate with carriers, etc.
The Mi Pay system will not come to Russia soon either. And despite the fact that there are rumors on the Internet about its launch in Russia, the implementation timeline is very far from us.
Therefore, if you decided to buy Xiaomi Mi Band 4 because of NFC, you should know that this function is still not relevant for Russian users.