The Truth About NFC at Mi Band

The release of Xiaomi Mi Band 4 with NFC again caused unrest in the mobile community. Is contactless payments on Mi

Band will be possible, once releaseda separate version with NFC and in Russia will soon launch the payment system Mi Pay? We decided to dispel all your doubts on this score and tell the whole truth about NFC on a fitness clock in Russia. The article is exhaustive and backed by a technical base.

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 devices.with the function of mobile payments. These include Apple Watch, which runs on its own WatchOS OS with Apple Pay payment system; smart watches on Android Wear and Wear OS with Google Pay support; Samsung watches on Tizen OS (Samsung Pay). These are perhaps the most popular options. Why did not Xiaomi Mi Band get here, because even the third version of the bracelet already had support for the NFC module ... Yes, and the latest news about the imminent appearance of Mi Pay brought ambiguity.

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

Assume 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 you can pay them only in China. By the way, with regard to contactless payment in China, there are now two important methods of payment. The first involves the use of a QR code. The second is using NFC. More about each tell a little 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.

Another conversation, if we are talking about transportcard, which is unlikely to be a large amount of money. In the Mi Band bracelets for this, first of all, NFC capabilities were implemented. The Chinese can, through a specialized application in the NFC section, buy a virtual transport card for their fitness bracelet, putting money into the balance. The card is tied to a particular 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?

After analyzing all the above, the conclusion toThe main question suggests itself. Do not expect your new Mi Band bracelet with NFC to support contactless payments in Russia. They do not have strong encryption certified by Visa or MasterCard. Payment using a QR code in Russia is not relevant, the use of transport cards using a Xiaomi bracelet is also not fully implemented in Russia, because it takes time to negotiate with carriers, etc.

The Mi Pay system will not come to Russia either. And despite the fact that there are rumors on the Web about its launch in Russia, the implementation dates are very far from us.