Using Your iPhone As an RFID Reader

Apple began testing iPhone RFID readers in 2009. By 2010, there were several products available for business owners, scientists, farmers and others who wanted to use the technology.

Today, customized applications are available to suit the needs of any business, large or small. The technology was expensive at first, too expensive for the small business owner. As with other technological advancements, the price came down as the technology improved and became more popular.

The advantages of being able to use an iPhone as an RFID reader may be obvious, but they are worth mentioning. You might learn something that you hadn’t thought about.

The first advantage is having a multi-purpose device. Instead of paying for multiple devices to do all of the things that you need to do, you may be able to make a single device do it all.

The second advantage is mobility. Hand-held readers have been available for years, but they were quite bulky and expensive. Your phone is something you will purchase anyway and nothing could be more mobile.

A third advantage is readability. The screens on the old handheld devices are small and difficult to read. There are no graphics. Few have backlighting, which means that using the device in low light situations is impossible.

The ability to connect the data read to data stored in your phone, on the Internet or on your PC is another advantage. Most RFID readers are simply that. They read the data stored in the tag. Now, you can have the ability to relate that data to other data.

For example, if you were a scientist following migrating ducks, you would be able to quickly connect the tagged duck to any data you had stored about it. Approximate age, location and date of tagging are examples of data you might have at your fingertips with the customized iPhone RFID applications.

There are many applications available for our “smart” hand held computing devices. The same thing that you used for calling clients in the past can be used to access that client’s account. You don’t necessarily have to tell the client that you’ll call back when you return to the office.

It makes good business sense to take full advantage of the available technology, if only because it saves you time. As all business owners know, time is money. Getting multiple uses out of your iPhone can save you time and money.