Although several issues related to its security have been raised over the past few years, RFID remains one of the most promising short-distance communication technologies, which can be used for providing customers with a whole range of product or service information retrieved from RFID tags. And proving its interest for this specific domain, Samsung has just announced the development of a new single-chip radio frequency identification (RFID) reader for mobile devices, which can be integrated in just about any handheld on the market.

Designed for a UHF range of 900MHz, Samsung's new chip integrates an analog front end, a base-band modem, a processor and a memory chip. The chip's 6.5mm x 6.5mm small form factor and ultra low power consumption level of 850mW make it quite a good solution for mobile applications, which are typically powered by rechargeable, Li-Ion power packs.

While it can be embedded into devices such as mobile handsets and handheld readers used in retail stores, initially the major application for Samsung's new RFID reader chip is expected to be in card-type readers that plug into mobile handsets. This will provide consumers with immediate access to the new technology.

"We are enabling anytime, anywhere mobile access to information," said Dr. Chilhee Chung, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics' System LSI division. "RFID chip reader systems allow consumers to pull context-specific information into their mobile devices while on the go. Our mobile RFID single-chip technology is an important step in the evolution of ubiquitous computing environments."

According to market research firm RoA Group, the global demand for mobile RFID is expected to grow from $26.9 billion in 2007 to $701 billion by 2010, for a compound annual growth of 196 percent, which means that Samsung's latest development might pay off big time, at least on medium and long terms.

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