RAIN RFID technology, or UHF RFID technology, has been a driving force in the B2B sector. It automates item-level tracking, inventory management, and real-time tracking of consignments, streamlining supply chains and order fulfilment. Businesses impacted by the EU’s DPP (Digital Product Passport) and UN transparency protocol are dependent on RAIN RFID for a universal solution in track and trace. It is also cost-efficient.
Now, with UHF RFID integration in smartphone chips, the benefits of RAIN RFID can also be passed on to consumers. They can bring out their smartphones and scan an RFID-tagged product for DPP, verifying its authenticity and manufacturer details, expiry, and item-level tracking and tracing.
How RAIN RFID in Smartphones came to be?
Before we get to RAIN RFID replacing NFC and QR Code applications for consumers, let’s see how RAIN RFID is integrated into a smartphone device, from heavy, big handheld readers and fixed readers.
The idea to have RFID in a smartphone was around the corner anyway. We already have NFC technology in smartphones which works on 13.56MHz frequency, the same as High Frequency RFID.
But having UHF RFID in a smartphone wasn’t possible until now. In January 2025, Zebra Technologies, a market leader in RFID handhelds, mobile computers, and printers, launched its first UHF RFID smartphone reader, the EM45 RFID mobile computer which runs on the Android Platform.
Previously, in August 2024, Qualcomm Inc. issued an announcement with RAIN Alliance that they are planning to imbed UHF RFID technology into mobile smartphones. The announcement read, “The integration of RAIN technology into mobile devices is rapidly progressing, with the initial rollouts focusing on enterprise mobile devices, expected within a few quarters. Consumer devices equipped with RFID technology are set to follow.”
Fast forward to January 2025, we have our first UHF RFID Smartphone by Zebra Technologies in the form of an EM45 RAIN RFID Mobile Computer.
What does UHF RFID in Smartphones mean for NFC and QR Code Technologies?
So, till now, we had NFC and QR Code technology that offered an undue advantage in consumer-product interaction. People can simply whip out their smartphone and scan an NFC label on a wine bottle to verify its authenticity, or scan a QR Code using the mobile camera and understand where and how the wine was made, the brand history, recipes, and serving instructions, etc. This meant that NFC and QR Code had a niche market in the consumer segment but with UHF RFID in smartphones, that is going to change for sure.
1.Scan and Go’ with RAIN RFID
With RAIN RFID integration in a smartphone, consumers can scan the RFID label on products and conveniently purchase products in retail stores, without any help from the staff, order or re-order products online and verify their authenticity, easily make returns, etc.
2. EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) legislation
With the EU mandating DPP for all products being sold in the European Union, RAIN RFID in smartphones will be a game changer for consumers. It will unlock greater transparency for the consumers while also simplifying things for the retailers and product manufacturers in the EU.
A Digital Product Passport means the product will have a unique digital ID, which will point to product details, production, and expiry dates, use, recycle and disposal instructions, etc., all of which is possible with UHF RFID labels. The UHF RFID backed DPP will help with “revealing counterfeiting; and proving product authenticity in the rental, product-as-a-service, and second-life market.”, as per RAIN Alliance.
RAIN RFID in Smartphones will replace NFC and QR Code
So, what happens when smartphones that can easily read RAIN RFID Tags flood the market, which is imminent. Retailers that have been using QR codes or NFC labels for product authentication and anti-counterfeiting will choose RAIN RFID over NFC or QR Code labels as-
1. UHF RFID offers highly efficient scanning and a longer read range than both of these technologies.
2. With RAIN RFID, smartphones can scan multiple tags at once which is not possible with NFC and QR Code technologies.
3. Unlike QR Code, RAIN RFID Readers don’t require a clear line of sight to scan the tagged assets. Unlike, NFC technology, you also don’t have to tap the reader on the tag. RAIN RFID in smartphones can easily offer a read range of 30 centimeters or so.
With the same RAIN RFID label, retailers can also manage their inventory, and carry out audits and POS operations. This will effectively cut costs and benefit both consumers and retailers.
While QR Codes can store way more data than an NFC tag or RAIN RFID Label, they do not offer the same security as NFC and RAIN RFID. Dynamic QR Codes are secure but they are also costly.
How RAIN RFID Technology is integrated into a Smartphone?
You must already be aware that an RAIN RFID reader uses a UHF RFID chip and antenna to read RAIN RFID tags. So, how do we integrate all that into a smartphone?
As per experts, Qualcomm Inc. which already supplies millions of Snapdragon chips, can include RFID capabilities on the same single chip that is used for all purposes in a smartphone and there is no need to use another RFID chip from the market. The same goes for the antenna. Smartphone manufacturers can use the same antenna that they use for all kinds of communication in the smartphone for RFID communication as well. As far as the read range is concerned, do not expect long read ranges. The smartphones with UHF RFID will only offer a read range of a few centimetres but that is enough to unlock many consumer and B2B applications with RAIN RFID.
Currently, as Qualcomm stated, the focus is on developing smartphones with UHF RFID, meant for enterprise use. These devices will support rugged design for indoor and outdoor warehouse and retail uses and the price of these devices will be slightly higher than a typical smartphone.
UHF RFID Smartphones meant for customers will be developed soon, all things considered.
To conclude, the integration of UHF RFID in smartphones marks a significant milestone as having a smartphone that can read RAIN RFID tags was a dream. However, Zebra Technologies, along with Qualcomm Inc., has launched its first mobile smartphone, the EM45 mobile computer, that works on Qualcomm® 5430 Octa-core, 2.2 GHz processor. It can read UHF RFID labels at short range, say up to 100cm. Surely, more and more smartphones will flood the market which will eventually replace NFC and QR Code labels in many applications.
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