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Bluetooth technology already made our lives much easier. It helped us get rid of all the cables and bring our speakers (and headphones) with us wherever we go. Pairing your phone with a Bluetooth speaker is already pretty convenient and fast. In most cases, it takes less than 10 seconds. But it can be even easier. You just need a Bluetooth speaker with NFC support. That way you don’t even have to unlock your phone to enable Bluetooth and search for your Bluetooth speaker. You can simply tap the NFC tag on the speaker with your phone and you will be connected in a few seconds. We are here today to talk about the NFC technology, discuss its advantages and applications, and present to you our selection of 6 best Bluetooth speakers with NFC technology in 2021.
Table of Contents
- Best Bluetooth Speakers with NFC Technology – Comparison Table
- What is NFC Technology and What is it Used For?
- 6 Best Bluetooth Speakers with NFC Technology in 2022
- 1. Best Mini Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support Under $150 – Bose SoundLink II
- 2. Best Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support Under $50 – Anker Soundcore Boost
- 3. Loudest Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support Under $100 – W-KING D8
- 4. Best for Parties – Sony GTK-XB90
- 5. The Cheapest Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support – Creative Muvo Mini
- 6. Best Tailgate Bluetooth Speaker Under $200 – ION Audio Block Rocker Plus
- FAQs
Best Bluetooth Speakers with NFC Technology – Comparison Table
| Bluetooth Speakers with NFC Technology | Rating | Price | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bose SoundLink II | 4.6 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| Anker Soundcore Boost | 4.6 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| W-KING D8 | 4.7 | Check Amazon | Read Review |
| Sony GTK-XB90 | 4.5 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| Creative Muvo Mini | 4.5 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| ION Audio Block Rocker Plus | 4.6 | Check Amazon | Read Review |
What is NFC Technology and What is it Used For?
NFC (Near Field Communication) technology was introduced back in 2002. It was the result of cooperation between NXP, Sony, and Nokia. NFC is basically a connecting technology that allows you to exchange information between two devices with just a tap. NFC technology standard is based on radio frequency identification that doesn’t require an internal power source to work and can transmit information wirelessly over short distances (usually less than 2cm). The introduction of NFC created a bunch of possibilities for application, but it took some time to become omnipresent.
The first device with NFC support was introduced in 2006. Fourteen years later, more than 2 billion devices in the world support this technology. Almost every new smartphone (Android and iPhone) has the NFC support now. In 2017, Apple allowed the use of NFC not just for Apple Pay but also for all kinds of other stuff. Every Apple device supporting iOS11 or higher version has the NFC support and can read NFC tags without any additional app. Even if your phone doesn’t support NFC, you can easily turn it into an NFC-enabled device by inserting a simple micro-SD card with a tiny NFC tag.
In 18 years, a number of different applications of NFC were developed. First, it was used for payments – Apple Pay and Google wallet were based on NFC.
With the further development of NFC, the number of applications increased. Today, NFC is used for quick pairing. You can, for example, pair your phone with your speaker or headphones by tapping them. Apple Watch also uses NFC to pair with high-end gym equipment to generate more accurate workout statistics.
Another pretty popular application of NFC technology is for authentication of certain products. Many high fashion brands use special embedded NFC tags to prevent counterfeiting. To find out whether a product (like a bag or shoes) is original or not, you just have to tap it with your phone and you will get all the necessary info about the product.
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Today, you can even buy a bunch of NFC tags and assign all kinds of functions to them. You can use cards with NFC tags to pay for parking, or to open the car door (or any door).
As you can see, NFC is a very convenient and very useful technology. That’s why it is so popular. Today, we are discussing only Bluetooth speakers with NFC technology but we still wanted to point out that NFC can do much more than that.
Having in mind all the requirements and needs an average user may have, we’ve tested a bunch of popular Bluetooth speakers, compared their specs and features, and finally made a selection of 6 best Bluetooth speakers with NFC technology in 2021. The following Bluetooth speakers are our top choices.
6 Best Bluetooth Speakers with NFC Technology in 2022
1. Best Mini Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support Under $150 – Bose SoundLink II
Bose is one of the most popular choices when it comes to Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, and speakers and we are starting this list of 6 best Bluetooth speakers with NFC technology with Bose SoundLink Color. It’s a pretty good-sounding little speaker with a nice set of features and a reliable Bluetooth connection.
Things we like
SoundLink Color comes with a USB charging cable, user manual, and a one-year warranty card. The wall adapter is not included.
It’s fairly small, but it won’t fit your pocket. It has a soft silicone coating and looks very rugged. The speaker is IPX4-rated, which means it is splash-proof.
The first time you turn it on, you will have to go through the initial setup and select the language of the voice prompts. These prompts will guide you through the rest of the process and notify you when you’re connected and when there’s an incoming call. You can turn them off if you don’t like them.
The control scheme is fairly simple and easy to master. All the buttons are on the top. There are 6 buttons including power, source, Bluetooth pairing button, volume controls, and one multifunction button used to control the playback, answer/make calls, and activate Siri or Google Assistant.
If you’re familiar with Bose equipment, you’re probably aware that they don’t really offer much info about the internal components and other specs. We don’t know what Bluetooth version they used but it works pretty great. You can pair the speaker with your phone the old way or you can use the NFC. Both ways are pretty fast. The connection is stable within the 30ft range. The speaker can memorize up to 8 phones and two phones can be connected at the same time (multipoint pairing).
The built-in battery delivers up to 8 hours of playtime and can be recharged in less than 3h.
The speaker can be controlled with the Bose Connect app. You can use it to personalize settings and to pair two SoundLink Color speakers wirelessly and play them in stereo or party mode. Thanks to the Bose SimpleSync technology, you can also pair this speaker with other members of Bose Smart Home Family.
The built-in mic provides you with crystal-clear calls. It delivers almost flawless performance, especially in quiet environments.
The sound quality is pretty good. The bass delivery is probably the weakest link and the only thing we are not happy with. The mids are very detailed and well balanced. The same goes for highs. The sound signature is quite mid-centric. It’s best equipped for vocal-centric music.
Things we don’t like
The speaker is IPX4-certified and looks quite durable but it’s not fully waterproof.
There’s a number of cheaper Bluetooth speakers offering longer battery life. Some of those speakers even have NFC.
2. Best Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support Under $50 – Anker Soundcore Boost
Anker is one of our top recommendations if you are on a budget. Their speakers, headphones, and accessories are reasonably priced and offer a very good price/performance ratio. Soundcore Boost is an attractive and easy-to-use portable Bluetooth speaker with an engaging bass-boosted sound signature.
Things we like
Anker Soundcore Boost is an attractive little speaker. It’s quite compact and feels pretty sturdy. The front and back are wrapped in a black grille, while the top and bottom are made of hard ABS. The speaker is IPX5-certified (water-resistant) and can survive a few splashes of water.
The control scheme is intuitive and simple. All the buttons are on the top. On the left end of the control panel, there’s a battery status indicator. Next to the indicator, there are 5 control buttons – power/pairing button, volume controls, play/pause/call button, and the BassUp button. On the right end, you have the NFC tag for quick pairing.
All the inputs/outputs are on the left end and are protected with a rubber flap. The speaker features one USB charge-out port (you can charge your phone and other devices), one AUX input, and a micro USB charging port.
Soundcore Boost features Bluetooth 4.2. The pairing is fast, especially when using NFC. The connection is stable and extends well over 50ft when there are no obstacles. The speaker doesn’t support multipoint pairing and you can’t pair two speakers together wirelessly.
Soundcore Boost has a powerful 5.200mAh battery. The battery delivers up to 12 hours of playtime and the USB powerbank port allows you to charge your phone while listening to music.
The speaker houses two front-firing 10W drivers and a passive bass radiator between them. It delivers surprisingly loud sound with punchy bass, sweet midrange, and slightly elevated treble. If you prefer bass-heavy sound, you can press the BassUp button and elevate the bass response.
Things we don’t like
Soundcore Boost is only water-resistant. It’s not fully waterproof and can’t be submerged in water.
The speaker doesn’t have dedicated track buttons. You can use the play button to play the next song.
3. Loudest Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support Under $100 – W-KING D8
Looking for loud sound and some actual bass at an affordable price? W-KING D8 could be just the thing you need. It is a generic brand but we assure you that it offers pretty great performance for the price.
Things we like
The speaker comes with a USB-C charging cable, user manual, and a 1-year warranty. The wall adapter is not included.
W-KING D8 has an interesting and eye-catching design but we can’t say it’s the most stylish or most attractive speaker out there. It’s unusual. On the top, you have a nice undetachable carry strap.
The drivers are protected with a strong aluminum grille with the W-KING logo on it. The housing is made of hard plastic, the buttons are rubberized, and the inputs are protected with a silicone flap.
All the controls are on the top panel. From left to right, you have the NFC tag, a built-in mic, battery status indicator, and 5 control buttons (power/pairing, volume controls, play/pause/call button, and the EQ button). The inputs/outputs are on the back. There’s the USB-C charging port, USB Type-A charge-out port, and a 3.5mm audio input.
W-KING D8 features Bluetooth 4.2 with a fantastic range (up to 100ft without obstacles) and a perfectly stable connection within the 50ft range. The pairing is simple and quick.
The built-in battery is quite large. It has an 8.000mAh capacity and can deliver up to 24 hours of playtime. It can also be used for charging other devices thanks to the USB powerbank port.
The speaker houses two 70mm woofers, two 30mm tweeters, and two passive bass radiators. The combined RMS power output is 50W (70W peak). If that’s not enough, you can also pair two wirelessly. When paired, the speakers will play the same audio (not in stereo). W-KING D8 can deliver some real bass, unlike other similarly priced devices. It’s punchy and quite engaging. The midrange reproduction is fairly balanced and clear, and the highs are articulate and consistent. The speaker can get surprisingly loud.
Things we don’t like
The speaker is not fully waterproof (IPX7), only water-resistant (IPX5).
The carry strap is not detachable. It’s pretty handy when it comes to outdoor use but it gets in the way when used indoors.
4. Best for Parties – Sony GTK-XB90
Sony GTK-XB90 is one of our favorite party speakers with lights. It’s one of the largest and loudest on our list of 6 best Bluetooth speakers with NFC Technology in 2021. It’s also one of the most versatile and best-sounding speakers. Our biggest concern regarding XB90 is the lack of IPX rating.
Things we like
GTK-XB90 has a very attractive, very stylish design. The built-in lighting makes it even better, especially at night. The speaker is slightly angled upward for better sound dispersion. The housing is made of plastic and has big SONY logos embedded on the left and right panels. All the drivers are on the front side and are protected with an aluminum honeycomb grille.
Most of the control buttons are on the top. You will have more control over the playback and performance than with smaller speakers. The buttons are perfectly responsive and look really nice. You can use them to turn the speaker on, change the source, select playback mode, activate STAMINA mode (for battery saving), boost the bass, and daisy-chain two speakers (wirelessly). The NFC tag is also on the top.
On the rear panel, you will find all the inputs/outputs and some additional buttons. There’s the power input, USB port (for playing music from a USB drive), AC socket, party chain button with a party chain indicator, mic input with volume controls, a pair of RCA inputs, and a pair of RCA outputs (for wired daisy-chaining with XB60, XB70 or XB90).
XB90 features Bluetooth 4.2 with a standard Bluetooth range and reliable wireless connection. It supports the most common Bluetooth codecs (SBC and AAC). It also supports LDAC.
The built-in Li-ion battery has a 2.500mAh capacity. It is advertised that you can get 16h at moderate volumes. In reality, you won’t get that much. At full volume, if the lights are on, you will get less than 3h.
XB90 comes with two apps – Sony Music app and Fiestable. Fiestable is not very useful – it’s just a bunch of childish DJ effects. The other app is used for lighting adjustments and for EQ settings.
The speaker houses two 5.2in woofers and three 2in tweeters (but only two tweeters will be active at a time). Thanks to the specific driver arrangement, the speaker can be placed either vertically or horizontally. The sound is bassy and quite loud. In other words, it’s perfect for parties.
Things we don’t like
XB90 lacks an IPX rating. It’s not even weather-resistant or splash-proof. Also, it’s not very rugged.
The built-in battery is a bit too small for the speaker of this size.
5. The Cheapest Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Support – Creative Muvo Mini
If you are looking for the cheapest possible option with NFC support, Creative Muvo Mini is your best choice. It’s priced under $20 and, for the price, it delivers a pretty good listening experience.
Things we like
Creative Muvo Mini is a compact and tiny Bluetooth speaker. It has an all-plastic body and it’s available in 4 colors – black, white, blue, and red.
On the front, there’s a nice-looking plastic grille protecting two tiny full-range drivers. On the top, you have 4 hexagonal control buttons (power, Bluetooth/pairing/play/pause button, and two volume buttons). On the back, there are the AUX input and micro USB charging port. They are protected with a silicone cover. The speaker doesn’t look very rugged and it feels kind of plasticky (which is perfectly understandable at this price point), but it’s IP66-rated (water-resistant and dust-resistant).
Creative Muvo Mini features Bluetooth 4.0 with a standard 30ft range. The pairing is fast, especially when using NFC. The NFC tag is on the top, right next to the control buttons. The speaker supports only the SBC codec (no AAC support).
The built-in battery delivers up to 8h of playtime, while the recharge takes up to 3h.
The speaker has a built-in mic. It’s not a great quality mic, but it’s usable.
Two tiny drivers and one tiny passive bass radiator can’t deliver any bass. The sound is surprisingly loud for the size and the sound signature is mid-centric.
Things we don’t like
We can’t complain that much when a speaker is this cheap. We can just try to lower your expectations and tell you not to expect premium performance from a $15 speaker. Muvo Mini doesn’t have dedicated track buttons, it doesn’t support any advanced Bluetooth features (like multipoint pairing or daisy-chaining), and it’s not a great choice if you are a bass-head.
6. Best Tailgate Bluetooth Speaker Under $200 – ION Audio Block Rocker Plus
Looking for a rugged tailgate Bluetooth speaker with NFC support? ION Audio Block Rocker Plus is all that plus it’s fairly affordable, it’s quite versatile, it’s loud, and it has a large rechargeable battery.
Things we like
Block Rocker Plus is large and boxy, but it doesn’t look ordinary. It’s quite attractive, actually. The cabinet is made of very hard and thick plastic. The front panel is protected with a hard metal grille and all the other sides are reinforced with some kind of thick rubber.
Regardless of its size and weight, the speaker can be easily transported. It has strong handles on the left and right panels, and it also has a telescoping handle and wheels, so you don’t have to carry it.
On the front panel, directly above the grille, there’s a large control panel with a simple display in the middle. The panel can be used to control the playback, select the source, control the volume, search for AM/FM radio stations, set AM/FM presets, engage bass boost, etc. On this panel, you will also find some additional inputs and outputs – mic input (the microphone is included in the package), AUX input, and one USB port for charging external devices. The power input is located on the back.
The Bluetooth connection delivers reliable performance. The manufacturer doesn’t offer info about the Bluetooth version and supported Bluetooth codecs, but we can tell you that it works with both Android and iOS and that it offers pretty good performance and stable connection within the 30ft range.
If you don’t want to use Bluetooth, you can connect your audio sources via AUX input or you can listen to the radio. The speaker has built-in AM and FM tuners. You can also use the speaker as a PA system or for karaoke parties – it has a mic input and it comes with a wired mic.
Block Rocker Plus uses one Lead-Acid battery. The capacity of the battery is rated at 4Ah and it delivers up to 35h of playtime. The recharge takes less than 8 hours.
Inside the speaker, there are two drivers – large 8in woofer and a 3in tweeter. The bass delivery is pretty impressive – it’s punchy and powerful. The whole sound signature is quite bassy. The mids are somewhat muffled due to the bass emphasis. The combined power output is rated at 100W.
Things we don’t like
Block Rocker Plus is quite rugged but it’s not IPX certified. It’s not even splash-proof. All the input/output ports are left unprotected. Most other ION Audio tailgate speakers have silicone covers protecting the ports.
One thing you have to be aware of is that ION Audio uses Lead-Acid batteries. These batteries have a significantly shorter lifespan than Li-ion batteries. The good news is that the batteries in ION Audio speakers can be replaced and that you can buy a replacement battery from ION Audio. Also, these replacement batteries are quite affordable.
This concludes our selection of 6 best Bluetooth speakers with NFC technology in 2021. Hopefully, this article helped you learn a thing or two about NFC technology and maybe even find a perfect Bluetooth speaker with NFC support for your needs. If you want to find out more, you should go through our FAQs and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
FAQs
Q: What is NFC pairing?
A: NFC pairing is a method of quick Bluetooth pairing based on NFC technology. NFC pairing is even more convenient than the regular Bluetooth pairing. It doesn’t require unlocking the phone and enabling the Bluetooth. All you need to do is tap the NFC-enabled Bluetooth speaker with your phone.
Q: Is NFC technology absolutely necessary?
A: No, it’s not absolutely necessary. But it is convenient, and we all love convenient things. Why would you pair a Bluetooth speaker with your phone the old way when you can do it much faster? The same thing applies to all the other applications of the NFC technology. You can do all those things the old way, but the new way is so much easier.
Q: How do I pair a Bluetooth speaker with NFC?
A: Just tap it. That’s it. Of course, the NFC feature must be already enabled on your phone and the speaker has to be turned on. On some phones, NFC is enabled by default and stays on unless you disable it.
Q: Does my phone have NFC?
A: If you don’t know if your phone supports NFC, you can find out in just a few seconds. If you’re an Android user, go to Settings, tap on Networks (or Wireless and Networks), and then select More. If there’s no NFC option in the menu, then your phone doesn’t support NFC.
If you’re an iPhone user, you can use the NFC feature if your phone is running on iOS11 or higher. To enable/disable NFC, go to Setting, and then tap More. Tap the NFC to enable or disable it.
Q: Does leaving NFC on can drain the battery?
A: NFC doesn’t have a huge effect on battery life, even if you’re using it often. It’s not a huge problem if it stays on all the time but if you don’t use it at all, it’s probably smarter to disable it.
Q: What is the best Bluetooth speaker with NFC technology in 2021?
A: There can’t be a single answer to this question. All kinds of Bluetooth speakers support NFC – big and small, cheap and expensive, less and more rugged speakers, party speakers, waterproof speakers. It all depends on the kind of speaker you are looking for. We did our best to make a comprehensive selection that includes at least one model for every purpose and every budget so the best thing for you to do is to scroll up and check out our list of 6 best Bluetooth speakers with NFC technology in 2021.
Hello, my name is James Longman.
I’m a writer and editor at AudioReputation. I disassembled my first portable AM/FM radio when I was only 8. At the age of 11, I burned the circuit board on my old boombox cassette player. I’m not going to explain how but it was reckless and stupid.
Since then, I have become much more careful around radios, boomboxes, and other audio devices (at least, I like to think so) but I have never lost the passion for audio equipment. Throughout 20 years of my professional career, I’ve been working for various audio equipment manufacturers and even started building speakers on my own in my little workshop.
I love the work we do here at AudioReputation. Testing, comparing, and evaluating all kinds of audio devices (speakers, soundbars, headphones, home theater systems, etc.) is something I truly enjoy. I try to be unbiased and give you my honest opinion on every piece of equipment I test. Still, you should take my reviews with a pinch of salt and always be just a little bit skeptical. The fact that I liked some speaker or soundbar doesn’t mean that you are going to love it. If you have the opportunity, you should test it/hear it before buying it.