NFC vs Bluetooth for sharing contact info — which is better?
For sharing contact information, NFC is better. It requires no pairing, no app on either end, and completes the transfer in under a second. Bluetooth requires device discovery, pairing confirmation, and both parties actively participating in the exchange.
Why NFC wins for business card scenarios
NFC is passive and initiates immediately on tap. There's no 'are you sure?' prompt, no pairing code, no Bluetooth discovery. You hand someone the card, they tap it, the profile opens. The friction is essentially zero. Bluetooth contact sharing requires both people to have Bluetooth on, both to agree to the transfer, and typically both to have compatible apps or the exchange fails.
Where Bluetooth makes sense
Bluetooth is better for ongoing connected relationships — headphones, speakers, fitness devices. For networking, the one-time 'share my info' transaction that NFC handles is a poor fit for Bluetooth. The feature existed (Android Beam used NFC to initiate Bluetooth transfers) but was discontinued because most people found simpler approaches better.
Is AirDrop better than NFC for sharing contact info?
AirDrop is faster than Bluetooth but still requires both people to have iPhones and AirDrop enabled. NFC works across iPhone and Android. NFC wins on universality.
Can NFC initiate a Bluetooth pairing?
Yes — NFC can be used to initiate a Bluetooth pairing handshake (NFC Handover). This is used for NFC-enabled speakers and devices. Business cards don't use this.
Why did Google stop Android Beam?
Android Beam used NFC to initiate transfers. It was discontinued in Android 10 in favor of Nearby Share, which uses a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, and other protocols. Neither is as simple as NFC-to-profile for business cards.