What is "tectile"

TecTiles are a near field communication (NFC) application, developed by Samsung, for use with mobile smartphone devices.

Each TecTile is a low-cost self-adhesive sticker with an embedded NFC Tag. They are programmed before use, which can be done simply by the user, using a downloadable Android app.

When an NFC-capable phone is placed or 'tapped' on a Tag, the programmed action is undertaken. This could cause a website to be displayed, the phone switched to silent mode, or many other possible actions.

NFC Tags are an application of RFID technology. Unlike most RFID, which makes an effort to give a long reading range, NFC deliberately limits this range to only a few inches or almost touching the phone to the Tag. This is done deliberately, so that Tags have no effect on a phone unless there is a clear user action to 'trigger' the Tag. Although phones are usually touched to Tags, this does not require any 'docking' or galvanic contact with the Tag, so they are still considered to be a non-contact technology.

Although NFC Tags can be used with many smartphones, TecTiles gained much prominence in late 2012 with the launch of the Galaxy SIII.