Mobile operators, banks and vendors working with a new NFC phone from Samsung say the handset has experienced problems communicating with point-of-sale and transit terminals, but they are confident the device will be ready for important trials scheduled for this spring.
The phone, the NFC version of the Samsung S5230, also known as the Samsung Star, Player One and Ely, has required some hardware and software changes since around January. Some telcos and others working with the phone have described the problems as having to do with the antenna alignment or design. Others seem to trace the problems to the phone’s software. In any case, the handset has not behaved consistently, including with terminals from different manufacturers. But they credit Samsung and other vendors with installing fixes.
A lot is riding on the phone, one of the few NFC models of any kind and the only one available past the prototype stage that supports a standard connection between the SIM card and NFC chips. That enables service providers and telcos to run payment, ticketing and other secure applications on the SIM. The relatively low-cost yet stylish touch-screen phone, though not a 3G model, is also expected to appeal to subscribers.
