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@faelanstevie

Soryr to hear your having issues with your Yubikey Neo. Whilst not one of our products, they are a very convenient form of authentication.

In answer to your questions :

1. It appears that like all phones, the S4 has a "sweetspot" where NFC detection and reading is at its best. It does however appear that the S4's spot is quite narrow :

https://forum.nfcring.com/topic/9/samsung-galaxy-s4

2. Best to check the Yubikey forums.

3. Any NFC device will be affected and possible detuned by localised metalic objects, keys and keyrings included.

4. Embedded in the battery.

5. Worth a shot !

@loganfive Material wise, I would always suggest a plastic material such as ABS or polypropylene as these will give you the RF transparency you will require. Anything plated or die cast might look the rugged part but would more than likley affect your antenna range.

If its going to be situated on an external door then look at an IP67 rated enclosure too as it'll give you the waterproofing (you mentioned the cold so moisture won't be your friend!) you require.

Iinitially when I read your post I looked at external rfid enclosures to see if an existing one could be pressed into service. Unfortunately most of them come as pre-assembled units that are epoxy or silicone filled and would be a swine to work with.

A quick search of aliexpress however shows quite a few that look like they would work :

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=rfid+enclosure