Ring not reading on Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 4 or Samsung S4 -

matt

So like many of us, I have a multitude of Android devices.
I just got my ring and was very excited.

Alas I've had some issues. I have a Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus and a Galaxy S4 but none have been able to really read the ring. When I take the ring off and rub the nexus 5 I hear one of the NFC error noises but that's all.

I installed the software and attempted to setup the ring and write to the tab but to be honest after a good 1-2 minutes of rubbing the ring (not on my finger, just off) on the back of the phone (nexus 5) I gave up.
FYI - The sweet spot is on and just under the N in nexus

I'm able to use other NFC tags I own on all of the devices as well.

The other item is a small one that I could live with had the ring worked, the finish is bubbled up where the inlay is. Is this kinda expected on my version? (I think it was called the stealth bomber).

I'm happy to change things around if it means the ring will work; any assistance would be great!

Lokki

Hi Matt, from the sound of that you're going to want to contact support@nfcring.com
Explain the read issues, and the problem with the finish of the ring, and query a swap to Alpha. (I'm assuming you have a Classic ring.)
From the sound of things that should sort you out.
If you get the chance, test your ring with a friends phone to check whether it actually does function or not. I'm assuming from the failed read error that it will but your devices are simply being a little too picky.
Also try persevering with the one you have, changing the orientation of the ring to see if that positively affects things at all for you. And remember to move it slowly through the sweet spot, the rings are more difficult to read than a standard tag.

But do contact support, they will help you out and get a solution in the works for you.

matt

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I emailed support first with a copy paste of that and they said post on the forum.

If I have to get an Alpha I'm afraid it will just become shelf-ware. I'm a small frame guy (5'2) and already the classic looks pretty big on me.
Thanks for your help and as I find friends with new phone I'll tap away to test.

Yesterday the HTC One (M7) failed, as did a Nokia Lumia something.

Every once and a while it scans. Really sucks though because I setup the lock screen after a good scan but it never scanned again.
So I was locked out of my phone. Turns out if you use Google Authenticator the lockscreen app can't pass your creds.

I had to reboot my phone in safe mode and remove the device manager and app until the ring scanning is figured out.

Lokki

Yeah, 'shelf-ware' isn't really what we want from the ring eh.
Persevere with it, there is a bit of a learning curve here because they behave very differently to a 'standard' non metallic tag. Sometimes if you get it close enough to get the read error sound then rolling the inlay on the back go the device can help with the read sometimes. Also the ring orientation, vertical to the phone as well as horizontal to the phone,and spend at least ten minutes trying to zone inonyour sweet spot. Slowly slowly until you determine that you're truly in the right place with the right orientation. Orientation can also change where the sweet spot is, so sweep the entire phone each way, slowly.
It might simply be a matter of getting to know the ring and it's behaviour intimately enough that you can consistently get a read.
Myself, I still get the occasional failed read even after using the rings for weeks. Usually due to a slight misposition or moving through the sweet spot just a touch too quickly.

NFCringTom

You should have got some extra inlays with your ring they are small fiddly things so they could have been misplaced at some point in our packing process. Let us know an address and we can get some sent out for you.

I would add in that from my experience orientation is everything when it comes to the ring and getting it to read. You want to be aiming for the middle of the inlay to be the part of the ring that is in contact with your phone.

d4ead

another one with the same issue the thing is all this goes exactly against what were looking for a simple secure and instant way to unlock

shama

Not everyone with a Nexus 5 has had these problems: there are a number of users giving reports of good read performance. I have my fingers tightly crossed that when I get my rings I'll be in that situation with my Nexus 5, and not like the OP.

Lokki

@d4ead, mileage can vary between devices, depending on how they've been used and what they've been exposed to. The initial suggestion was to switch to an Alpha ring because that can help in cases where the NFC antenna is too large to match properly with the small antenna in a Classic NFC Ring. This doesn't correct the initial issues but can make them less obvious.
FYI a few cases of poor function out of so many does not an issue with the ring make. It does however point out issues with the design and implementation of NFC antennas in some handsets.
My own experience with an old co-worker's Nexus 5 was quite good with both the Classic and Alpha rings and shows that they do perform well when they're in good working order.
Something else to point out is that not everyone got the rings with phone unlocking in mind - I only started playing with android devices in order to understand what was happening with those who did and were having issues. My original purpose was to use the ring with my car and my house doors. Android unlocking is no more than a bonus to me.

shama

@Lokki said:

Android unlocking is no more than a bonus to me.

For me it was the prime reason for backing.