Waste of money
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Overall I am severely disappointed with my ring. The idea is fantastic, but it simply doesn't work. The only way I can get it to even register on my note 3 is to remove the stock back cover and find the minuscule "sweetspot" on the back of the stock battery which makes it utterly useless. I have no problem with nfc working on the phone with other items so the fault certainly doesn't lie with the phone hardware. On the few rare occasions I was able to get the ring to work the app them simply failed by either not accepting it as a genuine NFC ring (Tried both the black and the white inlay without success) not to mention the poorly coded unlock app causing my phone to lock me out despite the fact it shouldn't be running anyway as the ring failed to register with it in the first place.
The conclusion: I am glad I only wasted £25 on it and will just have to write it off as a life lesson. I just need to figure out what to do with the ring now. Any ideas for an alternate use, maybe for small napkins?
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if you have problems with reading your normal ring you can ask for an exchange to an alpha which should work better with your note 3
also you should read a few of the forum threads. one of them explains the "NOT NFCRING" error you get -
If you are willing to go through the process and wait, I would go with the alpha as @Lafunamor suggested. Otherwise you can look through the forum for tips on getting the ring to work a little more consistently with your Note 3. Here's a few threads that may (or may not) help you:
https://forum.nfcring.com/topic/51/note-3-not-reading/3
https://forum.nfcring.com/topic/52/nfc-antenna-theoryI have one too and I know it can be a hugely troublesome to get it to read. One thing I've found is that the stock back cover somewhat interferes with NFC just enough that small tags like the one in the ring can be noticeably harder to read. I just kept the back cover off and use a rubber/plastic tight-fitting case (I got a deal for like $3 from Rakuten), and it seems to read a little better. Even then it takes a little practice to find a way to comfortably and reliably get the ring to be read finding the right spot and orientation to use.
I found a system that works for me, but it took awhile. When I get a voucher, I'm definitely going to go for an alpha. The spare alpha tag I got with my ring reads substantially better. So I'm confident that the same would go for the alpha ring as well.
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Thanks @MikeInSeattle for providing the links
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Yea, pesky note 3 is a pain in everyones butt when it comes to NFC, very little we can do here.. It's basically like buying a copy of Skyrim and expecting it to run on a computer running Windows 95.
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what is the Alpha version? And how would I go about exchanging it
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The Alpha version is a bigger version of the ring (meaning the ring is wider). It contains a lager NFC antenna which is easier to read for your phone.
@Lokki can probably provide a photo.the procedure you would have to follow can be found under http://nfcring.com/returns
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The Alpha is the wide one, the other two are Classic bands.
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I think the Alpha version is somewhat unattractive compared to the regular version. As someone who only wants to unlock their phone and for whom security is much less of a concern, I'd like a version with a single chip and a stronger signal. My understanding is that the use of metal in the ring is also attenuating the signal to some extent. I'd be interested in a ring produced using different materials.
I don't want to have to use a sweet spot. I want to be able to pick up my phone in any way I like and have the phone unlock.
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@seanspotatobusiness noted. We're always working on improving experience :)
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Cool. It's nice to know you're listening. I'm not sure how practical this is but perhaps different RFID frequencies will produce a better range but I know next-to-nothing about it. I guess I'll check back in a couple of months and see what the situation is.
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Awesome thanks :)
