I know I'm "new", but I've actually lurked these forums many a time. I was around to pick up the first official Bell SGS2 ICS ROM back at the end of 2011, and I just finished installing NeatROM 4.0 for SGS2 (that one thread on Google if you search it up); it's INSANELY awesome.
The one problem I have right now is my inability to use NFC.
I know NFC did not ship with the "UK" and "international" SGS2s (beginning of the run); especially those that came with the Bell Canada's SGS2 run (at the very start - got my phone in July of 2011).
I wanted to know how hard it would be to install an NFC chip into this phone.
While I'm Canadian pure and simple, I'm interning in the US and would like the ability to use NFC to pay for things via Google Wallet (I've actually been hyped up since it's launch in the US and several other countries).
Please let me know how this can be done, if it can be done - I've Google'd and a bunch of other methods, but all I get is useless specification pages about the SGS2. I figured this was possible since the later versions of the AT&T and T-Mobile SGS2 phones shipped with NFC, and they were essentially the exact same hardware + NFC chip.
I don't believe my phone already has it (I've Google'd how to "enable" it, but Z-Device Test doesn't show NFC, and I believe it).
I rooted the phone already, etc... I can usually find my way around as long as someone gives me a good start. What major parts would I need to purchase to make this possible?
Thanks in advance for the help.
There are micro sd cards with nfc in them being developed
Related
I live in China and just bought a Galaxy S3 here, apparently the i9308 model that is sold by China Mobile.
Big mistake, it is bundled with loads of Chinese bloatware that replaces crucial software like Google Play and replaces those with proprietary Chinese services that I cannot use (I can't read Chinese). So, although the phone works and have English language for the most basic functions, it takes all the smart out of the smartphone. I cannot even install an app on it.
The seller refused to refund the money, which is the common way to do business here, so in desperation I turned to custom ROMs, even though I know my hardware is probably not identical with the i9300 which they are usually designed for.
I followed this procedure to install the Omega 2.5 ROM on the i9308:
- Installed CF-Root-SGS3-v6.3 with Odin 3.04
- installed the I9300_Omega_v5.2_XXALF2, using no bloatware option
- Factory data reset
After this it works great, with everything running as I hoped for - except the modem does not work!! So, basically , I now got a dead phone running as a PDA over WIFI only.
So, apparently the modem is not working any longer since it is different from the one in the i9300.
I took a note of the original baseband version used by the i9308 though: I9308ZMLEA
Is there anything I can do to get my phone working again with an English system?
EDIT -UPDATE
I gave up, and tried to restore to the original Chinese ROM as provided here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1722247
But although the modem seems to be working and I got antenna bars, I could not be connected to the network, so basically the phone was dead AND I had a Chinese system. Could hardly be worse.
Finally I just took the phone back to the store, said it is broken, and negotiated to get the proper i9300 version as a replacement. It's working fine, and the only problem is it is butt ugly as they only have the i9300 in white color.
Anyway, a big warning to anyone who wants to pick up a phone in another country. Although the phone seems to be the same, some local teleoperator might have completely screwed it over until it's practically useless and nothing like what you have been reading about in the reviews. Samsung has been way too flexible in allowing China Mobile to basically ruin an otherwise great phone.
not to bump this old thread but you wouldn't happen to jnow of the tech support email for chian mobile? or another way to exchange this relatively new Gt-I9308 for the GT-I9300 model as you did in store? because otherwise I'm here in america stuck with a chinese galaxy s3
Hollow704 said:
not to bump this old thread but you wouldn't happen to jnow of the tech support email for chian mobile? or another way to exchange this relatively new Gt-I9308 for the GT-I9300 model as you did in store? because otherwise I'm here in america stuck with a chinese galaxy s3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
China mobile doesn't offer the I9300 only the I9308. China Unicom is I9300. My guess is they bought it through a retailer and made the exchange that way.
old post late reply, i know but nvm that, anyway if anyone is still interested in this, here i have the right solution to this. recently i have been collecting some old Samsung phones, i managed to get hold of a Chinese 9308, as u know, all i9300 roms/twrp work on 9308, but can't detect SIM card/mobile network, however i found one version of the MIUI6 roms, so far so good, everything appear to work perfectly, has all languages, Google play & framework (services), most importantly, 3G works fine too. i will shortly provide links to the downloads.
noobically_sane said:
old post late reply, i know but nvm that, anyway if anyone is still interested in this, here i have the right solution to this. recently i have been collecting some old Samsung phones, i managed to get hold of a Chinese 9308, as u know, all i9300 roms/twrp work on 9308, but can't detect SIM card/mobile network, however i found one version of the MIUI6 roms, so far so good, everything appear to work perfectly, has all languages, Google play & framework (services), most importantly, 3G works fine too. i will shortly provide links to the downloads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would be best starting you own thread with your downloads as it'll get lost in all the clutter if you post it in this thread.
Beamed in by telepathy.
I hate to ask this but after returning my HTC One X back and while waiting for a refund which I don't even know if I'll ever get, I better ask this question before doing the same mistake again. Well, I returned my HOX because GPS was unusable. Not just on my phone, basically HOX doesn't really have GPS. It only has it as a decorative feature but there is no way you can use it for navigation. Such issue definitely can't be fixed with a software fix so I decided to return it and see forward to SG SIII.
What I wanted to ask is, are there any serious hardware issues with SIII as well that should stop me from buying it? I don't mean issues like instability (or network errors) with S-Voice and similar things that could be solved in the near future with software updates. I mean real hardware issues like the one I described above that make you believe they won't ever be fixed because it's impossible.
Now I come from HTC only background so I may miss some things from Samsung. I therefore need to ask the following simple questions as well:
- Does Samsung offer a sync software similar to HTC Sync? (That will allow you to sync with Outlook)
- Is the SGSIII fully rootable (with S-OFF bootloader)
- 2-way call recording works (is there a kernel hack or does it work/not by default)?
- Anyone used iGo navigation with success?
Those are my requirements so if it fulfills them and there are no issues, that's enough for me to buy this phone.
Thanks :laugh:
Just like to join in as I am wondering the same things, for the same reasons. Except I'd say GPs absolutely does work in the One X, so I suspect you had the antenna disconnection problem. Mine was in for repair 4 times for this (WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS) and on the 5th incident I asked for a refund. HTC have actually said this is a known problem they can now fix.
Otherwise, just like to watch this thread while I also wait for a refund..
All the problems I've noticed are all software related and heard no real complaints about hardware except for some occasional whining about design and the back cover being a bit fragile, and the GPS is by far the best I've ever used for lock speed and indoor/blocked reception.
So far I've had 0 hardware issues. You seem like GPS functioning well is what you are wondering as well? I have the Navigon app and have used it with data turned off and GPS+data and both work great I was a bit worried coming from the S2 as I found it's GPS to be spotty at best.
andreasy said:
What I wanted to ask is, are there any serious hardware issues with SIII as well that should stop me from buying it?
None posted .
Now I come from HTC only background so I may miss some things from Samsung. I therefore need to ask the following simple questions as well:
- Does Samsung offer a sync software similar to HTC Sync? (That will allow you to sync with Outlook)
KIES but not 100% sure on Outlook
- Is the SGSIII fully rootable (with S-OFF bootloader)
Fully rootable but not with HTC tools .
-
- Anyone used iGo navigation with success?
Igo post in Themes but problems might be IGO needing to update .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iGO works just perfect for me.
Hi
I returned 4 HOX'S for various problems, so I got the galaxy s3, had it for 4 weeks and had no issues, fantastic phone, I use endomondo all the time again no issues with GPS. In the last 8 months I've had 9 different phones to try and find the right one and this is a keeper.
Hope it helps....
I recently "defected" from HTC to this, my first Samsung.
I would like to address the question about Sync'ing with Outlook.
The wretched application provided by HTC for this purpose always annoyed me. It had the nasty habit of modifying contact details and appointments in Outlook even though I had carefully set it not to touch them.
The equivalent program for Samsung (KIES) is not perfect, but it Sync'ed my Outlook contacts perfectly with no undesirable side-effects.
I'm really glad I switched to the GS3.
For such a leading-edge product that has not been released very long, there are surprisingly few bugs. GPS is the best I've ever seen (and I've seen a few!)
Hi all
I hope that I am in the right place.
I currently have a MyTouch phone but was in China last week and saw these Galaxy S3 knockoffs and figured I would buy one.
I am now back in the States and the Galaxy works quite well but there are a few things I cannot get to work and was hoping someone could help.
Firstly the data connection from my service provider seems quite slow compared to the MyTouch.
Secondly the GPS does not seem to work. I have tried a few different combinations but no luck. I have enabled and disabled the Google location in the settings to no avail. I have left the phone on for more than 15 minutes trying to get a GPS signal but still no luck.
I know that the phone is a knockoff and did not expect much but it sure does work faster than the MyTouch – apart from the GPS and data.
So my question is –
Is there a way to get it to work? Would it be possible to reload the software on the phone with one from an original Galaxy? I am not sure of the terminology but does that mean I would need to flash the phone or root the phone – if this is the case, how easy is it to do and would it brick my phone?
Where would I get the firmware from to do so?
Any (detailed) help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
kouger1 said:
Hi all
I hope that I am in the right place.
I currently have a MyTouch phone but was in China last week and saw these Galaxy S3 knockoffs and figured I would buy one.
I am now back in the States and the Galaxy works quite well but there are a few things I cannot get to work and was hoping someone could help.
Firstly the data connection from my service provider seems quite slow compared to the MyTouch.
Secondly the GPS does not seem to work. I have tried a few different combinations but no luck. I have enabled and disabled the Google location in the settings to no avail. I have left the phone on for more than 15 minutes trying to get a GPS signal but still no luck.
I know that the phone is a knockoff and did not expect much but it sure does work faster than the MyTouch – apart from the GPS and data.
So my question is –
Is there a way to get it to work? Would it be possible to reload the software on the phone with one from an original Galaxy? I am not sure of the terminology but does that mean I would need to flash the phone or root the phone – if this is the case, how easy is it to do and would it brick my phone?
Where would I get the firmware from to do so?
Any (detailed) help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as i know these SGS3 knockoffs or clones do not have the same hardware as the SGS3 so you can't use custom SGS3 roms.
This forum is of no use to you unfortunately, do a search for your model on Google and you should find some forums that might help you
slaphead20 said:
This forum is of no use to you unfortunately, do a search for your model on Google and you should find some forums that might help you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do, thanks
Hello - Dear XDA Developers Community,
First up... I'm a NOOB! (thought I'd get that out of the way first & foremost).
2nd - Please no suggestions I get my money back (already pursuing that option)
I've had a fairly modest history with Android devices, culminating in my most recent purchase a used Samsung Galaxy SII (18 months old) off eBay from a private seller. Unfortunately, from the minute I switched it on I expereinced chronic problems in achieving a reliable & consistent signal for voice & data. I'm in the UK on a PAYG & 3 are my network provider.
Upon switching the S II on with my old SIM inserted & going through some initial config (google account, SMS configuration settings, etc). I experienced intermittent signal loss for both voice & data. sporadically my phone would have no service or 1 bar (voice only!!). Expecting this to be a transient network issue I switched my SIM back into my old phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace) which gave me a consistent 3G signal. Now alarmed, I called 3 Customer services & we went through a rather lengthy trouble shooting session on the phone (multiple reboots, manually entering network details, restoring factory settings, etc). None of this worked and the 3 guy recommended I upgrade to the latest Samsung approved firmware in the hope that would perhaps fix the problem. I successfully update the firmware (details below) but the problem remained the same....
Current Android Level :-
Android Version : 4.1.2
Baseband Version: I9100NELS1
Kernel Version 3.0.31-889555
I perfomed the same tests at my house with identical results. Galaxy Ace with same SIM had decent, reliable & consistent 3G signal whereas my S2 with the same SIM struggled to achieve 1 bar at best (not even 3G or HDSPA - just a very weak voice signal). I called 3 customer services again who advised following all the action taken (and in light of both locations - B98 9AY & CV11 6GH having no coverage or network problems) the problem is definitely with the handset & there's nothing they can do.
So, I went for a stroll...... Amazingly in other areas I can achieve a good signal with high speed data transfer rates on HDSPA+ (up to 8 meg according to speedtest app). Unfortunately, in the two locations I spend the vast majority of my time (Office & Home) the phone is rarely anything other than a glorified WiFi enabled device.
I also remembered I had a GiffGaff SIM so gave this a try as well. The singal was also patchy at best and I didn't even get anything approaching a data strength reception. I checked on the o2 coverage checker which informed my location should easily be able to pick up a good voice & data signal. All of which strengthens my suspicions the problem is with the handset itself.
I've spent many hours trawling the Internet for solutions and can't see too many instances that closely match the symptoms I'm experiencing. I've downloaded the OpenSignal app - which is of limited use for me. At the moment I'm thinking this will have one of three root causes (at the moment I'm sulking and thinking it's option 1).
1) The Samsung Galaxy S II receiver is simply crap and there's nothing I can do
2) The Samsung Galaxy S II receiver is defective or inefficient at a hardware level (could send off to have it fixed)
3) There's some problem with the drivers/firmware for the receiver that will require a custom ROM upgrade to fix.
I'm open to the idea of rooting & installing a custom ROM to fix this, but only want to go down this route if it's pretty certain to have a positive outcome for this problem.
Thanks for taking the time to read this & look forward to your replies.
Kind Regards,
BrokenSparrow.
try the nordic 4.1.2 rom download HERE link from sammobile.com. flash it and see if it helps other than that you could try different modem files.. there is as thread about it around here some were....... HERE give that a go and see what happens gotta be worth the shot before righting off the whole phone... GOOD LUCK
That's tells me it's most likely down to the particular equipment your carrier is using in the cells close to where you use the phone the most (when it doesn't work). If it were a hardware issue, you'd either have the problem intermittently everywhere or all the time/everywhere. Tho that doesn't completely rule out a hardware issue; I'm just saying, on balance & on the evidence you've offered, that's my theory.
What I'd do in your situation phone-wise is to go back to ICS stock - rooted (not 4.0.4) & flash a bunch of different modems (rooting your phone/having CWM rather than stock recovery will make this process relatively simple) & see if you find one that improves your connectivity where you use the phone most. Unfortunately, modems are black boxes & largely undocumented (publicly at least), so people have found out through trial & error which modems seem to work well with which carriers/in which countries (and sometimes even in certain areas; that variation in equipment carriers use in different base stations).
A good place to start is try all the modems bundled with stock roms released by your carrier. Reasoning being you'd hoped your carrier would have thoroughly tested every facet of a rom before releasing it, and that the modem bundled with it would work with their network most of the time/in most places.
If you still didn't have any joy once you've done that (not very many to try given your carrier has probably only released a handful or roms, so it wouldn't take you long), then you could search here & look at what modems other people had tried with your carrier & try those, then you could start trying any/every modem you can get your hands on (there's dozens; relax, if one doesn't work, the worst thing that can happen to your phone is you'll have no connectivity with that particular modem, which you remedy by going back to one you know works).
If you'd done all that & still had the same problem, I'd be sending it back to seller & frankly, given the problems you've had from the get-go, you may want to consider that sooner rather than later unless you have the stomach to try a lot of stuff that has no guarantee of fixing your problem. You could also have a phone tech take a look at it either before or after you start your own troubleshooting, but if it were me, I'd be returning it given you have no real way of knowing it's history.
brokensparrow said:
So, I went for a stroll...... Amazingly in other areas I can achieve a good signal with high speed data transfer rates on HDSPA+ (up to 8 meg according to speedtest app). Unfortunately, in the two locations I spend the vast majority of my time (Office & Home) the phone is rarely anything other than a glorified WiFi enabled device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root and updae RIL (and SIM)
brokensparrow said:
I'm open to the idea of rooting & installing a custom ROM to fix this, but only want to go down this route if it's pretty certain to have a positive outcome for this problem.
Thanks for taking the time to read this & look forward to your replies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root the handset (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1826497 (thanks pelpa87)) and look into updating the RIL (Radio Interface Layer) / BaseBand (free app available form Play called GetRIL (thanx to SIBBOR) will assist in updating RIL) BaseBand tends to be updates with ROM (so poss update ROM too).
Also, people forget that the SIM card is a micro controller, with its own software, memory and (big pinch of salt here) processor, using a new(er) SIM / USIM card will help improve signal.
All,
Many thanks for your advice so far. I've done the following
- Rooted the phone
- Gone back to ICS 4.0.4 and tried various modems from links provided
- Tried JellyBAM, NordicOS & SlimBean with a combination of different modems
- Ran the GetIRL utility and matched up with Baseband version
I get similar results from all of these steps & the common denominator appears to be the modem. I experience slightly improved reception using NEL3 and XXG3. These improvements are marginal, but do at least give me a voice only connection in the afforementioned locations (but interestingly only on Orange/3 - which I guess is 3's failsafe network).
Also, discovered Samsung warranty for all smart phones is 24 months.... As this handset is only 18 months old it may be eligible for repair as the small print on the warranty statement declares the warranty entitlement can be transferred to different end users. This does represent me with a slightly different problem however! I've been messing around with the phone rather a lot (more than enough to void the warranty). So, before I send it off I need to make it as close to the stock version of Android as I can. These are the things I can think of....
- Install latest stock Firmware via Kies (think this should unroot and put me back on a stock kernel)
- Remove all the zip files used for "tinkering" from the internal SD card
- Also noticed several times there a utility that shows you exactly how many times custom ROM's have been put on the device - so this is something I'm anxious to remove as well. Any other points or advice on how to conceal my "tinkering" from Samsung?
Thanks & Regards,
Graham.
-
Triangle away to reset the rom counter otherwise your there. Triangle away is on xda here some were but you'll have to go search fir it as I dont have a link or computer to hand just now. Good luck.
LSJ Powered Time Machine.
---------- Post added at 06:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:23 PM ----------
FOUND IT... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=22462960
LSJ Powered Time Machine.
It's possible that the previous owner replaced the USB flex cable/board with the newer version, which requires a resistor to be de-soldered otherwise it will have extremely poor reception. The previous owner might not have stumbled upon this fix, and thought he'd just get his money back by selling it. Check LittleCanon's post and pictures on page 2 of this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1611409 and compare the pictures to your usb flex cable/board. It's a very simple & easy fix if that's the case. I replaced the usb flex cable/board on my i777 and had the same exact issue until I de-soldered that resistor, now it works perfectly.
Hello everyone!
I recently bought a live demo unit of the galaxy s9+ fairly cheap but I have come to find out that the lack of the sim reader chip isn't the only difference of this device with the final phone. The LDU also doesn't get updates which I find a little bit disturbing so I came here to ask you knowledgeable folks if you could help me sort that out.
Can I install the stock rom and have my device working normally and getting updates? I know this won't magically make the sim reader work and I don't care about that, but on the other hand I don't want anything to break (camera or whatnot (I've seen complaints of things breaking when people install custom roms and that's a reason why I want to stay away from one atm)).