Great app, but somehow cannot be installed to my device!

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. open App-URL in Playstore (on the computer)
2. try to click on "Install"
(3. don't know if it might make a difference, but anyway: I've set my device's 
language to English (AU) )

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
- Expected output would be being able to install the app. Instead, it is stated 
that none of my devices (incl. Galaxy S5 Mini!) is compatbile with the app. 
Accordingly, I cannot even find the app when using the playstore android app on 
my phone.

What version of the product are you using? On what operating system?
- Latest version of the app seems to be 1.1 (March 28th 2013), my device 
(Galaxy S5 Mini, SM-G800F) is running on Android 4.4.2

Please provide any additional information below.
- Thanks for creating this awesome app (which works great on my friend's Galaxy 
S5 and is certainly useful to many students at KIT). 
Just wanted to let you know about this issue to ensure everybody using a proper 
device is able to install the app (including me of course, since I'd love to 
use it, too :P )
- Additional info: I've found a tool which enables me just to download the .apk 
file. Thus, installing the app to my phone is then possible, but when bringing 
the phone close to my KIT student card there is a (Toast) message stating "NFC 
tag type not supported".

Any feedback on that issue would be highly appreciated.

Cheers, 

Simon

Original issue reported on code.google.com by simonpr...@gmail.com on 26 Nov 2014 at 1:55

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I've only now noticed the existing (closed/wontfix) issues on similar problems. 
Looks like my phone is also one of the devices which simply doesn't support 
this type of tags? Also, I've not yet mentioned that I'm not using any kind of 
custom rom or root at the moment.

What a bummer, but in this case of course ignore my request. Still a bit weird 
since my friends' Galaxy S5 (and I'm quite sure even Galaxy S3 and Galaxy 
Nexus) are perfectly able to use the app / read the cards...and S5 / S5 Mini 
seem to have the same NFC specs according to this website: 
http://www.shopnfc.it/en/content/7-nfc-device-compatibility

Original comment by simonpr...@gmail.com on 26 Nov 2014 at 2:06

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Are you sure about the S5? The site clearly lists S5/S5 Mini as not compatible 
with Mifare 1k (which is what we need). Sure, Galaxy Nexus works, as does the 
S3.

Original comment by philipp.kern on 26 Nov 2014 at 2:12

[GoogleCodeExporter]

[deleted comment]

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Yes I'm sure, we've even just tried it a second time right now (sitting next to 
each other and with different KIT cards).
And of course I understand that this sounds very weird, especially given the 
phones' similarity (this was our initial motivation to investigate further) and 
the compatiblity list - but I can ensure you that it's true. 

(Regarding our memories about the Nexus and S3 we just couldn't imagine that a 
few much older phones were actually capable of reading our students card while 
brand new models could not...)

Original comment by simonpr...@gmail.com on 26 Nov 2014 at 2:29

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Looks like the S5 comes in many different device types: one per carrier (yay!). 
Warning: Gory details will follow. Happily the Play Store's device view got 
much more usable. Unsupported are these S5 (you can make out some details like 
LTE, 3G or wifi-only from the codenames):

kitespr - S5
kitesprsports - S5 K Sport
SCL23 - S5
kminilte - S5 mini LTE
kminiwifi - S5 mini
kmini3g - S5 mini

The following S5 are supported:

k3g - S5
kccat6 - S5 LTE-A
kgedlte - S5 Google Play Edition
klteacg - S5
klteactive - S5 Active
klteattactive - S5 Active
klteatt - S5
kltecanactive - S5 Active
kltecan - S5
klteduoszn - S5
kltektt - S5
kltelgt - S5
kltelra - S5
klteMetroPCS - S5
klte - S5
klteskt - S5
kltetmo - S5
klteusc - S5
kltevzw - S5
kwifi - S5
lentisltektt - S5
lentisltelgt - S5
lentislteskt - S5

As you can see the mini is indeed not supported and that seems correct to me.

The whole story since the creation of the app has been sad. I'm amazed that the 
Google Play Edition should actually work. Shortly after I made it the N7 (2013) 
was released, with a new Broadcom NFC chip instead of the old NXP chip that 
supports the proprietary Mifare crypto. Further Nexus devices reused the same 
Broadcom chip and hence the app got worthless on current Nexus devices, which 
is also why I no longer own a KITCard Reader-capable device.

But I'm afraid I can't do much here. :(

Original comment by philipp.kern on 26 Nov 2014 at 8:11

• Changed state: WontFix

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hey Philipp,
wow, thanks for your quick and dedicated support!

Sure, the upshot is pretty disappointing, for both of us and everyone else 
owning such devices. And it's crazy how many devices and versions with only 
slight/unknown differences there are to consider, even when just looking at the 
S5/Mini(btw, why would anyone sell or buy a wifi-only version of a mobile phone 
in the first place?)

Anyway,thanks again for your detailed reply. Despite the result I'd be happy to 
buy you a coffee if you make it back to Karlsruhe anytime within the next few 
months. ;-)

Cheers,

Simon

Original comment by simonpr...@gmail.com on 26 Nov 2014 at 8:59

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Wifi-only versions are like the iPod Touch: a popular choice for kids who 
cannot yet be trusted with mobile data / a mobile phone contract. (Whyever that 
is.) You still get the apps and the music. ;-)

Original comment by philipp.kern on 26 Nov 2014 at 9:04