Google Nexus 4, first mobile phone with Broadcom nfc controller chip
With Broadcom inside? Yes, this seems to be the first nfc enabled android phone with a Broadcom nfc controller chip. To date, all android phones had an nfc chip from NXP. After NXP and Inside Secure, Broadcom is the third supplier of NFC controller chips for mobile phones.
Update; Probably there are mobile phones with an nfc chip from Samsung semiconductor and MediaTek. Let’s forget this first-second-third, it’s hard to say and not important.
“good”; supports multiple Secure Elements
“bad”; better don’t buy Mifare Classic nfc tags, only NXP chips support the classic type. (many other types of nfc tags available)
Update; Incompatible mifare classic tags still useful ! ?
You have a Nexus 4, and some incompatible mifare classic tags?
The phone still detects the UID Code (unique identifier) from incompatible tags.
Apps like “NFC ReTag” or “Anytag nfc launcher” do associate the set commands to the detected tag. These apps write nothing to the tag. Feedback welcome.
The Google Nexus 4 has an embedded Secure Element, (must be on the BCM20793 nfc controller chip?) Maybe not all nfc chips from the Broadcom BCM2079x family have this embedded SE.
Update; No SE on the nfc controller chip. The ST33 embedded Secure Element from STMicroelectronics is connected to the Broadcom NFC controller chip in the Nexus 4.
Google branded phones don’t support SWP for SIM-based Secure Element, I read somewhere, I’m not 100% sure about this.
Nexus 4 is sold unlocked and is GSM/HSPA+ compatible so it will operate on more than 200 network providers worldwide. Just pop in a supported SIM card and be up and running in no time.
Specs
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs
• Operating System: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean
• Network: 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+
• Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)
• Memory: 8GB / 16GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Camera: 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP HD front
• Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Polymer (embedded) / Talk time: 15.3 hours / Standby: 390 hours
• Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm
• Weight: 139g
• Other: Wireless charging, NFC
You can make the Nexus 4 your wallet (In the USA). With the free Google Wallet app on your Nexus 4, you can carry all your credit and debit cards with you on your phone. Just tap your phone to pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted (now more than 200,000 stores across the US).
Available
Google Nexus 4 in Google play store; 8GB for $299; 16GB for $349, unlocked and without a contract in the U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Canada.
Offline availability in Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East will begin from the end of November.
16GB version available through T-Mobile USA for $199, with a 2-year contract.
Technical specifications;
Screen
4,7 inch diagonal
Resolution 1280 x 768 pixels (320 ppi)
WXGA IPS
Corning(R) Gorilla(R)-glas 2
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) S4 Pro
Dimensions
133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm
Weight
139 g
Camera’s
8 MP (back)
1.3 MP (front)
Network
unlocked GSM/UMTS/HSPA+
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
HSPA+ 21
Memory
16 GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity is less)
2 GB RAM
Connectivity
Micro-USB
SlimPort-HDMI
3,5-mm headphones
Contactless
Contactless charging
Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
NFC (Android Beam)
Bluetooth
Battery
2,100 mAh lithium-polymeer
Operating Systeem
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Sensors
Microphone
Accelerometer
Compass
Ambient light
Gyroscoop
Barometer
GPS
Source; Google.com
2 comments
6 pings
Christof Kalcher
April 10, 2013 at 10:29 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
In testing the new LG Nexus 4 we have problems to read standard on-metal tags (NTAG203 with ferrit foil) placed on an aluminium plate – often it reads nothing, sometimes it reports an error.
Is this problem known and is it related to the fact, that a Boradcom chip is used instead of a NXP chip? Every other tested phone, also the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, have no problems to read the same tags…
Joao Rostli
April 10, 2013 at 1:22 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Not read about a similar problem previously. Normally the NTAG tags are o k for all nfc enabled devices.
Probably the combination Nexus 4 nfc antenna with these on-metal tags is problematic?
Joao Rostli recently posted..Nokia Lumia 720
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