Samsung’s Galaxy S II Android 2.3 handset was the Korean phone maker’s flagship smartphone for 2011. An NFC version of the phone has been available since launch in Korea, but is only just starting to appear in other markets, via Orange in Europe and AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA.
An AT&T-specific LTE version of the handset, to be known as the Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, has passed through FCC approval with two different battery covers — one of which sports an NFC antenna and one which doesn’t — according to Engadget.
Samsung tweeted an announcement on 13 March 2012 that an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich would be available in “Europe including Poland, Hungary, Sweden, & Korea, & gradually roll out to other markets.”
MasterCard has certified the Samsung Galaxy S II running Ice Cream Sandwich for use with NFC payments globally, and also the SGH-T989 variant for use with Isis on T-Mobile in the US.
NFC versions are available, known as the GT-I9100P in Europe, but the phone lacks an embedded “Secure Element”. As such Google Wallet cannot run on this phone. Only a SIM card with a Secure Element will enable payment functionality and that will likely tie payments to the mobile network operator. In theory Google could release MicroSDHC cards containing a secure element over which they have control for use with Wallet, but whether the SGSII will support SWP in this scenario is completely unknown.
In the UK Orange have shipped the NFC enabled version of this phone and have continually promised support for their QuickTap service. To date they have suggested the delay was due to issues securely integrating the QuickTap technology into Android. Despite this the Orange branded GT-I9100P update to Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich) included the QuickTap application as a standard pre-installed component. To fully enable QuickTap functionality Orange UK will need to provide the user a new SIM card which contains a Secure Element – exactly what Orange France are promising to do for new customers.
How can we find out if the galaxy SII is the NFC version? Can someone please let me know?
You must have i9100P in order to have NFC. If you have i9100, i9100G etc. you don’t have NFC.
What about the i9100t variant?
Is the Samsung Galaxy II 4G SPH-D710 NFC compatible?
Am using I9100.013 SG II but I seem not to have NFC on it.
I have the SGH-S959G running android version 2.3.6 – does it have NFC? Or is there a workaround?
No, it looks like that’s one of the SIIs that doesn’t have NFC. It’s not mentioned in this spec.