The GALAXY S 4 was discovered to be incompatible with the current line of NFC TecTile tags a few weeks earlier. At that time Samsung let it be known that a next-generation TecTile was coming and well, as of today they have come available for sale. The newly updated tags have been dubbed TecTiles 2 and they are currently available with Samsung.
The Samsung TecTiles 2 come in packs of five and are priced at $14.99. Aside from being available with Samsung, the tags are also going to be available with other retailers beginning in June. Samsung hasn’t offered a specific list of retailers, however they have been available with Amazon in the past.
These new tags will work with the GALAXY S 4, however they are also compatible with “all Samsung NFC-enabled Android smartphones.” Similar to the original tags, these work in conjunction with the Samsung TecTile app found in the Google Play Store. The app is free to download and free to use and allows the user to program (and re-program) the tags.
Usage will likely vary from person to person, however some of the suggested use cases include setting adjustments, making phone calls, launching applications and getting social with check-ins or status updates. The TecTile app is fairly simple to use and walks you through the process fairly well.
Current TecTile users may also want to grab the latest update for the mobile app. Samsung rolled-out an app update back on May 15th which expanded the list of settings that can be adjusted. Again, the use cases are wide and limited mostly to a persons imagination. Some ways that we are using them are on a bedside tablet to set an alarm and silence the phone for the night and also to turn on Bluetooth and launch a music app when getting in a car.
SOURCE: Samsung
what nfc chip type is used in these new tectiles?