Help NFC Bluetooth???

[Mutant04]

Hi All

Love my S4, however I thought I'd give NFC a try.

I turned on S Beam and NFC icons.
Went to my File browser to send a file, clicked Transfer with NFC and it tells to switch on Bluetooth?

Also says I need to download an app to use NFC. this app being File Expert.

I have tried sending a file to a Nexus 7, Galaxy S3 and another S4, and get the same thing on each of them.

What is the point, If I have to switch on Bluetooth, I may as well use Bluetooth.

I also was under the impression you could send files out the box, and not have download an app for it work!!!

Or maybe I'm doing it wrong.
Any help/advice would be most welcome.

 

[WKA_Doc]

I was messing around with NFC the other day. My coworker has a DNA and he can send files to me but I cannot send files to him. From what I have researched thus far NFC is only good for sending tiny files (contacts, etc..). When you try to send something that is bigger than that NFC initiates an ad-hoc wifi connection and then transfers the file over that as long as both phones are in close proximity. (not sure if this is BT or WiFi..). Also I read an article saying that the S4 was using a next gen NFC chip. So that might explain some of the compatibility issues with other devices - although I would have hoped it would be backward compatible.

At any rate. I have not gotten any hits on my post and that is what I have found so far. Have not had any more time to mess with it.

 

[BigRedGonzo]

I may be completely wrong, but as I understand it NFC and S-Beam are both subsets of bluetooth. I have successfully sent and received files via this way. I have sent some fairly large pictures between my S4 and my wife's Note II.

FWIW,
BigRedGonzo

 

[WKA_Doc]

May be. May not be. the S4 is my first go around with it. As I read and understood it though, NFC "near field communication" is basically RFID. The chips arent powered until an inductive signal juices them. That is why such close proximity is needed to activate them. If it was all bluetooth you could do it from across the room.

Although I also read that after NFC initiates the communication it can be offloaded to other transports such as BT or WiFi for larger transfers.