android - List of OMAPI supported devices

Question

I'm developing with the Open Mobile API but so far haven't found a list of devices that support the API by default (by default being using the OEM ROM).

I realise that since API level 21, Android telephony supports sending APDUs via basic and logical channels dirctly through the TelephonyManager. But I'd like to know about devices running pre-API level 21 too.

So, has a list already been compiled of devices with built-in support or is there a way to find out for myself?

Answer 1

I'm not aware of any complete list. However, there is a not so comprehensive one in our report Open Mobile API: Accessing the UICC on Android Devices and there is another one (though now unmaintained) in the SEEK-for-Android Wiki.

If you have access to each of the devices you are interested in, you could, of cource, check if the smartcard system service is available on them:

final String SMARTCARD_SERVICE_PACKAGE = "org.simalliance.openmobileapi.service";
try {
    PackageInfo pi = getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(SMARTCARD_SERVICE_PACKAGE, 0);
    // smartcard service present
} catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException ex) {
    // smartcard service NOT present
}

Or you could simply create an app that declares to require the Open Mobile API library by adding the following uses-library entry to its AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-library android:name="org.simalliance.openmobileapi" android:required="true" />

If that app can be installed on a device, this indicates that the device contains the Open Mobile API library.

This may also be a way to obtain a more comprehensive list of supported devices: You could create such an app and publish it on Google Play. Google Play will filter based on <uses-library /> entries that have the required attribute set to true (android:required="true"); see also <uses-library> and Filters on Google Play. This means, that once you uploaded such an app to Google Play, you should be able to get a list of suuported devices that essentially matches all devices that have the Open Mobile API library available on them.