A method and wireless device with a counterpart presence detector is provided. The detector includes only memory and logic circuits to detect a change in a ringing artifact from the presence of a RF device. The memory stores template signals and threshold values. The template signals may be generated using a metal object positioned various distances from the RF device. The ringing artifact, also called an RF-off signal, is sampled. A difference between subsequent ringing artifact samples is taken to produce a ringing artifact difference. Also, a difference between subsequent samples of a template signal is taken to produce a template difference. A Euclidean distance between the ringing artifact difference and the template difference is determined. The distance is compared to a threshold value. A presence of another RF device within the RF field of the RF device is detected if the distance compares favorably to the threshold value.