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Yeah. We need fm radio in phones. No more Spotify would be great. No more skipping songs. Just flicking stations. And no data loss. And it would be cool to ski and listen to the local stations. That's why I'm considering buying an iPod nano.
Why would that prevent Spotify? And how does that relate to skipping songs? It's not like you get to choose what's playing or anything like that.
 
So when a hurricane hits and there is no power, they want people to use their barely making a whole day battery iPhone, as an FM radio? ok.

Sounds like you have never had a phone with radio enabled!!
Radio lasts ages battery wise, unlike when you are pulling data for streaming and such.
I had several Androids with FM radio and it’s awesome. Listen to games, etc without using data or draining battery.
And for emergencies...yes.
 
I want to see FM radio enabled. I loved my iPod Nano for that reason. It's still work, but I think if it works with iPhone it could be much better.
 
Not activated because they are being Richards. Even if connectivity is marginal thats better than none at all. Off point but some of my friends have gotten so Radio adverse, I have been giving them a 10 buck AM/FM Radio so they have something for emergencies and hoping they never have to thank me for it .
 
According to Apple only iPhone 6 and below have the FM version of the chip, but they don't have an FM antenna.
 
According to Apple only iPhone 6 and below have the FM version of the chip, but they don't have an FM antenna.

I can believe this. To save money, it's quite possible that Apple now uses front end chips without FM capability.

So the FCC should instead be calling for future models to have FM support, and they should make this request of all phone makers who don't already do it.

---

On a side note, when many of us were kids, all the AM radios had the two Conelrad Civil Defense stations marked, and we all knew that's where to tune in case of nuclear attack, earthquake, etc.

Conelrad stood for COntrol of ELectronic RADiation, and was intended to make it more difficult for an enemy to trace or stop our communications.

Likewise, I suspect that one of the reasons the US government never mandated CDMA or GSM cellular, was so that there would not be just one easy way to jam all phone communications.
 
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iPhones are not able to get FM, the 7 and 8 don,t even have FM tuner in the chip and the iPhones that do don,t have an antenna and they would first need to charge the iPhone that they can,t do as they are without power.

Instead of spending money on writing dumb letters to Apple they would be better off getting the gov to send out windup radios to these places
 
Given the cell networks, there are better ways to distribute emergency info that are more efficient.
FM needs an additional antenna, which is a design problem.
Broadcast is going the way of the Dodo.
Did you even read the original article. There are quite a few places that suffered such dramatic damage to the cell network in the recent hurricanes that they literally no longer have a cell network. Communication in many cases is relying on Ham radio enthusiasts.
 
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It looks that Apple cares the diverse people more than the ordinary people. FCC should request every phone maker to include FM radio in their phones.
 
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Technically, that would work, but honestly, if people aren't paying attention to all the media already working around them do you really think they'd go out of their way to find a set of wired headphones so they could listen to now-very-old-tech FM on their iPhone to learn about a storm that's all over every other media channel already? Yeah, it is possible, but it seems extraordinarily unlikely.

Boy do you live in a bubble. The majority of Americans still listen to FM radio often. You make it sound like it's the horse and buggy! The only difference is that most people assume FM radio is in a car. They've just been fooled for years that FM isn't in their cell phone.
 
Enabling the FM capability doesn't fit their agenda/business model, and their vested interests in Apple Music. If Apple ever enables FM radio in iPhones, I'll eat my shorts. It's the same sort of stubbornness streak that keeps Apple from supporting open protocols, codecs, standards, etc. (except for a select few that meet their business interests).

Apple uses open standards in most cases, look it up! Everyone criticises them for something that is just not true.
 
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The reason I suspect, for the lack of interest in including FM functionality is it's not an on-brand experience. Apple's brand is about futuristic looking luxury tech. Apple is simple. Clean lines, optimized experience. I'm not saying it always is successful in that regard, but including old-fashioned analog tech is wayyyyyyyy off brand. Radio stations hiss and go in and out of reception. Yes, digital tuners can lock onto frequencies with precision but it's still very hit or miss. Analog is "ugly" in the shiny rectangle world. While it degrades gracefully in comparison to digital streams, it's very much out of place in a device that is positioned as bleeding edge. (Can you imagine an iPhone with old style tv static on the screen? It feels out of place.) Yes I'm aware apple does NOT typically use bleeding edge tech in terms of individual components or features but they are all cohesive and generally well-orchestrated so the overall experience is perceived as relatively effortless and luxe. It's all about the brand. Apple goes out of their way to protect this image as its their greatest asset.
 
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why are there 2 exact same article posted back to back? what is the point of it? do you MR journalist have a quota to meet and doesnt matter if you report the same article twice you still can fulfill the quota?
 
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Sooo the FCC are asking Apple to enable something that doesn't exist in the last 2 (most likely 3 phones, if the X is included), Yet the FCC are the ones that test and approve the devices for sale... Someone really needs to let the guy in charge know - oh wait...
 
"Pai noted that he is a believer in free markets and the rule of law, and he thereby cannot support a government mandate requiring activation of these chips..."

If something is necessary for the protection of the people, you change the law. The rule of law is not some static and ossified state of being, it is an idea about respecting the law as it currently exists, until such time as you change it through democratic processes, but changing the law is ALWAYS on the table. This idiot just tried to make a conflation between Capitalism and Democracy, not a new tactic, but one that is and has always been wholly ridiculous.
 
it is ironic that we live in a technological age, mobile phones, windows/android/apple tablets, laptops, PDA's but yet when disaster strikes we have to resort to using very old technology, the humble radio. So much for modern day technology.
 
it is ironic that we live in a technological age, mobile phones, windows/android/apple tablets, laptops, PDA's but yet when disaster strikes we have to resort to using very old technology, the humble radio. So much for modern day technology.

Yep. Radio is still technology, just nowhere near as fragile as cell systems.

In the same way, if we ever got hit by freak solar storms or an EMP, we'd be reliant on older, simpler non-computerized vehicles.

Always a good idea to keep a backup ;)
 
Boy do you live in a bubble. The majority of Americans still listen to FM radio often. You make it sound like it's the horse and buggy! The only difference is that most people assume FM radio is in a car. They've just been fooled for years that FM isn't in their cell phone.

According to Apple, it isn't in their phone, if they own a 7 or later. And your point about the vehicle is exactly on point. Very few people keep AM/FM radios around the house. And, increasingly, few listen to broadcast or even satellite radio in their vehicles - they're listening to their phones.

And my challenge from a few pages back stands: how many here have actually listened to broadcast FM on a phone or iPod? It is very limited in quite a few ways, starting with severely shortened battery life and the need to use wired headphones.
 
The reason I suspect, for the lack of interest in including FM functionality is it's not an on-brand experience. Apple's brand is about futuristic looking luxury tech. Apple is simple. Clean lines, optimized experience. I'm not saying it always is successful in that regard, but including old-fashioned analog tech is wayyyyyyyy off brand. Radio stations hiss and go in and out of reception. Yes, digital tuners can lock onto frequencies with precision but it's still very hit or miss. Analog is "ugly" in the shiny rectangle world. While it degrades gracefully in comparison to digital streams, it's very much out of place in a device that is positioned as bleeding edge. (Can you imagine an iPhone with old style tv static on the screen? It feels out of place.) Yes I'm aware apple does NOT typically use bleeding edge tech in terms of individual components or features but they are all cohesive and generally well-orchestrated so the overall experience is perceived as relatively effortless and luxe. It's all about the brand. Apple goes out of their way to protect this image as its their greatest asset.

SMS came out in '92.
 
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