Appears as though someone doesn't understand the ultra-low power requirements to receive an FM radio signal.
Exactly. Years ago my parents listened without batteries -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_radio
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Apple Faces Renewed Pressure to Enable FM Radio Chip in iPhones Amid Strong Hurricane Season [Updated]
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Exactly. Years ago my parents listened without batteries -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_radio
Q. Why doesn't Apple activate the FM receiver?
A. Because they choose not to.
That is all the reason they need. What if an Apple customer wants FM activated on their iPhone? Tough. What are they going to do, leave the ecosystem? Apple is betting that they won't (or won't in significant numbers to have a meaningful impact) The 800 lb. gorilla gets to do what they want to.
A. Because they choose not to.
That is all the reason they need. What if an Apple customer wants FM activated on their iPhone? Tough. What are they going to do, leave the ecosystem? Apple is betting that they won't (or won't in significant numbers to have a meaningful impact) The 800 lb. gorilla gets to do what they want to.
Sure, but most kiddies don't own FM radios any more. Or landlines. Or even flashlights
They only own cell phones.
That's why we get emergency alerts over phones now. It would take very little to get FM as well, and could save lives.
Some pooh pooh that reason. But then, they've never been in the situation where they don't have cell coverage because of a hurricane or other natural disaster (San Andreas fault, I'm looking at you), and a desire to get info on what's happened and where help is.
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It's only GREED that is stopping this since FM Radio is free except for the bandwidth
Apple isn’t worried about about FM competition. They host iHeartRadio on their App Store.
They simply have no interest in offering it. We all know Apple will be negatively maligned if the reception is poor, and would never be able to remove an “emergency service” in the future, even if down the road it required additional hardware. There is no ROI, it doesn’t improve the vast majority of users experience, but it does have a lot of down sides (for Apple anyway).
If you want radio, get an app that plays radio. If you want an emergency communications device get a proper purpose built device.
They simply have no interest in offering it. We all know Apple will be negatively maligned if the reception is poor, and would never be able to remove an “emergency service” in the future, even if down the road it required additional hardware. There is no ROI, it doesn’t improve the vast majority of users experience, but it does have a lot of down sides (for Apple anyway).
If you want radio, get an app that plays radio. If you want an emergency communications device get a proper purpose built device.
The battery will last a whole lot longer just receiving FM transmissions than it will having to use bi-directional cellular data to get the safety information. It's about choices and what is available. Think about it. If the cell tower servicing my area gets damaged then I can get absolutely no information at all on my iPhone. OTOH, if even 75% of the local radio stations get damaged I can still tune into one and get information and updates.
Bottom line is having FM reception gives an additional safety margin for getting critical information in a disaster. Disabling it accomplishes nothing. Why would you object to having that option available?
Excellent idea. However I seem to remember you needed your headphones for this to work at least the headphone jack. Would it work with lighting port or even bluetooth?
It’s not too difficult to keep an inexpensive FM radio on hand for emergencies or go to your car to listen. Apple sells iPhones and services, not the least of which is Apple Music. They would be shooting themselves in the foot opening up a way for people to listen to music for free.
IMO, the conspiracy theorists that believe "the ability to access free content over the air, like music on FM radio stations...is a key reason why Apple hasn't enabled the functionality" are wrong. The are various apps (some free with ads) that will stream any of thousands of radio stations. So it's not the access to free content that's influencing the decision.
I seem to recall in a prior mention of the topic something to the effect that the antenna systems were not specifically designed to include support for FM radio, and that reception would probably often fail to meet expectations. Could additional antennas be added? Probably. Do enough people want over-the-air FM enough to pay more, or give up some other functionality for it, or have a clunkier form factor?
That having been said, the minimum useful response would be a reasonably candid explanation of why they haven't already done it.
edit: to further that notion, there used to be an FM plugin for iPods, although ISTR it was only supported on the classic. I think it used its cable as an antenna. As I recall, the reception was ok if the signal was strong, but not all that useful in the boonies or near a power line.
I seem to recall in a prior mention of the topic something to the effect that the antenna systems were not specifically designed to include support for FM radio, and that reception would probably often fail to meet expectations. Could additional antennas be added? Probably. Do enough people want over-the-air FM enough to pay more, or give up some other functionality for it, or have a clunkier form factor?
That having been said, the minimum useful response would be a reasonably candid explanation of why they haven't already done it.
edit: to further that notion, there used to be an FM plugin for iPods, although ISTR it was only supported on the classic. I think it used its cable as an antenna. As I recall, the reception was ok if the signal was strong, but not all that useful in the boonies or near a power line.
They should enable it, simple as that. I have comments about Pai and the FCC but since this is not in that forum I wont say them.
Step 1: Insert your Lightning Port Apple Antenna.
I'd like to have FM myself, but every other "smart" device I've had with FM, including an iPod nano, requires headphones inserted as an antenna. Why force Apple to only source parts without FM?
Idk. Tough call. Everyone should drop a battery-powered (or crank-powered) radio with AM in their emergency kit, as AM range runs rings around FM.
The Right Thing for Apple to do here is probably to have an unofficial hack to use FM on your phones. YMMV; use at your own risk.
I'm all for this. If the technology is already in there, and the only thing preventing its use is some corporate overlord (Apple or otherwise) who wants to exercise unwarranted power over its users – well, I simply find that unacceptable.
That said, I am sure Apple will simply wait until the *ahem* "storm passes" *cough* and do nothing about it.
That said, I am sure Apple will simply wait until the *ahem* "storm passes" *cough* and do nothing about it.
Hint: Apple sells monthly subscriptions to a streaming music service and Apple gets no monthly fees from FM radio.
Thousands of FM stations still exist. Download ooTunes or iHeart radio.
[doublepost=1506613208][/doublepost]If I own the phone what gives Apple the right to not let the full functionality of the hardware to operate?
A series of powerful storms over the past six weeks, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, has placed renewed pressure on Apple to enable the FM radio capabilities of the wireless modem in every iPhone.
The biggest push continues to come from the National Association of Broadcasters, a lobbying group that represents over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States, according to Bloomberg.Both the Qualcomm and Intel chips that enable Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity in every iPhone have a built-in FM tuner that would allow people to listen to FM radio over the air. Apple has not enabled the functionality, forcing users to use an app to stream FM radio over Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Powerful storms can leave thousands or millions of people without power or cellular service for weeks or even months, however, which can make it difficult or impossible to listen to FM radio over Wi-Fi or cellular.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai also renewed his calls for smartphone manufacturers to enable the chip during a recent trip to areas of southern Florida devastated by Hurricane Irma earlier this month, according to the report.
Pai, speaking with ABC affiliate WPBF 25 in West Palm Beach, said the chip is especially valuable "when it's an emergency."In February, at the Future of Radio and Audio Symposium in Washington D.C., Pai said "radio is vital" when disaster strikes.He added that most consumers would enjoy the ability to access free content over the air, like music on FM radio stations, which some critics believe is a key reason why Apple hasn't enabled the functionality.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, nor does he believe the FCC has the power to issue such a mandate.
Apple declined to comment on the report, and its stance on the activation of FM receivers in iPhones remains unclear.
Article Link: Apple Faces Renewed Pressure to Enable FM Radio Chip in iPhones Amid Strong Hurricane Season
If people can afford an iPhone and cellular plan, they can afford to pick up a cheap radio and batteries in case of an emergency.
That is a terrible idea. Don’t add a feature for for “emergency communications” unless it is fully supported and reliable.
The false security of “use at your own risk” would be more dangerous than not having it at all.
FM will eventually die as the RF spectrum is used for other stuff :-
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/05/norway-first-to-start-switching-off-fm-radio
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/16/digital-radio-switchover-2020-ed-vaizey
If you need a FM radio for emergencies it's easy to buy one and plenty of batteries, for non emergency use most stations now stream over the internet.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/05/norway-first-to-start-switching-off-fm-radio
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/16/digital-radio-switchover-2020-ed-vaizey
If you need a FM radio for emergencies it's easy to buy one and plenty of batteries, for non emergency use most stations now stream over the internet.
Let's be honest here, it doesn't fit most cell phone manufacturers that sell in the US. You may be able to buy one that receives AM/FM signals but it isn't a popular phone, and off hand I don't know of any. And it's not technical problems that have restricted the ability but the fact that they have companies providing apps which make money. So the radio stations and the app providers and the cell phone makers all don't want to lose their revenue stream.
Newer iPhones without a direct headphone jack may now have a antenna problem, but the older ones didn't, and they never enabled the function for them. But this isn't an Apple only situation, most (all?) US products are this way.
Probably not much because it's a receiver; it doesn't transmit. They only have to make sure it doesn't generate interference and they'll be good.
The FM antenna pin on the chipset is probably unconnected, so they can't just enable it for existing phones in software. But for future phones, they can.
Whilst that is true, its rather inconvenient and its unlikely people would carry the radio all the time as they do with their phone. The same argument could be made with flashlight etc.
I'm a DJ on 2 radio stations:
1, 1 hour show once a month on one station and on another station, 2, 1 hour shows a week during a drive show and a 2 hour show Friday night and another Saturday night.
It's not the end of the world in this scenario for me if they don't open up access to FM, but it'd be nice
1, 1 hour show once a month on one station and on another station, 2, 1 hour shows a week during a drive show and a 2 hour show Friday night and another Saturday night.
It's not the end of the world in this scenario for me if they don't open up access to FM, but it'd be nice
FM radio would be a great tool to have on an iPhone (something I miss from Android)
During last week's earthquake here in Mexico City, celular towers went down (especially here in the Roma neighbourhood)and had no electricity whatsoever. Amisdts diseaster the only way to know what was going on around the city was through listening to local radio stations, so I had to rely on nearby cars to listen to the news.
And in my personal opinión, I wouldn't unsuscribe from my Apple Music memebership if I had the FM radio capability. Because I have my favourite music whenever or wherever I want, something FM radio wouldn't be able to satisfy
During last week's earthquake here in Mexico City, celular towers went down (especially here in the Roma neighbourhood)and had no electricity whatsoever. Amisdts diseaster the only way to know what was going on around the city was through listening to local radio stations, so I had to rely on nearby cars to listen to the news.
And in my personal opinión, I wouldn't unsuscribe from my Apple Music memebership if I had the FM radio capability. Because I have my favourite music whenever or wherever I want, something FM radio wouldn't be able to satisfy