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National Association of Broadcasters Again Urges Apple to Add FM Radio to iPhones
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The more
options you have
the better off
you are in an emergency.
Binary thinking really isn't a good way to make an argument. Having FM radio available through a smartphone - here's the kicker - in addition to all the other options is simply another avenue to take in an emergency. The goal is to provide the most options, not the least.
Of course the NAB wants Apple to include FM in their iPhones, no one listens to radio anymore! But using a tragedy to try and pass it off as a life saving move instead of a self serving one is low.
Follow the money...
Follow the money...
Cell carriers are paying thousands per month to lease the land for towers from landowners. FM stations? Not so much.
Err... OK... so you quoted Apple's best case figures. And you think that someone with a smart phone is going to turn off everything in an emergency except the FM radio? So naive...
The Samsung Galaxy has had an FM radio since the S II.
Maybe Apple can't afford the $0.10 hardware to connect the Qualcomm LTE modem to an antenna.
Or maybe because Apple operates a Music streaming service.
Maybe Apple can't afford the $0.10 hardware to connect the Qualcomm LTE modem to an antenna.
Or maybe because Apple operates a Music streaming service.
Samsung has an ultra low power mode with a B&W screen where only basic communications functionality is active. I'm not sure if it has FM.
"Do the right thing Mr.Cook. Magically solder a trace to an aerial in everyones iPhones via the dark arts"
Doesn’t anybody else not recognize that this has nothing to do with the “safety of the American public” but it’s just a desperate ploy from the National Association of Broadcasters to keep their dying business alive?!
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The right thing would have been not to waste silicon."Do the right thing Mr.Cook. Magically solder a trace to an aerial in everyones iPhones via the dark arts"
So the next question is what about ATSC 3.0 support in iOS and tvOS devices?! Also what about FM radio support in the Apple Watch, which would be an ideal device for it and is sort of the de facto iPod nano replacement.
I tell you what I’d really like to see some sort of ad hoc walkie-talkie feature that works like Nextel direct connect without reliance on cell towers or with cell towers for long-range!
I tell you what I’d really like to see some sort of ad hoc walkie-talkie feature that works like Nextel direct connect without reliance on cell towers or with cell towers for long-range!
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Mr. Pai wants to add FM but take away net neutrality???
Right now I can listen to radio stations using TuneIn and iHeart apps on my iPhone without spending a dime. Who comes up with this nonsense?
Could have been an easy new feature of the iPhone 8 to make it more appealing than an iPhone 7, fits in with their future is wireless narrative. I would also love an FM transmitter built in too for music in my older cars from the phone with ease.
And what about ISPs selling your data?
The heck with the FM crybabies. It isn’t Apple’s responsibility to wipe their butt for them.
Most cell phones that had FM radios used the headphone cord as the antenna, hmmm no more headphone jack. Not sure if the lightning jack can support an antenna connection to a headset wire. In any case it would have to be designed into a future product if FCC mandated. I don't think having a backup radio scheme for disasters built into the device I always carry is a bad thing. That said, it's really an AM radio that would be best and that's another antenna problem.
Talk about a big government approach... What business does the government have forcing a company to do something like this? Apple has deemed it an unnecessary feature for their devices and the American population agrees. How can you tell they agree? Because they keep buying them! If the public truly wanted an FM radio in their device then they should make it known with their wallet and another company should step up and provide such a device. Let the free market regulate business, not Big Brother.
You may not like that, but prefer radio. Less choice means more people using Apple's services.
Which is the beauty of it. It's so old news that in an emergency the frequencies don't get logjamed like a cell phone would. Ever been in a stadium or large event before cell relays and Wi-Fi? Your cellphone was 100% worthless. Now imagine that being your entire city in an emergency. Your phone is blocked because either law enforcement has commandeered the frequencies for it's own needs or it's overcrowded because the network is overwhelmed. You want info but how?
Now as others have noted there are other technical issues. It's not as simple as flipping a switch. But it's also not so silly of a request given the vulnerabilities of cellular service. I understand the two-faced aspect here of NAB. But Apple is no less disingenuous given it has a vested interest in a subscription online music service, wireless earbuds, and a certain proprietary connector.
FM radio has become beyond useless. All the stations are owned by the same people who do nothing but slap the same 20 song playlists on all the stations. AM is even worse full of racist talk shows. This technology just needs to die and I am glad apple is not prolonging its existence by having an app for it.