National Association of Broadcasters Again Urges Apple to Add FM Radio to iPhones

[kdarling]

Edit: perhaps my post is misleading. Sure the Broadcom chip may/may not have FM capabilities...only Apple can tell us for sure. Can it be enabled via an OTA software update? Nobody knows for sure. It's weird that Apple said the hardware was missing from the 7/8, only to magically admit it's there but possibly turned off. Tim being sneaky for no reason at all.

Okay folks, listen up. There are multiple FM sections.

While modem chips themselves support decoding FM, they also need another circuit to filter and preamp the signal.

In other phones and previous iPhones, this is done with a chip containing support for WiFi, Bluetooth and FM radio freqs.

In the latest iPhones, the FM section is apparently missing, probably to make that chip cheaper.

This is why there is confusion. People are right that there's still FM support in the main modem chip, but Apple is also right that FM radio parts are missing.

The problem will be with the antennas.

Headphone jack not needed. The antenna can be internal.

I recently posted details about an amplifier chip and tiny internal FM antenna designed in 2009 for use in smartphones.

Who cares. Amber alerts that come to the phone directly are a good example of another way to get information out during a crisis or disaster.

You've missed the entire point. Such alerts use the cell network.

The reason for FM is to be able to inform people when the cellular network is down, as has happened many times before (and recently) in disasters.

 

[C DM]

I do not need or want an FM radio on my phone. I have a perfectly good wind up emergency radio which is far superior in an emergency than anything you can hobble onto a cell phone. I seriously don't care what this marketing group for FM radio stations think. FM is dead, has been for years.

People with flashlights don't need or want a flashlight capability on their phone, yet it's there and many people make use of it.

 

[Seanm57]

Not only are you wrong but you also seem angry.

If you stop and think what their point is, it's for emergency use. As in Katrina levels the entire LA/MS coast and took out cellular towers with it. There are still FM waves reaching the area. Everyone clings to their phone before they ever would a stand alone radio.

They can get safety and potentially life-saving updates from said iPhone w/FM chip.

But carry on I guess.

P.S. I have two lifetime subs on SiriusXM. Got them back in 2004. I haven't listened to AM/FM since, so nope I'm not white knighting for Clear Channel (before that accusation comes...my avi, lol)

You know, it’s funny reading a lot of comments here. Too many talk about how FM sucks and the internet alerts are great. I wish they would stop and consider something other than their current reality. Why wouldn’t you want a communication fall back? In the Mid Atlantic a few years back we had a low category 1 hurricane that brought a huge storm surge and flooded my whole town. The cell towers were still operational but were useless. Everyone was trying to use their phones at the same time. Power was out and so radios with batteries was what you had.

One other reason I’d like to have FM radio is because if I want to listen to the home baseball or football game on my phone, my only choice is some overpriced subscription to something. Either mlb@bat or NFL, or tune in premium. The broadcast is right there on the air all around me and I would love to just use my phone to hear it.

 

[lordofthereef]

“They don’t want people to get free radio”

Guy... you can already get free radio. It’s streamed. But it’s free. On the AppStore. Right now. I really don’t think Apple Music has anything to do with this...

 

[cube]

“They don’t want people to get free radio”

Guy... you can already get free radio. It’s streamed. But it’s free. On the AppStore. Right now. I really don’t think Apple Music has anything to do with this...

It is not free for some retransmissions. And data might not be "free".

 

[4jasontv]

https://www.newsgeneration.com/broadcast-resources/radio-facts-and-figures/
I'm sorry i like free music
[doublepost=1508371251][/doublepost]
* free music that would use no data

What exactly are you trying to dispute by linking to a company that sells radio media relations?
[doublepost=1508374636][/doublepost]

It is not free for some retransmissions. And data might not be "free".

Also, if there are ads, then it isn't free. You are paying with your attention. My attention is worth a lot. If it doesn't bother that they are selling access to you that doesn't make the music free for you, it just means you are willing to pay more.

 

[cube]

Did Apple choose to cripple the radio or was it the operators?

 

[Fixey]

If NAB really cared they produce a third party FM add for the iPhone and in a situation like these disasters give them out, but they would be another issue of lack of power,,, so scrap that , NAB just hand out windup FM radio to everyone for free.

 

[cube]

Also, if there are ads, then it isn't free. You are paying with your attention. My attention is worth a lot. If it doesn't bother that they are selling access to you that doesn't make the music free for you, it just means you are willing to pay more.

You might pay for a radio retransmission but still get ads.

 

[4jasontv]

You might pay for a radio retransmission but still get ads.

That's true. I might, but I wouldn't. If I did get ads, then I would stop paying for the same reason I choose not to support Hulu.

 

[cube]

That's true. I might, but I wouldn't. If I did get ads, then I would stop paying for the same reason I choose not to support Hulu.

You might not be able to get the broadcast at all without ads.

 

[PowerGala]

It will be interesting to see what happens, but I think Apple should just do it for the X2 or X3 and beyond before the FCC mandates it. Having an FM radio on you at all times isn't a terribly bad idea and I'd rather Apple and everyone else just do it on their own before they're required to do it by law.

 

[Cloudkicker]

What about the phones not even having the necessary hardware and antennas do these people not understand?

They must have taken it out in 8. According extremely pro-Apple Wired magazine have said previous generations had it disabled.

https://www.wired.com/2016/07/phones-fm-chips-radio-smartphone/

My LG flip phone from like, 2012 had an FM radio. My previous late-2015 Motorola X Play has one.

It seems it's a sketchy Apple Music & carrier data money grab over public safety. But... that's just Apple for ya.

 

[Mtmspa]

FM radio in a iPhone is stupid and unneeded.

 

[Urban Joe]

This is everything to do with money, power and political agendas.
[doublepost=1508376505][/doublepost]

FM radio in a iPhone is stupid and unneeded.

But why? Because you say so? Your statement is naive and nefarious at the same time. Which is it?

 

[sstickygreen]

This is everything to do with money, power and political agendas.
[doublepost=1508376505][/doublepost]

But why? Because you say so? Your statement is naive and nefarious at the same time. Which is it?

I've had radio on my Galaxy S7 once t-mobile pushed a OTA, use it everyday. I get free music on t-mobile anyway but it's nice to have.

 

[Urban Joe]

The government needs to get on this issue and take back ground lost. Apple plays the monopoly game on every front and while I like their stuff I abhore their arrogance and narcissistic sense of entitlement. Forcing full FM functionality and iOS integration would go a long way to squelch their excessive power/control over mobile computing. Same goes for Android. Having a binary choice does NOT a competitive or an open market make.

 

[JosephAW]

It's so simple Apple, just sell one simple dongle you can plug into your iPhone 5 - 8 that's a full fm radio w/antenna.

 

[Solomani]

Just make the iPhone battery smaller, and then use that space to insert the antenna or necessary radio components. It's a win-win for everyone Timmy! /s

 

[Sasparilla]

I would definitely like to see them do this. Most phones that do have the ability (have a work Samsung s7 that does I believe) just use the headphones to double for the antenna (for FM at least).

If Samsung can do it, Apple definitely can add it in future phones - the cost would be almost nothing and if it can help people in disaster situations (or going out of data while riding to work) why not?

 

[JosephAW]

If they keep pushing Apple on this they will deliberately remove that part out of the chip.

We all know why they do this. One so Apple can sell more music, two the cellular co can sell more data.
Apple and the Cellular companies couldn't care less about your safety.

Same thing happened with the TV industry. We had a hurricane and cable was out and turned on the tv and used the OTA antenna but it was so pixelated and broken up for a local station you couldn't hear any news. Before it went digital you could watch but it might fuzz in and out but you could still hear it.
No one in the TV industry and govmnt cares about your safety. It's all money and politics.

 

[Urban Joe]

I would definitely like to see them do this. Most phones that do have the ability (have a work Samsung s7 that does I believe) just use the headphones to double for the antenna (for FM at least).

If Samsung can do it, Apple definitely can add it in future phones - the cost would be almost nothing and if it can help people in disaster situations (or going out of data while riding to work) why not?

They don't want it because it opens the whole iTunes ecosystem for competition alongside various technologies.

 

[Apache1]

they do not want to do this because they want every last penny from the music subscription they have going. They even made the free radio through itunes to be now a part of the paid music subscription..... They will never enable the fm even if that meant loosing one paid music subscription cancelling and listening to free music.

Apple can shout all day long that they care about the customer, and everything revolves around customer (BS everything revolves around maximizing profit). They are simply in this just like all the rest in the business industry to make as much $$$$$ as possible.

Welcome to capitalism!
Cell phones are going to be dead the next day since power is out.

 

[Rocketman]

I'm okay with Apple adding FM and am for backward compatibility and emergency response. So I ask a simple question. Why not also amateur radio too via whatever to the signal stations? I have W6YAC and I have no Apple interface and if I were in Puerto Rico now or in LA after NK nukes us I would be disappointed.

 

[s15119]

People with flashlights don't need or want a flashlight capability on their phone, yet it's there and many people make use of it.

Who told you people don't want a flashlight on their phone? Do you know what your logical fallacy is?