FM radio on iPhone ??

Dublin Spur

Just to clarify:

I said that the iphone does less in "this area" (FM access) then 10 year old moblie phones

The feature is still clearly needed (in Ireland anyway) otherwise I wouldn't have constantly broken very annoying radio coverage

Having an FM receiver on the iphone would be a great plan B when the App method is not working well

It would be nice to have the option and it's a little annoying that I don't, that's all

SpaceTime

No 3G/4G network I've used anywhere is able to deliver totally reliable mobile streaming without dropping out now and then.

From my own experience if Irish, UK, French, Belgian and US mobile networks, the major Irish ones are top notch!

I've never tried streaming in Canada because the data rates are insanely expensive due to lack of competition.

Ireland's data rates are very reasonable by most comparisons.

Mobile data isn't intended to be a replacement for FM broadcasting. If everyone were to stream radio individually it uses vastly more radio spectrum than one FM signal being passively received by millions of radios.

Each connection to an internet radio server is a separate IP stream.

For a mobile network to handle IP radio and IP television efficiently you would need to design it to do multicasting and integrate the streaming services into the network much more deeply. That's how eircom for example deliver IP television over efibre without choking up.

Streaming content to your phone also uses much, much more battery power than passively listening to FM broadcasts.

seamus

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

explain why it isn't? it's been superseded by digital radio and more practical and higher quality methods of transmission have come up since FM's inception.

Real-time broadcasting.

It was pointed out to me before, but web streaming doesn't even come close to FM in terms of latency and won't for the foreseeable future.

If you're watching a live event and listening to radio (like many people do), web streams are so delayed as to be useless. At present the latency in web streams can be anything from 500ms to 15 seconds.

I asked the same question btw in relation to DAB, and got the same answer; DAB still suffers quite badly from latency. Plus in Ireland there's very little good reason to switch to DAB, since FM serves our requirements just fine. Until the latency in digital falls consistently below 250ms from broadcaster to receiver, FM radio will remain alive and well.

On the OP's question, I talk about this every chance I get:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Ericsson-MW-600-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B0038M3H4S

Bluetooth headphones with built-in FM radio. Essentially like having an iPhone with FM radio. I love them.

DubDJ

I don't think Apple left an FM Radio out of the iPhone due to it harming their iTunes sales, I'd more so believe it was down to it being a feature most people aren't too bothered with, there being only a small market of iPhone users that would really appreciate it.

You have to remember Apple are a hardware company and they make most of their profit through selling devices themselves not the software or services that come with them. The few services they do offer, iTunes Store for example, do bring in a lot of money but that's nothing compared to the profit they make with each iDevice or Mac they sell.

I can't imagine it would hurt iTunes sales too much at all, they could probably intergrate it into the radio service and let people purchase the music directly from the radio app, similar to how they do it with iTunes Radio. That could be a potential increase in profit, which I'd say would more than pay for the hassle of implementing an FM radio.

Again I'd say it's more down to too few users wanting it and Apple seeing it as a problem for few people, especially with the many apps in the AppStore offing some type of alternative.

cgarrad

DubDJ wrote: »

I don't think Apple left an FM Radio out of the iPhone due to it harming their iTunes sales, I'd more so believe it was down to it being a feature most people aren't too bothered with, there being only a small market of iPhone users that would really appreciate it.

You have to remember Apple are a hardware company and they make most of their profit through selling devices themselves not the software or services that come with them. The few services they do offer, iTunes Store for example, do bring in a lot of money but that's nothing compared to the profit they make with each iDevice or Mac they sell.

I can't imagine it would hurt iTunes sales too much at all, they could probably intergrate it into the radio service and let people purchase the music directly from the radio app, similar to how they do it with iTunes Radio. That could be a potential increase in profit, which I'd say would more than pay for the hassle of implementing an FM radio.

Again I'd say it's more down to too few users wanting it and Apple seeing it as a problem for few people, especially with the many apps in the AppStore offing some type of alternative.

The phone has the hardware already in it, granted no aerial but if you think its anything other than protecting revenue streams you are in the territory if iSheep.

DubDJ

cgarrad wrote: »

The phone has the hardware already in it, granted no aerial but if you think its anything other than protecting revenue streams you are in the territory if iSheep.

iSheep? Really, how old are you 12?

Apple offer an FM Radio with the iPod nano, that's it 'Apple are doomed'

They'd probably have to compromise on design, e.g. thickness to implement an aerial for the FM Radio which to a company which prides itself on how thin their devices are really wouldn't make sense to make a small few users happy. So again I disagree that its down to iTunes revenue, as I said it could result in more purchases, the way they implemented iTunes Radio. Another point is they offer this service which they have to pay labels for and offer it for free to customers, how would an FM radio differ in hurting iTunes sales?

DubDJ

DubDJ wrote: »

They'd probably have to compromise on design, e.g. thickness to implement an aerial for the FM Radio which to a company which prides itself on how thin their devices are really wouldn't make sense to make a small few users happy.

Pretty much any personal FM radio uses the headphone cable as the aerial so it shouldn't impact on the thickness much to wire it up, if at all.

SpaceTime

The other issue is Apple tends to design with the US market only in mind sometimes. FM radio in the states isn't worth the hassle sometimes and Americans were very quick to shift towards downloaded DJ-free iPods.

Piliger

DubDJ wrote: »

iSheep? Really, how old are you 12?

Apple offer an FM Radio with the iPod nano, that's it 'Apple are doomed'

They'd probably have to compromise on design, e.g. thickness to implement an aerial for the FM Radio which to a company which prides itself on how thin their devices are really wouldn't make sense to make a small few users happy. So again I disagree that its down to iTunes revenue, as I said it could result in more purchases, the way they implemented iTunes Radio. Another point is they offer this service which they have to pay labels for and offer it for free to customers, how would an FM radio differ in hurting iTunes sales?

FM is 20th century - old hat - boring - retro crap. Apple dumped Flash, rightly, and they dumped the old connection port when it ran out of steam. Apple is about tomorrow people ... not boring yesterday people.

Piliger

Piliger wrote: »

FM is 20th century - old hat - boring - retro crap. Apple dumped Flash, rightly, and they dumped the old connection port when it ran out of steam. Apple is about tomorrow people ... not boring yesterday people.

I don't see an 802.11ac radio in the iPhone 5s...

Piliger

Karsini wrote: »

I don't see an 802.11ac radio in the iPhone 5s...

Any radio app will get thousands of internet radio channels. I listen to a brilliant range of them on my 5.

Piliger

Piliger wrote: »

Any radio app will get thousands of internet radio channels. I listen to a brilliant range of them on my 5.

Yes but as already mentioned, it's not the most efficient way of doing so, it eats battery power and uses up more radio spectrum. Perfectly fine if you're listening to an out of range station but not fine if you're trying to pick up 98FM or Q102 in Dublin.

I don't believe that Apple are about the future when they use previous generation hardware in their devices.

Skatedude

Remember, only people on bill pay can get streaming radio. people on pay as you go cant so need an fm tuner. android can easily do it so apple can if they wanted to.

And digital radio is only available in a few countries. hundreds of countries and many millions of cars use fm

Piliger

Skatedude wrote: »

Remember, only people on bill pay can get streaming radio.

I don't believe this is true ... I am on PAYG with 48 and have no trouble streaming radio.

As I speak I have WunderRadio streaming BBC4 on 3G and with only 3 dots on my 3G reception. No breaks, no problems. Yesterday I was listening to Aussie radio.

Also apps like TuneIn allow the buffer to be increased in case of poor reception.

And digital radio is only available in a few countries. hundreds of countries and many millions of cars use fm

Almost every FM station is also available on digital streaming.

scruffmonkey

Could it simply be a case that they've decided that they don't want to support FM for the reason that it's a battery drain that they cannot predict?

SpaceTime

scruffmonkey wrote: »

Could it simply be a case that they've decided that they don't want to support FM for the reason that it's a battery drain that they cannot predict?

Battery drain on FM radio is entirely predictable as it's very simple passive analogue signal reception. It's also absolutely tiny amount of power and processing power relative to almost any other phone function. Bear in mind that a simple FM radio could run for several weeks on a pair of AA batteries with headphones.

Dades

Piliger wrote: »

As I speak I have WunderRadio streaming BBC4 on 3G and with only 3 dots on my 3G reception. No breaks, no problems. Yesterday I was listening to Aussie radio.

Also apps like TuneIn allow the buffer to be increased in case of poor reception.

While it's simply wonderful you enjoy your internet radio and awesome reception everywhere, I'm not entirely sure why you rage against an older tech that would be the simplest and best solution for many radio listeners. Did a large wireless fall on you as a child?

The iPhone alternatives to FM radio are simply not effective alternatives for many people.

Poor internet radio experience has driven me into the arms of iTunes and podcasts which is why I personally believe the lack of an FM Radio is a strategic decision by Apple rather than a technical one.

Piliger

Dades wrote: »

While it's simply wonderful you enjoy your internet radio and awesome reception everywhere, I'm not entirely sure why you rage against an older tech that would be the simplest and best solution for many radio listeners. Did a large wireless fall on you as a child?

The iPhone alternatives to FM radio are simply not effective alternatives for many people.

Poor internet radio experience has driven me into the arms of iTunes and podcasts which is why I personally believe the lack of an FM Radio is a strategic decision by Apple rather than a technical one.

Your rage against Apple is boring and only a tiny tiny minority of people around the world want to have FM on their iPhones. If you want FM that much why on earth are you still using an iPhone ? the iPhone is about today's and tomorrow's tech and not old hat yesterday's tech. Move on. if you are located in a black spot for 3G then that is hardly Apple's problem. I have no problem around Dublin.

lertsnim

FM is dead? I can only get RTE services on DAB here. So to say FM is dead is very short sighted.

Dades

I'm guessing it was a really big wireless radio, Piliger.

Piliger

Dades wrote: »

I'm guessing it was a really big wireless radio, Piliger.

Ah yes. The world is out of step with our Johnny.

Dublin Spur

walked out the office door at lunchtime, iphone radio app fine for 5 mins, than bang, out of the blue it's gone again !

and I might add that this happend in the middle of Dublin city - it's a joke and never happend years ago on much simpler technology.

Apple have definatley missed a trick here

Dades

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Apple have definatley missed a trick here

Considering they get a cut every time someone pays for TuneIn Pro (or similar) in iTunes, I doubt they share that view.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Skatedude

Piliger wrote: »

I don't believe this is true ... I am on PAYG with 48 and have no trouble streaming radio.

As I speak I have WunderRadio streaming BBC4 on 3G and with only 3 dots on my 3G reception. No breaks, no problems. Yesterday I was listening to Aussie radio.

Also apps like TuneIn allow the buffer to be increased in case of poor reception.

Almost every FM station is also available on digital streaming.

No data plan with most payg accounts, so can cost a fortune is you are not connected to wifi

Piliger

Captain Morgan wrote: »

Your constant hard-on for Apple and defending every choice they make is boring tbh.

Your apple knocking is a lot more tiresome and tragic.

Piliger

Skatedude wrote: »

No data plan with most payg accounts, so can cost a fortune is you are not connected to wifi

Oh come on ... If you can afford an iPhone you can surely afford a tenner for data ?

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Deep Thought

seamus wrote: »

Real-time broadcasting.


On the OP's question, I talk about this every chance I get:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Ericsson-MW-600-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B0038M3H4S

Bluetooth headphones with built-in FM radio. Essentially like having an iPhone with FM radio. I love them.

Great stuff and I feel is an excellent answer to the OP Question, rather than all the other stuff that has gone on in this thread

May look at one myself and the added advantage that I can use My QC3s if I preferred

Zcott

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

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