use iPhone to listen FM radio without streaming internet data

i would want an FM receiver in my iphone. i wouldnt care about having headphones in to listen to it. who wants to hear other people talking when you are listening to the radio.
i dont believe for 1 second that the iphone cant have an FM receiver enabled and that you could listen to it via the loudspeaker.
this has been a very interesting 1 sided discussion though. im glad the american stereotype doesnt shine through at all in this thread!

In other words, you have the headphones plugged in and flopping around to get reception.

Nope. The headphones were in my ears, not flopping around. Reception was perfectly fine - even whilst walking around town. No 'flopping' required! The option to use the internal speaker was there, but like most people I prefer listening to quality stereo sound rather than the tinny mono built-in speaker sound.

I don't think Apple would ever settle for such an inelegant solution.

Having headphones plugged in, like people do to listen to streaming audio, or MP3/AAC tracks is 'inelegant' when applied to FM radio? Why so?

A company called ClearChannel owns just about every FM station and the stations just play the same 20 or 30 songs along with rambles by boring radio "personalities".

Fortunately, that's not the case here.

From what I observe of the people around me, FM radio seems to be dying out in favor of digital or streaming audio.

Maybe that's true in the US. But as I've said many times in this thread, 50% of iPhone users are not in the US, and FM radio is still very much alive and popular in Europe.

Iphone does not have an FM receiver, whether it should or could or not.

If you would like one, you may leave feedback for Apple at:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Iphone does not have an FM receiver

Mm... I never said it does have one, or that I wanted one - but thanks for the input.

Julian Wright wrote:
Having headphones plugged in, like people do to listen to streaming audio, or MP3/AAC tracks is 'inelegant' when applied to FM radio? Why so?

It's inelegant because it requires a wired headset. Many of us do use BT headsets. It's inelegant because if you can't use the built in speaker for voice/sports broadcasts. Not everyone is listening to music....

Maybe that's true in the US. But as I've said many times in this thread, 50% of iPhone users are not in the US, and FM radio is still very much alive and popular in Europe.

Perhaps so, but the point is whether Apple regards this a needed option. I would guess that if they thought it useful, it would have appeared in iPods long ago. Many competing MP3 players have long had FM, yet not in iPods, despite dependence on wired headsets.

opamper wrote:
And my last phone that had a FM tuner that used the headphones wire as a receiving antenna picked up all the radio stations that my car and home stereo can pick up. Saying u need a really long antenna to pick up more than 3 stations is ignorant.

Since I actually said it requires an external antenna to receive most stations, not a "really long" antenna, and you confirm this by pointing out that you need to use the wired headset to act as an antenna, your statement is ignorant.

Julian Wright wrote:

In other words, you have the headphones plugged in and flopping around to get reception.

Nope. The headphones were in my ears, not flopping around. Reception was perfectly fine - even whilst walking around town. No 'flopping' required! The option to use the internal speaker was there, but like most people I prefer listening to quality stereo sound rather than the tinny mono built-in speaker sound.

I said inelegant because the wire is flopping around if you want to use the speaker as many people do who work jobs where you need to answer phones or move around a lot.

The iPod Nano has FM radio. It even has a nice feature where you can pause the radio for a few minutes.

It's inelegant because it requires a wired headset.

Which is supplied with every iPhone anyway...

Many of us do use BT headsets.

But the vast majority use the supplied wired headset because that's what they get in the box.

It's inelegant because you can't use the built in speaker for voice/sports broadcasts.

I've already stated that that is simply not true. Other phones do it, so if Apple wanted, so could a future iPhone.

the point is whether Apple regards this a needed option

Well, the original point was people (who do listen to and enjoy FM radio) expressing their desire for such a feature, but then other people (who don't get or enjoy quality FM broadcasting) came along claiming that there are no phones with FM radio, that FM radio is not popular, that you can't listen through the speaker, that FM radio adds cost & complexity, that FM reception is 'crappy' or that there are 'actual technical reasons' why FM radio could not be included. None of which are true.

I know its unlikely that Apple will put FM reception in a future iPhone, but it doesn't mean there is no demand for such a feature from people who live in countries where quality FM radio broadcasts still exist and are still popular.

I would guess that if they thought it useful, it would have appeared in iPods long ago.

Well, it wasn't long ago, but FM radio is now in the iPod nano, so never say never!

Ladies, ladies, ladies!

All this arguing over an FM radio chip in a phone?

Sure, other phones may have it. But with all the internet radio apps out there, you can't say you don't have enough music possibilities. Not to mention the millions of songs in the iTunes Store itself. Besides, a phone, no matter how innovative it may be, can only do so many things. As previously mentioned, FM radio is phasing out anyway, so why complain? If you want to stay abreast of the news, download a news app or go to your local newspaper's website. If you want music, download one of the dozens of apps for that. Is there honestly a true need for FM radio?

Complaining that an iPhone has no FM tuner is like complaining that a Ferrari doesn't come with a kit to allow it to be horse-drawn.

We're spoiled because we have unlimited data so we don't have a need for an FM radio. In Europe, people only get limited data plans and streaming radio options aren't as common yet for cell phones.

I know its unlikely that Apple will put FM reception in a future iPhone, but it doesn't mean there is no demand for such a feature from people who live in countries where quality FM radio broadcasts still exist and are still popular.

There's also a "demand" for OS/corporate policy allowing apps control of core phone functions, open access for all apps, Flash, etc., etc. Apple has it's own priorities and design philosophy.

Well, it wasn't long ago, but FM radio is now in the iPod nano, so never say never!

True, but I'll bet that new iPhone design will seek to add innovation, and not to boldly go where everyone has gone before. But you never know...

In Europe, people only get limited data plans

Absolutely 100% untrue. There are unlimited data plans available as standard or as options for every network and country the iPhone is available in throughout Europe.

I'm on O2-UK and get unlimited data (cell network and WiFi) included in my plan.

I'm on O2-UK and get unlimited data (cell network and WiFi) included in my plan.

The difference is that in the US, there are only unlimited cell network data plans (though that could change). In Europe most carriers offer limited plans as well, based on the many posts here concerned with limiting data usage.

The same is true for "WiFi", which is not included in the carrier plan. Virtually all ISPs provide unlimited data in their internet access plans, and there are many free WiFi hot spots. You and others have pointed out in other threads that this often isn't the case in Europe.

Absolutely 100% untrue

Is it possible for something to be less than 100%, yet "absolutely" untrue?

Message was edited by: modular747

The difference is that in the US, there are only unlimited cell network data plans

But the US only has one provider of the iPhone - AT&T. Here in UK we can now get the iPhone on O2, Orange, Vodafone and Tesco so there's competition between providers. Since the iPhone itself doesn't change from provider to provider, they compete by offering different voice and data deals. So people who don't want 'unlimited' data, can enjoy the lower monthly cost of a limited data plan. You don't have that choice in the US.

The same is true for "WiFi", which is not included in the carrier plan. Virtually all ISPs provide unlimited data in their internet access plans, and there are many free WiFi hot spots.

The 'free unlimited' WiFi that O2-UK offers is in addition to what you may get through your separate home ISP, and is for WiFi access in public places, airports, shopping centres etc. Then, like in the US, we've also got free WiFi in McDonalds, coffee shops, restaurants etc.