National Association of Broadcasters USA (NAB) urged Apple to reconsider its attitude to broadcasting and activate the built-in smart phones iPhone FM-Module. According to the agency, in mobile devices, the company is present universal chip networks for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM, but Apple at the program level has blocked the possibility of listening to the radio.
"Users could avoid payments for traffic and reduce battery consumption, if they listen to free FM-radio. Listening to music in streaming mode increases the battery consumption to five times compared to the same content playback means FM-chip. Furthermore, it is necessary in an emergency".
At NAB sure that the problem is solved by simply updating the operating system. Reddit user under the name theninjaseal believes that it is not so.
"They do not think about the antenna and amplifier to the antenna, - he said. - Unlike chips Murata, these modules take up more space inside the phone".
In fact, as the antenna may be a headphone wire. At least, it works on some models of Android-based phone. And even for those who do not claim to support broadcasting in the FM-band, the problem is solved by flashing. Videobloger Herald Alanis successfully activated chip on Android-device with Root-Access.
In 2009, Apple filed in the Office of Patent and Trademark United States patent applicationon a cartographic display system of radio stations available for listening on mobile devices.Then there were rumors that the company intends to activate the iPhone's radio, working in AM- and FM-band. This information is, unfortunately, not been confirmed.
Fears of the National Association of Broadcasters are justified. As it became known, in 2017 Norway refuses broadcasting FM-band for national stations. Two years later the country was fully switch to digital broadcasting. As a new national standard, Norway has decided to select a digital format Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). For it may be followed by other countries.