The reason why FM receivers are present on smartphones is that they can be used to locate your position by noting a simple thing as signal strength of transmitters. More advanced methods makes use of SNR, frequency deviation and multipath interference characteristics. And the same method can be used for WiFi which of course makes collection of such data very useful for localization purposes where GPS etc isn't useful. Arrival time of a radio signal that is reported to the operator from many devices may also be used for the same purpose.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday May 21 2014, @06:28PM
Are you in Europe perhaps? Or just older generation?
Nobody I know (I'm 23, located about 60 miles southwest of Boston) listens to the radio. Except my parents. Everyone around my age puts MP3s on their phone and listens to those. A few use Pandora or some other internet radio. 99% of cases people are plugging their smartphone into the car. The remaining few are using CDs. The only time I ever see anyone use FM is if it's with an FM transmitter plugged into the phone.
The last device I saw sold with an FM radio included was my Archos 5 MP3 player that I got about 5 years ago -- and I recall even then thinking it was a pretty absurd feature to have in an MP3 player. I've *never* seen a smartphone around here advertising FM reception.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday May 21 2014, @09:01PM
Doesn't matter what you've seen in the way of smartphone advertising.
Just about EVERY modern smartphone has an FM receiver in it and comes with an FM app.
The last device you saw sold with an FM receiver included was just about EVERY FRIKIN VEHICLE on the market.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday May 22 2014, @01:01PM
My Galaxy S5 didn't. My previous S3 didn't (although apparently the international versions might). As far as I can tell, none of the iPhones do. Samsung's market share is 30%, Apple's is 16%, so that's damn near half of the entire smartphone market right there. So no, they are certainly not included in "Just about EVERY modern smartphone".
I suppose that's technically true, though generally a car isn't what I think of when I say 'device'. But as I mentioned, nobody I know actually uses the radio in their car. Shit, people even get XM for free and don't touch that either! Again, maybe it's different where you live, but around here it seems people don't even consider radio as an option for music. If they're listening to the radio at all it's gonna be talk shows and crap on AM. Or maybe if they're painters or construction workers, although I've even seen some of them plugging in an iPod to the boombox. Even at bars you can often tell the music is playing off someone's phone from the occasional text/email/whatever notification in the middle of a song...
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday May 22 2014, @04:24PM
Nobody gets XM for free. Maybe a 6 month introductory offer.
The only iOS device that features a built-in FM tuner is the iPod nano, since the fifth generation (the tall "candy-bar" style before they shrunk to the square shape). The sixth generation iPod nano still has the FM Tuner.
Virtually every model of HTC phones has a FM radio, as well as most Motorola phones, and most LG phones and most sony phones.
Samsung, not so much.
A quick search on GsmArena returned 2241 results of phones with radio which are currently available. Even a few Samsung models.
I suspect your difficulty finding radio in phones has more to do with your circle of friends than any actual research.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday May 22 2014, @05:09PM
You'd be surprised. It actually seems to be quite common for used vehicles -- ie, you buy a former corporate car, and the corporation either prepaid that subscription or just never bothered to cancel it. As a result -- you get free XM.
I never said you couldn't find ANY phone from whatever obscure manufacturer that included it, I only said it certainly wasn't "EVERY modern smartphone". Not even a majority. Sony has less than 2% market share (it's in the combined 2% 'Others' category according to Nielson). Not a single one of the manufacturers you listed is above single digits. So yeah, maybe ~20% of smartphones contain an FM radio. If it was a feature in high demand it would be on far more.
Quite possible. That's why so many of my statements were qualified with "Around here..." "Nobody I know..." "maybe it's different where you live..." and such.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 21 2014, @09:41PM
What's an MP3, is that some sort of fancy Edison Cylinder?