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Next-Generation iPhone Theoretically Capable of FM Radio Reception and Transmission?

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Apr 12, 2001
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Over the weekend, hints of several additional features for the next-generation iPhone were revealed. Among them was the discovery that text strings in the iPhone OS 3.0 software reference a new Broadcom wireless chip, BCM4329, which supports 802.11n wireless connectivity. In digging through the specs for the chip, 9 to 5 Mac has discovered that is also supports both reception and transmission of FM radio signals.
But they neglected to mention that it also adds the ability to receive and send (the previous model could only receive) information through FM radio signals which theoretically could be used to broadcast sound into car stereos..without external adapters. It could also be used to pick up FM radio music, news and sports broadcasts on their iPhones and even, in August, on iPods. Currently the FM reciever is only used to pick up communications from the Nike+ peripheral.
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The finding, however, doesn't mean that Apple will necessarily enable these features in the new iPhone. Apple has certainly been known not to enable all features their hardware is capable of, and FM reception/transmission is one that have shown no interest in supporting in the past.


Article Link: Next-Generation iPhone Theoretically Capable of FM Radio Reception and Transmission?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/06/next-generation-iphone-to-possibly-offer-fm-radio-reception-and-transmission/
This new iPhone is looking better and better each day.

Of course we'll see how many of these things will actually be incorporated into the phone.
 
FM is the new hip thing, it's really zippy. To out do 11n twenty fold
 
iphone... the new transistor radio :)

I remember folks making a big fuzz about portable transistor radios. I was a child, so I couldn't care less. My father eventually got one which we used to take to the beach.
 
Schizoid said:
Is there anything the new iPhone hasn't got?!
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IMO what they really need to add is a compass. Google Maps would be a hell of a lot more useful if after locating myself with GPS, I could tell which direction I'm facing. If you're in an area you don't know and there aren't any street signs then its easy to walk in the wrong direction for a minute or so until you can see that you're gps dot is going the wrong way.
 
FM is used to teleport a signal from one point to another without you seeing or noticing it
 
that would be great! My power went out many times last week from those crazy storms. An FM receiver would be great to listen to while no power and waiting to hear if there are any twisters headed my way (didn't realize I didn't have a battery powered radio in the house!)

Add that while having the flashlight app and we're all set!
 
Given most free phones have FM, this isn't that surprising.

However, I don't believe Apple will use the functionality. It doesn't follow their use model for the iPhone.
 
Apple will probably disable, I'm sure they could have added FM to ipods years ago, but to this age we still don't have them. Anyone believing they will add them to the iphone must not know Apple or must be living in la la land.
 
Yeah I've seen that too yesterday when I was reading the broadcom specs. I didn't really thought much because the iPhone already has FM receiver.
I would love to have the inbuilt radio transmission to cars.
 
Funny, I was wondering why it wasn't incorporated into the iphone initially. Well, I'm glad it will have it now. This iphone is going to be phenomenal. But I will not budge again until Apple affiliates itself with a company other than AT&T. Economy or not, AT&T are rip off artists. :cool:
 
emotion said:
Given most free phones have FM, this isn't that surprising.

However, I don't believe Apple will use the functionality. It doesn't follow their use model for the iPhone.
Click to expand...

I agree; it is very probable that it won't be used by Apple, but if the functionality is incorporated into the device, there will be a Jailbreak app that uses it and turns it into a radio receiver.
 
Two things:

1) I kind of doubt Apple will actually implement this. They would much rather make you use internet radio of some sort, where you are using the piss out of that $30+/month data plan you are being bent over for.

2) They would need an external antenna of some sort to get any sort of decent reception. My old SonyEricsson did this by using the headphone cable as an antenna, and it work pretty well... I am guessing Apple would need to do something similar, which would require a) new headphones b) new headphone port, or c) an antenna from the Dock Port. None of which sound too attractive.
 
I might hold off then, been tempted to get an iPhone 3G, as O2 now offer them as a free upgrade if you get a 2 year contract, even on the £35 a month tariff.

Seems like this new iPhone will be a pretty big step up over the 3G, wonder if they'll keep the 3G as a cheaper model, given how much of a hardware jump this new model will be.
 
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