We’ve just received a tip that an iPhone radio.app is being developed in-house by Apple for use on the iPhone and iPod touch. From what we know, the app will be allowed to operate in the background like iPod.app and will offer the same functionality as the FM radio in the new iPod Nanos. The source mentioned that this application could also be incorporated into the iPod.app before release.
The holdup on this app is that Apple is trying to integrate the Mobile iTunes Store purchases into the functionality of the program. For instance, if you like a song you are listening to on the radio (and that station supports tagging and you are in the US), you will be able to push a button and see the song (and all of the information around it) in the iTunes Mobile store. With another click, you’ll be able to make a purchase. This is an extension of the Song Tagging feature used in the iPod Nanos. Perhaps they could even add some Shazam technology to help with those stations that don’t support tagging.
Though it wasn’t specified, the app will likely have the same Live Pause functionality that the Nanos currently enjoy.
Apple’s iPods and iPhones have been able to receive FM radio signals for some time now. The latest generation of iPhone and iPod touch can even broadcast FM signal, for instance to a car stereo. The ability of the iPhone and iPod touch to receive FM signals has been used solely in the implementation of the Nike+ ecosystem to this point.
This wouldn’t be the first time Apple awoke sleeping hardware functionality from its mobile products. Apple sometimes chooses to leave hardware features dormant in their products until they feel the time is right. For instance, Apple didn’t enable Bluetooth in its 2nd generation iPod touch
The addition of an FM radio would eliminate that advantage from the ZuneHD over Apple’s line of Touch OSX products.
(alright…if you can’t tell by my shitty cut/paste, that’s a poor mockup up there)
I hope this app goes through the app-store process and FAILS like all the other poor apps that have to go through it… ha ha just kidding.
You are an idiot.
Apple is making the app.
Someone is an idiot, just not the original poster. They were making fun of the application process, and wished that Apple had to go through the same process that they put everyone else for.
You have to be the dumbest person alive right now.
sweet!
Like the Zune…?
Like Zune, but a year late. This was rolled out on the Zune devices last year and not just on the latest device, but on all devices sold since day 1, including the orginal brown turd.
zune ftw
Is M$ still making that app-lacking device or it just isn’t selling? I’d heard that the Zune did pick up some market share with it for awhile. Share went from 1% to 1.0002%. For a Zune that is decent progress.
No, Jobs later commented that the .0002% was simply a rounding error.
forget a FM spp….wireless N “mouth-watering”
forget a FM app….wireless N “mouth-watering”
Sorry to nitpick… but you are wrong about the Zune comment. Zune gets HD radio… something that actually makes it somewhat useful. Basic FM reception is crap.
Actually HD radio is quite useless since it exists only in a minority of the world.
If i’m not wrong the US is the only place where it is possible to use.
very (!!!) useful
usual FM can be found all around the world
I agree. HD radio is only available in the states, kind of sucks for us Europeans
.
The big issue might be which iPhone/touches not only have the chip, but have the proper wiring to use the earphone cord as an antenna. Not amount of software engineering can fix a hardware deficiency.
Except HD radio requires enormous power consumption and will probably give you limited playing time on any portable devices. That’s been the stumbling block to HD Radio so far — you have to keep a constant wideband connection to multiple sources streaming a high volume of signal all the time. That needs a lot of power. Notice how most HD Radios so far are either in home units or in cars? Not an accident. The cheap transistor radio paradigm is long past. You can’t run HD radio on a 9 volt battery.
And don’t even get me started on speakers and audio output for HD through ear buds. Wide spectrum audio requires better headsets than those currently available (Dr. Dre’s headset not withstanding — if you’ve got the cash!)
Nuff said.
Do you know what you are talking about or are you just guessing and rambling. “Will probably”, “Most something”, “HD thorugh earbuds is bad”.
I think you should end with “too much said” instead of “nuff said”.
Why don’t you just go get a ZuneHD, you will find your myths dispelled.
Seriously did you read the post you are responding to? You actually made up quotes from it!
So instead of telling us all how smart you are by attacking this post, tell us about YOUR HD Zune. Clearly you must own one, because you said ownership will dispel myths.
Of course “if” you own one, why are you on a board about iPods?
Oh, I get it. M$ fanboi, trying to fix the rep of their mothership by attacking iPod responses.
Have fun and Nuff Said!!
HD radio is not wideband audio. That would be Analog audio. HD radio is bit compressed streaming using the analog carrier. It’s basically a AAC+ mp3 stream. Don’t let the HD confuse you. Whereas HDTV is High Def TV, HD Radio is High Density Radio. That means they can stuff more channels onto the spectrum without having to apply for new CP’s..
Take it from an actually AM/FM engineer, HD radio is FAIL on a massive scale..
Actually, “HD Radio” does not stand for High Density Radio.
In the case of iBiquity’s “HD Radio” product, the HD in question stands for… absolutely nothing. iBiquity has stated several times that the “HD” in “HD Radio” is simply a brand name.
Earlier, shortly after the inception of HD Radio, references to HD as “Hybrid Digital” were made in various pieces of documentation pertaining to the product. The term has since been denounced by iBiquity. So there you have it, the curtain has been pulled aside, revealing the truth behind iBiquity’s clever ploy.
In any case, HD Radio is a far cry from anything your average audiophile may consider to be high definition.
iBiquity shamelessly allows consumers to carry on believing in their misleading marketing scheme, which capitalizes on popular, previously established terminology that is, in reality, completely unrelated to their trademarked pair of soulless, empty letters.
It’s not enough that the HD in HD radio is not defined as High Definition… it lacks all definition whatsoever.
HD radio is not wideband audio. That would be Analog audio. HD radio is bit compressed streaming using the analog carrier. It’s basically a AAC+ mp3 stream. Don’t let the HD confuse you. Whereas HDTV is High Def TV, HD Radio is High Density Radio. That means they can stuff more channels onto the spectrum without having to apply for new CP’s..
Take it from an actually AM/FM engineer, HD radio is FAIL on a massive scale..
will this work on my iphone 2G????
Why has this person been down-voted? It’s a legitimate question! Anyone have an answer?
will this work on my 1987 motorola?
it’ll work on your 1987 walkman, for sure
That’s… funny as hell.
Of course not. Apple wants you to buy a new model.
yes it will if you google the airport card (wifi) in your 2nd gen ipod touch you will see it also has bluetooth… and a fm receiver the bluetooth was originally only used for nike… until 3.0 no matter what the post says…
Of Course they don’t release it until they find a way to make you buy more crap from iTunes….. Just release the danm thing already ! All this crap like Genius are just plots to make us spend more money on iTunes….
Oh wait, you mean like running a business? Why don’t some of you get a clue, they arent running a friggin charity.
yes, because it’s charity to actually provide the applications for the hardware inside a phone on release day. i guess it also would have been charity to have MMS built into the iphone to bring it into technology of the same decade as all other phones that DID give MMS on release day. Making customers wait on something you should have provided with the hardware is great business if you care more about the profit than the customer.
Talk about a one sided point of view… You are hung up on the silly features that the iPhone didn’t include (some of which were limitations imposed by AT&Ts unreliable 3G network) yet completely forget about the overall revolutionary design of this smart phone. Numbers don’t lie and there is a reason why the iPhone has sold millions across the globe. Would you rather they strip out all the hardware that supports the post-release date features and never release them for your now out of date phone OR simply have to download a software update? Don’t be a fool and expect instantaneous solutions when you can’t even comprehend what it takes to be at the forefront of technology. Personally i could give two shits about MMS, just send a damn email or any of the other millions ways of sharing media. You’re a tool.
“802.11N +5GHZ wireless networking” is it in the 3GS? or just the new iPod touch… confused!
Be a useful addition to the iPhone and iPod Touch here in the UK. Perhaps a digital radio option could follow?
Really? What iPhone models specifically have an FM receiver?
I’m not sure I’d use it that much, but it is kinda neat.
We have a great FM talk station here in Pittsburgh, and all of our sports teams games are broadcasted on FM. Unfortunately so are the Pirate games…
yarrrrrrrrrrrrr
I wonder what other hidden tech is in the iPod Touch and iPhone that they have yet to “activate” via software? Why wait so long to write software to take advantage of it?
I was thinking the same thing. If this also works fpr iPhone 3G then they just waited for more than a year to use this already implemented feature. Well maybe the Zune-release wasn’t a bad thing for the iPhone community. And as they say competition is good for the business.
Ifixit says that the iphone 3GS has a BCM4325 this support only 802.11a/b/g and not n. The new ipod touch has the BCM4329 and this supports n also.
9to5mac, are you sure that the iphone has wireless N? please confirm
its been asked but no one answers. which iPhone models have an fm reciever?
Well I guess it could really be possible as ifixit had mentioned about 802.11n chip which has wifi Bluetooth and fm receiver signals so I guess sooner or later apple will have to activate it. Like for second gen iPod apple did activate the Bluetooth after 3.x firmware upgrade.
So this might not be. Rumor and could be the real deal.
Watch what happens on an Atlanta station with 30 to 60 days using this I-Tunes Tagging technology!!!
Radio, hang on to your hat!
AVESOME!!!
I have never seen such a bunch of gullible people in my life than what I see here posting comments. You people want FM radios in your idevices so badly that you will believe any bullshit that gets posted anywhere, won’t you!
Sheesh, what a bunch of losers!
“The ability of the iPhone and iPod touch to receive FM signals has been used solely in the implementation of the Nike+ ecosystem to this point.”
Err, I don’t think so. Nike+ works on 2.4Ghz.
If it is true that the underlying hardware has been used so far only by the Nike+ system then it would seem logical to conclude that the devices supported by the Nike+ system likely have FM receiver hardware and quite probable that those which are not supported, do not have said hardware. On that basis you would be looking at iPod Touch 2nd gen and iPhone 3GS.
there are millions of applications for iPhone.. but i really think this one`s going to be a big success..
they should tie in the radio with the itunes store. If someone likes a song, they can click on something to purchase the song immediately.
I see it as a win/win for everyone… including the recording artist.
Yes, give me FM! O.K. I have ooTunes, Stitcher, WunderRadio, TWiT.am, Pandora, Public Radio, NPR Addict, Slacker, iHeart Radio, AOL Radio, FlyCast, LastFM, Live365 Radio and Simplify Music. I do most of my listening on Stitcher, ooTunes, Pandora and Public Radio in that order and when the kids are along, they love to access their playlists using Simplify Music. However, the one thing that is missing for me is no-delay sports broadcasts.
When I go to local amateur and semi-pro baseball games I want to tune in to the action, get the play by play and the color commentary without delay (or drops). Same for high school football games. Additionally, I can’t seem to get any of the above apps to hold on to a UW Badgers football game for more than a series without dropping out. So, yeah, I’d like an FM radio!
What about AM? Sports? News? Gospel Hour? Anyone? Hello?
Oh! How I have long been waiting for FM radio reception in the iPod touch. One of my previous iPods was a 5th generation iPod video with 80GB hard drive. I bought the radio remote with that iPod and enjoyed having the option to listen to the radio. Sometimes on bus rides, I don’t want to listen to my own music but prefer to listen to NPR and shows with dialogues in them. For some reason, I enjoy music not while on the road but at home, in a hotel, or when stationary. Not so much when in transit.
When I upgraded to the iPod touch 1st gen, it was a bit of a downgrade for me because of the lack of radio and smaller capacity. Back then, the highest capacity iPod touch was a 32GB model. That’s less than half the size of my 80GB iPod 5th Generation video.
ANYHOW, so excited about this FM radio capability! I would LOVE to have it and wouldn’t mind even paying the $9 upgrade fee if that’s the case.
As for the Wifi N-speed, while lovely I don’t see a great use for it for my purposes. Wifi G is fast enough. After all, my internet connection is slower than Wifi B!
I’m sorry to disappoint you but the first gen Ipod touch won’t be able to do this. It doesn’t have the bluetooth chip in it so no fm
I feel disappointed too (since I have a 1g touch as well) but at least it will work on my 3gs 
I will be really happy if this is true! FM is must!
..how about fixing a freaking customizable EQ instead? Now THAT would be useful..
Hasn’t anyone opened an Iphone 3GS (a broken one for example) to check inside if there is actually an FM radio chip, or a WiFi N one ?
What would really this for me is if they added the ability to record from FM.
What would really complete this for me is if they added the ability to record from FM.
Awesome!
Someone called someone an idiot only to then realize THEY are the idiot…or something. Posers.
I’ve been saying this would happen for some time !
Maddening to not be able to use it straight out-of-box, but at least it looks like we’ll get it sometime…
I was aware of the Broadcom chip in the Ipod touch and I phone since they came out thanks to an article in EDN magazine. They disassembled one and discovered that it had the chip shortly after release. I have been waiting patiently for the app for what seems an eternity. FM is very handy for listening to ball games when you can’t get to a TV or 3G network. We all know AT&T’s 3G network coverage completely Sux outside of metropolitan areas.
Finally!!! I’ve been waiting for this!
Let’s hope they “fix” the idiotic UIRequiresPersistentWiFi fix, that does not work on v3. It would be nice if I could listen to the radio (or be able to receive inbound VoIP calls) without forcing the device to stay awake, as it seems to suck battery power and prevents locking.
This would be the only thing in my opinion missing from the iPod touch. Just for the record I think it is amazingly stupid to include the features on the iPod Nano but not on the iPod touch/iPhone. I would love to be able to listen to the radio and then download my favorite songs. I know for one I would buy more music if I didn’t have to go through so much work to find out who it was, what the name of the song was, etc. I really hope this isn’t just another rumor and that it is in fact something that will be released. I would even pay for the download to be able to do this. Not having the radio was one of the biggest drawbacks to the iPod/iPhones (when it came to music that is).
You people crack me up wit ur commets STICK IT TO THE MAN!!!!
I like this idea. I don’t listen to the radio much, but at my gym they have 4 big screen TVs that broadcast the audio over FM channels. It would be nice to be able to tune in and listen to the news or whatever is currently playing instead of having to read the CC which is always significantly delayed and usually cuts out or cuts off near commercial time. This would make cardio much less painful.
dit it will working on iphone V1 and 3g or just on the 3Gs? i haven’t money to buy it
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any news about the radio? its a must in the iphone /ipod touch!!!