Apple has been a leader in the consumer tech market for several years. The tech giant prides itself on making outstanding gadgets, especially smartphones.
But do iPhones have FM radio? This article answers this question in detail.
Do iPhones Have FM Radio?
iPhones do not have a built-in FM radio.
Why Doesn’t the iPhone have FM Radio?
Why has Apple deliberately removed this feature from iPhones? Why is a feature as cheap as this not in an expensive phone like iPhones? Well, read on to find out.
Maximizing Space
The chips inside iPhones may be able to receive FM radio signals, but that would require hardware that takes up space, such as an antenna to get a decent signal and power to amplify it.
You Would Need an Antenna
As mentioned previously, an FM would require an antenna to get good signals. iPhones do not come with a headphone jack which serve as an antenna for radio signals. Apple killed both the headphone jack and microSD card slot on iPhones.
Ads, Ads, and More Ads
We all know that FM stations get huge revenue from ads. In fact, many radio station inundate users with ads. A world-class tech giant like Apple wouldn’t want that. Ads would take away the seamless user experience Apple wants iPhone users to have.
What’s in It for Apple?
From the economic point of view, Apple won’t receive a dime if users listen to FM radio on their iPhones. As an alternative, there is Apple Music, which is Apple’s own product. Why promote a competitor’s product you also have on a hardware you produce?
Apple will lose money, if you can access free news and music from an FM radio on your iPhone.
Apple Just Doesn’t Fancy an FM Radio
Apple is completely focused on incorporating innovative features into iPhones. An FM radio is nowhere near an innovative feature. So, Apple has decided not to make it a priority.
FM Radio is No Longer a Thing
People rarely listen to FM radio, unless you were born more than four decades ago. Now, we have Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, TikTok, Facebook, and more. Let’s face it: no one has time for radio anymore.
We receive notifications from other sources in real time, before radio stations broadcast them. As a matter of fact, radio stations rely on modern news sources for information like we do.
So why would Apple incorporate a feature that is going the way of the dinosaurs?
Finally, iPhones are Not for Everyone
Apple has figured out pretty quickly that anyone who can afford an iPhone can also afford to stream music online.
Without sounding condescending, iPhones are not for poor people who rely solely on FM radio for music and news. Conversely, people don’t buy expensive iPhones to get the functionality of a cheap FM radio.