Yes, definitely possible that a poor audio path inside the device could cause some reception issues. Are you blaming T-Mobile for not making an app for a feature that was implemented by Samsung? I would blame Samsung for not including an app to use a feature they built-in to the phone, not the carrier. I don't have the means to test that though nor the expertise to say whether the electrical cross-talk in the device is enough to even affect the FM reception (it may or may not be). Having said that, I wonder if Jerry Hildenbrand is on to something when, in this post, he mentions, "Samsung just didn't do enough on the mainboard to compensate for electrical noise and the audio is pretty crummy on the Snapdragon 820 models." Now, he is referring to audio in general on the S7, but lack of adequate shielding could certainly impact the FM radio receiver.I'm confused. If you want to operate it totally data-free, tap the Menu icon, then Settings > Interface > Switch to Tuner Only Mode.Īlthough NextRadio is free, it's ad-supported - and there's currently no option to eliminate the ads.They effectively did just that - by choosing to not provide a player app, thus giving the owner few options to access the radio hardware, such as the NextRadio app he is trying to use. NextRadio does consume a small amount of data because it retrieves station logos, album artwork and the like.
Alas, output can't be directed to a Bluetooth speaker. The app lets you toggle the output to your phone's speaker. (If it doesn't detect an FM chip, it'll offer to let you stream stations instead.)Īssuming it detects the chip, there's only one other thing you'll need: an antenna, which can take the form of any wired earphones (or a stereo cable - basically anything that plugs in and has a wire).įortunately, you don't have to restrict yourself to listening through headphones. If your phone isn't on the list, there's no harm in trying the app. Although my Samsung Galaxy S6 ( $159 at Amazon) is on the list, it's a Verizon model, and therefore not compatible.)
Before you install it, check the list of supported devices, which includes phones from LG, Motorola and Samsung, to name just a few.
Tune in radioįortunately, there's a free app that can activate it for you: NextRadio. Thus, the FM receiver remains deactivated.
And phone manufacturers probably don't see it as a big value-add, so they don't bother to develop or include a compatible app.
With a real tuner, I can pick up anything that's in range - and enjoy compression-free audio to boot.Īs for why phones have FM tuners at all, my guess is that Google's Android hardware specs include the feature, even if the OS itself doesn't offer any way to access it. (Or, at least, not much - see below.) Streaming also requires considerably more power than a tuner, meaning your battery will die more quickly.Īdditionally, I've found that apps like TuneIn and iHeartRadio don't always have all my local stations. The latter is easy: Streaming consumes data while a tuner does not.
FM WTF?īefore we dive into the specifics, let me answer your inevitable questions: Why would phone manufacturers include an FM tuner and not tell users about it, and why bother with an FM tuner when countless apps can stream FM stations from all over the world? And you don't need to do any jailbreaking or violate any terms of service to use it. NextRadio can activate your phone's previously unused FM receiver.īelieve it or not, your model might have a built-in FM radio receiver.