Rare’s the flagship smartphone with FM radio, but there’s a push to change that. In September 2017, Federal Communications Chairman (FCC) Aji Pai penned a letter requesting that phone manufacturers enable FM in wireless chipsets, and carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint are actively encouraging phone makers to activate them.
Now, Samsung’s recommitting to supporting FM radio in its upcoming handsets. On Tuesday, TagStation, the developer of NextRadio, announced that the handset maker would unlock the necessary chips in upcoming phones bound for the US and Canada.
“Samsung should be lauded for taking this important step,” said Paul Brenner, President of NextRadio. “They are providing their customers a more engaging, immersive radio experience and, as importantly, a means to connect with life-saving information in emergencies.”
So what’s that mean? Samsung smartphones in the US and Canada this year will ship with TagStation’s NextRadio app pre-installed, which will allow them to connect to local FM stations using the aforementioned chip.
The news follows on the heels of LG’s partnership with TagStation, which the South Korea-based smartphone maker announced in August 2017, and separate agreements with Motorola and Alcatel.
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Source: NextRadio
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