Ongoing History Daily: Whatever happened to FM radio in mobile phones?

There was a time about 15 years ago when there was a major push to have FM radios in mobile phones. Many phones already came (and still come) with an FM receiver, but it was never turned on. One such campaign led by broadcasters was called NextRadio that seemed to gain traction—and then…nothing. The whole initiative seemed to evaporate, and everyone forgot about it. Why? Basically, broadcasting groups ran into indifference from cell phone manufacturers, sometimes pointing to the fact that FM antennas draw too much power from batteries. In other cases, the chips that run cell phones have changed, making FM tuners less desirable. And finally, once 5G technology kicked in, radio listeners were encouraged to use apps, which, of course, tax your data plan. Some regions did get FM in phones, but for the most part, these radio receivers remain disabled or have been removed altogether. Bottom line? Don’t expect an FM tuner in cell phones anytime soon—or ever.

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