...aka stop disabling FM radio. I realize this is not the first conversation on the topic, but many are now locked and I wanted to express my opinion to Verizon management that Verizon should enable existing FM radios built into Android phones instead of limiting the usefulness of these devices (which are not free).
I understand some have argued that it would increase cost of support, but I doubt it. My Verizon HTC Thunderbolt had FM and it required zero support.
I think emergency management is the most important justification, but simply the ability to listen to FM radio when I choose to for my own reasons on a device I paid for that offers that functionality from the manufacturer is a basic customer accommodation.
I've also seen mention that FM radio is going away in Norway. That is highly irrelevant to our current equipment.
Over and out.
IF you read the locked discussion, you will note that with few exceptions, Verizon cell phones come without the chip or logic board configured for FM radio use.
THis is how they are shipped from the manufacturer.
Verizon chose not to pay extra for them to ship with active chips as it isn't providing the support for the free service.
IF Verizon chooses to support radio use, almost none of the currently used Verizon phones has the hardware to use it.
I don't buy the 'pay extra for FM chip' argument. VZ phones are no cheaper than phones from carriers that include them. Since we are already paying for it, let us have it.
Whether current phones have the chip now is irrelevant given the relatively short product life cycle of mobile phones. Going forward, VZ should open this basic functionality (which also offers emergency management benefits) instead of leveraging the issue to sell more data which I suspect is the true reason.
I never thought I'd see the day. Verizon has enabled FM radio on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge with the latest update. All you need to do is update and install the Nextradio app.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
