I want my FM Radio! Unlock the FM chip in all smartphones you sell so I can get important emergency information when data networks are unavailable and reduce the amount of data I use each month
$10 radio does better and any emergency kit better have one. Also there is more involved than the "chip" and it has been verified by XDA which is very pro everything.
with verizon's track record, i wouldn't expect any fm radios on their phones.
There are FM radios built into current Qualcomm chips however depending on manufacturer it requires them to set it up on the logic board and have the software put in. All manufacturers charge and it's not a default feature.
HTC for example use a singular logic board so it's always there just missing the software. However like LG and Samsung they use a completely different logic board. So even if you put the radio software and you can turn it on it will not send that data as it is missing additional components. If people really wanted FM radio pressure manufacturers to make it a standard feature and not a opt out then there is regulation to stop carrier from removing it. Of course manufacturers aren't going to do that because it helps them with their overhead costs.
So why do all Sprint phones with FM Chips work? Yet the same phone/logic board with verizon doesnt work? Funny that Sprint has no issues with the logic board in their phones. Here is a theory for you, Sprint has unlimited data and wants their users to use less data by giving them FM. Yet, Verizon, most customers do not have unlimited and they want you to use more data so you pay more. Corporations being greedy sounds more likely then logic boards that arent a problem for one cell company. Just a though.
They are not the same phones, that's why. In addition to having different model numbers they also have different hardware and software configurations.
A lot of various places including sites that are "anti-carrier" all have tested this and they use DIFFERENT Logic boards even if they have the same name... They have different parts numbers. So if carriers are not willing to pay for it the manufacturer could use different logic boards. Why not make it standard instead of charging carriers for it? If they did that then the FCC would say "No you can't remove that feature" as they did when many moons ago Verizon removed Bluetooth on some devices.
