Why FM radio is no longer available on mobile phones. Here, we clarify the cause
FM radio was available on practically all mobile phones years ago without the need to install third-party apps. However, fewer and fewer phones allow this these days.
Early mobile phones had very few functions, the most important of which were the ability to make calls and send messages, although these messages had to be as short as possible. Over time, new features were added. One of the features that attracted the most attention at the time was the ability to listen to FM radio. It's important to keep in mind that there were no streaming platforms at the time, and if you wanted to store songs, you had very limited space.
The best thing about FM radio is that you don't need an internet connection to listen to your favorite stations, whether music or news. However, as mobile phones have improved, fewer and fewer people are using this feature. As a result, smartphones have decided to replace this feature. Why are there fewer mobile phones with FM radio? Here's how.
- How does FM radio work on mobile phones?
The reason why fewer mobile phone manufacturers include FM radio in their devices has a lot to do with the way this device works.
As we explained earlier, FM radio doesn't require any kind of internet connection. For a mobile device to tune in to stations, it needs an antenna. How was this achieved if mobile phones didn't have this component? Through headphones. These headphones served as the antenna. For this reason, phones must have headphones connected if they want to use FM radio.
For a long time, this connection was made via a minijack port. However, in 2015, the USB-C port began to be incorporated into mobile phones, allowing for charging and connecting headphones. The problem here is that headphones using this port cannot function as an antenna. Therefore, it is impossible to confirm that the phone is capable of tuning into any radio station normally.
Now, both USB-C and minijack ports can coexist on mobile phones. However, manufacturers, trying to fit increasingly larger batteries and keep phones as compact as possible, have had to eliminate the minijack port, which means the radio cannot be powered in this case.
Are there still cell phones that have a native FM radio?
According to GSMArena, a media platform dedicated to covering smartphones, 476 mobile phones with a mini-jack have been launched since 2024, and only 264 of these include a native FM radio. Considering the launch of 856 new phones during the same period, just over 30% of new devices now come with this feature. Furthermore, phones with FM radios are typically entry-level models.
In short, today, FM radio is only found in low-end mobile phones that have a minijack port that turns the earphones into an antenna, and it is no longer the premium feature that many users have been demanding for many years.