Why Did Smartphone Brands Stop Making Phones With FM Radio Support?

Video killed the radio star, but that hasn't stopped audio from weaving the rhythm of our lives. Most of the content we listen to nowadays come from streaming services. But hop in your beat-up sedan or sit down for a trim at your favorite stylist and you might still be dialed into actual FM radio stations. The broadcast industry has taken a tumble over the years, just as some of us are now watching podcasts on YouTube, but you'll still find plenty of news, music, and conversation over the public airwaves. Best of all, it's free to access — no subscription required.

Thing is, most of us barely have proper AM/FM radios these days. The few that do likely have them tucked into a crisis readiness kit of some sort. It used to be that our smartphones were the most convenient FM tuners around: just plug in some headphones as aerials and you were good to go. Now, though, it's extremely difficult to get FM reception working on a smartphone even though many devices already have a tuner. We don't have an explanation from manufacturers as to why this is, but we do know that the cellular trade hasn't exactly been advocating for FM.

Broadcaster Emmis Communications led a consortium to include FM access on smartphones with its NextRadio app in 2013. The group convinced Sprint to include NextRadio on its devices in exchange for annual payments totaling up to $15 million. As the program wore on, the CTIA, which represents network operators, noted a lack of demand from cell service customers. Emmis ended the Sprint arrangement in 2016 and tried to pivot to phone makers, inking a deal with LG in 2017 and Samsung the next year. However, NextRadio was effectively wound down a short time later.

FM reception on smartphones has always been limited, and it's become an even odder aspect as time has passed. In recent years, Samsung has only made FM available to devices sold in certain regions. An owner of a South Korean Galaxy S25 showed off a working radio app on Reddit, though they reported that they couldn't record broadcasts and had to specifically use the AKG-branded USB-C headphones that came with the phone. Presumably, this means many Galaxy phones have either had the FM tuner taken out or, more likely, disabled.

Modems in phones have changed shape a few times over the years. Qualcomm, a major mobile chipmaker, debuted 5G support in 2019 with a standalone modem part as opposed to integrating it with its marquee applications processor at the time. Quieter improvements such as multiple-input, multiple output and other antenna-level technologies have also driven design shifts. In many cases, FM tuners and the power draw they require are being passed over in one way or another to favor better streaming on 5G and Wi-Fi. But in regions where those resources are more sparse and consumer spending isn't as high, you might still see FM in the picture.