Before you all say it at once, I know the Zune has had an FM tuner all along. But the new iPod nano just got one of its own and so FM is all of a sudden relevant again. A recent online survey by VisionCritical of 1,185 American adults shows that 66% have an active interest in the pause-and-rewind feature of the built-in FM radio. Plus, it’s the third most popular feature of the iPod nano only after the new, larger screen and the video camera. But how many people will really use it?
I for one would use it and according to this survey, I’m not alone. Having thousands of MP3s is nice, but there is something about being able to tune a live broadcast that still appeals to me. Maybe it’s the trust that I have in my local rock station to always play something cool. Or it’s the excitement of not know what’s coming up because even though you might have loaded your iPod with tons of MP3s and hit shuffle, there is still a level of predictability. But I like FM radio and would use it as long as the tuner pulls in stations without any rigmarole.
The survey also shows 55% of 18-34 year-olds like the ability to see what’s playing thanks to the nano’s RDS display. Only 45% of the same demographic are “very interested” in the ability to tag a song for future purchase though. Personally, I don’t know if FM needs saving, but the tuner within the nano will likely introduce more people to radio if they get tired of what they loaded on their iPod. [via 9to5mac]
I bought an ipod specifically so I wouldn’t have to listen to fm radio. Whats next, a zune with a built in cd player?
calm your pantyhose dude, its small and fits ok? its a nice feature, go back to your shantytown no you ding dong
“What can the iPod nano FM tuner do for you?”
Less than the Zune HD HD radio tuner?
The best explanation I’ve heard is by Natalie Del Conte of CNET: a lot of gyms have tv’s with the audio broadcast on the FM band so thus-equipped media players can tune in. So Apples FM tuner is not for the great unwashed to listen to the next pre-packaged country bumpkin, but for the well-heeled (and self-absorbed) hoi polloi doing cardio at $100 per month.
hoi pol⋅loi
/ˈhɔɪ pəˈlɔɪ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [hoi puh-loi]
–noun
the common people; the masses (often preceded by the).
I love FM radio. Matt, you hit the nail on the head – there is something always predictable about a playlist in iTunes. Yeah, it can be made up of thousands of songs – all of which you like – but have you ever been excited when one comes on?
I don’t know, maybe I’m alone in that, but I still get psyched for some reason when a song I love comes on the radio. Don’t understand why, but there it is. Another factor would be the ability to discover *new* songs/bands, which probably doesn’t happen often within your own collection of music. I admit that doesn’t happen often on FM for me anymore, but I’m constantly finding new bands on Pandora, and subsequently purchasing that music on Amazon.
Can anyone tell me if the new iPod Touch also has an FM radio?
Am I the only person that wants an AM tuner? Of course I’m like 80 years old in tech years (35) and the only music I hear is for toddlers. AM radio is my escape into the world of sports and the musings of KTCK The Ticket. Is there a technical problem with AM or just low demand?
Exactly, man. Until all my favorite podcasts are broadcast live for me to listen on my iPhone, it’d be nice to have an AM radio for all the talk stuff.
I believe AM requires a bigger antenna. A lot of AM stations piggyback FM HD radio stations though, so you might still be able to get such things on a Zune HD.
Yep. AM requires large, internal, antennas. It’s, simply, not possible to fit one inside a device the size of the iPod Nano.
Well I guess my purchase of fStream App for iPhone was worth while. I can not only pause, but also record and listen later. But Rewind is one feature lacking on fStream.
I didn’t realize that the new Nano had FM pause and rewind – that’s very cool. I often listen to NPR in the morning and find myself wishing I could pause it – I’m so used to doing that with all my other media at this point, it’d be nice to have with radio.
I prefer XM/Sirius on my iPhone. The music is segmented in such a way that there’s a Grateful Dead channel, and an alternative music one. And the quality is way above HD radio (yawn). And as for AM talk, what’s on XM is 4,000,000X better. I could care less about FM radio.
I love the FM radio feature because it lets me listen to NPR on my commute.
Unfortunately, I HATE WIRES, so I will ONLY by media players that have both FM and Bluetooth, and that’s a trick my friends. Google it for yourself. The list of media players that have both FM and Bluetooth can be counted on one hand. Of course, you can always go with a dongle in the headset jack, but who needs yet another accessory?
It’s expensive, but I think I may take the plunge and get the Archos 5 internet tablet when it becomes available.
I became substantially less excited when I learned the FM tuner in the new nano was not HD like the one in the Zune.
why doesn’t it have a am tuner? clear channel sucks!
Oh, so now having an FM radio on a music player is cool, just because Apple says so? lol
Btw, FM radio is so 2007. The ZuneHD as HD Radio. Try to keep up Apple, will ya?
The decision to add an FM radio and not HD might be due to the fact the nano is on sale globally. The zune HD however is only available in the US. This is ok as you cant get HD radio in places such as the UK for example. Apple are just trying to reach the masses.
I for one will be buying one (my first apple player of any type before i get called a sheep) specifically for the FM tuner. Most apple products seem alot more stable than other counterparts in my humble opinion.
Guys,
can the nano 4th Gen be updrager to install the FM tuner?
of course, if your willing take it apart and put it in somehow