FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai last week suggested that Apple enable the FM radio chips found inside iPhones per a report ny Reuters.
The FM radios are there, but Apple has left them inert.
“It is time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first,” said Pai.
The remarks follow a series of devastating storms that have wrecked portions of Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. FM radios provide access to information that may not otherwise be available thanks to potentially downed or spotty wireless service. Many other phone makers have already enabled the FM radios within their devices.
Apple, however, says its newest iPhones don’t include such radios.
“iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips in them nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products,” explained Apple in a statement emailed to media. “Apple cares deeply about the safety of our users, especially during times of crisis and that’s why we have engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts.”
Apple did not say if it can enable FM radios in older iPhones.
