LG Nexus 4 - FM radio app (the non-internet streaming type)

rmdr2 · February 10th, 2013, 04:41 PM

Chaps

Just got my shiny new LG Nexus 4 - very pretty upgrade from my Samsung Galaxy S. However, I am unable to find a bog-standard, old school FM radio controller (like my Samsung Galaxy had).

I have seen plenty of streaming FM/DAB radio apps which, of course, use bandwidth. I just want a simple FM radio app that will allow me to tune into FM frequencies.

I have read some articles that suggest the LG Nexus4 is not capable of being used as a conventional radio

Anyone got an answer that can help?

rmdr2

andrews317 · February 10th, 2013, 06:22 PM

N4 has no FM radio chip.

Sylon · February 10th, 2013, 08:37 PM

The phone needs the hardware to pick up the signals, and I don't think the N4 has it.

I haven't seen an FM receiver in a phone in years.

andrews317 · February 11th, 2013, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylon

The phone needs the hardware to pick up the signals, and I don't think the N4 has it.

I haven't seen an FM receiver in a phone in years.

I believe the S3 and some versions of the Note 2 have FM receiver.

rmdr2 · February 11th, 2013, 02:44 PM

Just used streaming radio (TuneIn) for the first time on my Nexus 4. Terrible! I live in the middle of a capital city with excellent mobile phone reception (as depicted by the signal bars). The number of times the transmission stopped to buffer was ridiculous!!! What was wrong with including a standard FM tuner in the phone?

andrews317 · February 11th, 2013, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmdr2

Just used streaming radio (TuneIn) for the first time on my Nexus 4. Terrible! I live in the middle of a capital city with excellent mobile phone reception (as depicted by the signal bars). The number of times the transmission stopped to buffer was ridiculous!!! What was wrong with including a standard FM tuner in the phone?

Most of the time it's because of space.

Kenty1981 · February 12th, 2013, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmdr2

Just used streaming radio (TuneIn) for the first time on my Nexus 4. Terrible! I live in the middle of a capital city with excellent mobile phone reception (as depicted by the signal bars). The number of times the transmission stopped to buffer was ridiculous!!! What was wrong with including a standard FM tuner in the phone?

2 things you can try - in setting increase the buffer time to 30 seconds and also choose a lower bit rate stream after selecting the station in options.

That should help reduce those problems.

SiempreTuna · February 12th, 2013, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmdr2

Just used streaming radio (TuneIn) for the first time on my Nexus 4. Terrible! I live in the middle of a capital city with excellent mobile phone reception (as depicted by the signal bars). The number of times the transmission stopped to buffer was ridiculous!!! What was wrong with including a standard FM tuner in the phone?

Good question - seems Google people don't believe FM is required in the 21st century. I don't think they've ever put FM radios in their phones.

Part of the reason I bought an HTC Desire instead of the original Nexus was that, although they're essentially the same phone, the Desire had an FM radio.

I then never really used the radio because the reception is so dire. You think a bit of buffering is annoying, try only hearing every third word. This time, I didn't really care that the N4 didn't have an FM radio.

MartinS · February 12th, 2013, 10:46 AM

I find TuneIn radio to be excellent. Also, radio doesn't use "that" much data.

Try it out and check every so often how much data you have used.

Alternatively try this:

calculator

I think Tunein uses 32K bitrate so you can play around with the times and see how little data you may use.