No FM Radio in Nexus 5

[Geodude074]

As to Google leaving out the FM radio to force users onto Google Play, that's just silly. There are any number of free or inexpensive options that do not involve Google services. Face it: FM radio is sinking fast, just like newspapers and print magazines.

Just like expandable storage is sinking fast? It must be due to lack of consumer interest, right? Also the same reason why removable batteries are disappearing fast - because consumers would prefer a disposable device when the battery wears out from a couple years of usage, right?

Back in the day, all phones - from the lowest $20 phone to $600 flagship phones - had expandable storage and removable batteries. Manufacturers didn't remove them to save costs - they removed them to drive up revenue.

Same reason why Google doesn't put FM radio into their phones. Why give consumers an option to listen to music for free when they can force them to pay for it instead?

 

[tebore]

Wrong once again, because even budget phones such as the Moto G have an FM radio. If a $180 phone can have an FM radio and still profit the company every time it sells, surely Google could have put an FM radio in the Nexus 5.

You seem to be going in circles with your logic. First you claim that the Nexus 5 doesn't have an FM radio to save costs. I disprove you by showing that even a $180 phone such as the Moto G has an FM radio, and every Moto G that sells profits Motorola.

Next you claim that the reason why the Moto G has an FM radio is because it's low cost and for emerging markets. I disprove you once again by showing that many flagship expensive phones have FM radios, and none of those would fare well in emerging markets.

Just so we're clear you didn't disprove me you only served to further prove my point.

 

[LegalAmerican]

Just so we're clear you didn't disprove me you only served to further prove my point.

I don't think we're convinced that you know what your point is. I responded to a post you made earlier, and then as I read on your argument changed entirely. So i'm not sure now if you're saying they did it to cut cost, or if you're saying that it's about appeal to emerging markets. I still don't think they worry about 1080p screens and Snapdragon 800's in order to appeal to an emerging market AND cut cost. The two would go hand in hand if the phone as a whole represented your point. But it just doesn't.

 

[Geodude074]

Just so we're clear you didn't disprove me you only served to further prove my point.

Just so we're clear, you really have no idea what you're trying to say.

 

[patruns]

This thread is just developing into a flame war. The original poster has not been back and all they wanted was an alternative to an actual FM radio, ie; probably a streaming app such as Pandora, Songza, Google All Play Music, etc.

Please stop!

 

[LegalAmerican]

This thread is just developing into a flame war. The original poster has not been back and all they wanted was an alternative to an actual FM radio, ie; probably a streaming app such as Pandora, Songza, Google All Play Music, etc.

Please stop!

I think we're discussing why it doesn't have the capability because of this sentence from the Original Post:

"I got Nexus 5 and it does not have an App to play Local FM radio, even a 1.5 K phone will be able to play FM radio without any internet and why Nexus 5 does not have this basic feature?"

But you're right, no need for anyone to get nasty.

 

[DayThyme]

I totally disagree.

If what you are disagreeing with is my statement that Google subsidizes the Nexus phones, you need to check your facts. They do.

 

[DayThyme]

all they wanted was an alternative to an actual FM radio, ie; probably a streaming app such as Pandora, Songza, Google All Play Music, etc.

No, the OP specifically wanted to be able to play FM radio without using data (which he referred to as the internet).

 

[clevin]

lol, you really should check the spec carefully before buying things

 

[patruns]

No, the OP specifically wanted to be able to play FM radio without using data (which he referred to as the internet).

Yes, you got me there.

 

[N4Newbie]

If what you are disagreeing with is my statement that Google subsidizes the Nexus phones, you need to check your facts. They do.

Umm... And you know this how? Has Google published this detail in their corporate Annual Reports? If not, then it is just conjecture based on educated guesses made by industry pundits.

Not flaming; just saying...

 

[clevin]

If what you are disagreeing with is my statement that Google subsidizes the Nexus phones, you need to check your facts. They do.

actually, the part price for the phone is less than $200. Depends on how much google is paying LG, its hard to say if and how much they are subsiding it.

 

[mrsmumbles]

actually, the part price for the phone is less than $200. Depends on how much google is paying LG, its hard to say if and how much they are subsiding it.

My guess is LG underbid its competitors, maybe to continue to gain wider saturation. They will be building BlackBerry devices, ahead, also.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tebore]

Like I said what's not to get?

Their market is NOT the emerging markets. The Moto G is. FM radio would fit the profile of an emerging market buyer because internet radio and music services is not readily available due to a lack of mobile internet.
Google is pushing their own cloud based services.

FM radio is not part of the experience Google is pushing.

Therefore when it came to the short list of things Google can leave out of the N5 FM radio was on the short list as well as the IR Blaster. They will be pushing Chromecast soon which doesn't make use of a IR receiver.

And yes something as simple as an FM Radio is costly because it requires an extra chip, extra antennas, extra traces to be designed on the board. At the very least they would have to select different broadcom radio chip.

 

[yfan]

The price is so low primarily because the phone does not have to support multiple levels of middlemen each getting a piece of the sale. The bulk of these phones are direct sale/direct ship from Google with little human contact anywhere in the transaction. Compare that to the way most phones are sold - in expensive storefronts with each sale eating up 30 to 60 minutes of some sales clerk's time. Then the store's cut of the sale price plus the carrier's ongoing cut. Pretty soon you are talking big bucks.

If this really were the case, then Google Play Edition devices (such as GPE GS4, GPE HTC One, etc.) would also sell for lower prices than their store-front counterparts. They don't. Motorola sells the Moto X directly, and they don't give you a discount either (except specific sales). While there are some expenses to put up store fronts and pay sales people your comment revolves around what I believe are two incorrect assumptions:

First, that Google does not have sales expenses for the Nexus 5. This is categorically untrue. Google has and is running Nexus 5 ads, including on television. The advertising campaign with KitKat to brand 4.4 was also highly effective, and I'd suspect, cost Google a pretty penny. The Play Store also has customer support and in my experience, they answer lines very quickly. Google may not have storefronts, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have sales people or marketing expenses.

Second, that storefront sales people are paid mostly to sell a device. They are not. They are paid to sell service. The guy at the AT&T store doesn't care if you pick the HTC One or the iPhone 5S. They care about getting you to sign a two year contract (or renewing your contract). The salespeople at Best Buy make money on a similar model. Carriers subsidize the cost of the device, but the margin they make on the device is just the bulk discount they get from manufacturers, not additional markups.

Same reason why Google doesn't put FM radio into their phones. Why give consumers an option to listen to music for free when they can force them to pay for it instead?

But Google can't force them to pay for music. There are a ton of free services, including free radio tuning services. Google Music doesn't even have live radio stations. There are even paid services like Spotify and Pandora One that Google doesn't make any money from. Google is competing in the music space, but with their music service, not with their phone.

Now why they don't include an FM antenna is a bit of a mystery to me. I'm not convinced it would cost them much money, and I'm pretty convinced it wouldn't cost them *any* business.

 

[anon(8256055)]

My Christmas list for Santa:

* A phonograph for my truck
* Some suspenders to go with my belt
* A Rubix Cube
* A Bananarama cassette
* Oh yeah, and a smartphone with a built-in FM radio

 

[DayThyme]

* Oh yeah, and a smartphone with a built-in FM radio

In all fairness, not everyone lives where they can get a strong 4G LTE signal (and on Verizon's 3G, the speeds are too slow to stream music - there are parts of my neighborhood where music won't stream because I can only get a 3G signal there). And even if you do have a good signal where you live, if you travel, unless you only travel to major metro areas, you may find yourself in a spotty reception area.

And not everyone has unlimited data. If you are on one of those share everything plans, the data is ridiculously expensive.

And the streamed music is compressed so it is a lower quality than FM radio. You may not be able to notice it, but I can.

These are the reasons why I prefer to jog with my iPod rather than my phone and I have unlimited data. I would LOVE to have an FM radio on my phone.

 

[Central n ohios best]

That's the reason I love unlimited data and 4g-Google all access. Ain't a reason for an fm radio.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape running 4.1.2 using tapatalk 2 (Central n ohio Austin IL)

 

[Haalcyon]

Aaah. FM. Where they play commercials and the DJs talk over your favorite songs. I remember that.

 

[Geodude074]

Like I said what's not to get?

Their market is NOT the emerging markets. The Moto G is. FM radio would fit the profile of an emerging market buyer because internet radio and music services is not readily available due to a lack of mobile internet.

Hence why hugely expensive flagships like the LG G2, Nokia 1520, HTC One Max, and Sony Xperia Z1 all have FM radios right? Because they're also targeted for emerging markets, right?

Your point is extremely flawed and lacking in logic. I'm trying to explain it to you, but I don't think you understand.