Rep. Walden hopes more smartphones add FM radio tuners

by Alicia M. Cohn - 01/09/13 3:58 PM ET

{mosads}Sprint is rolling out access to local FM radio content on a range of new Android and Windows smartphones starting later this year, according to The Wall Street Journal this week.

It would be the first time a carrier offered a range of smartphones that can tune in to local radio broadcasts without streaming Internet radio using a data plan, making it a particularly useful tool for emergencies.

A radio tuner is not common on most smartphones, which are becoming increasingly common. Nielsen found last May that more than 50 percent of U.S. cellphone users are now using smartphones.

Tags