Report: Samsung to Unlock FM Chips on Galaxy S9

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, June 29, 2018 | 12:32pm CT

NextRadio

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, which features an FM radio chip, will soon be unlocked, according to AndroidCommunity.com. Samsung has partnered with NextRadio to be the official FM radio service native on flagship Galaxy phones. With the move, Samsung joins Alcatel, Motorola and LG in activating the FM radio chip. FM chips don't use data to stream and use less battery power so it won't take a user's data. The chip is also beneficial in times of bad weather and emergency conditions.

"When cellular coverage is unavailable or in times of emergencies and disaster, this FM chip will be able to provide information coming from local radio stations straight to your Samsung smartphone," says AndroidCommunity.com. "It's not only in the US and Canada where unlocking the FM chip is encouraged. Recent natural disasters in Florida, Houston, and Puerto Rico increased the pressure on phone makers to activate the FM chip in phones. This is mainly for public safety and convenience."

Both U.S. and Canada will have the FM radio chip unlocked for the Galaxy S9 and S9+, as well as, new Android phones. For unlocked S9 units, the FM hardware (radio chip) will be unlocked and enabled with a software update. This particular update will add the NAB FM API to enable support for FM radio and the latest June security patch level.