[sahilp17]

Hey guys just wondering why FM Radio wasn't included in the Z10? I've got no idea why but I'm just curious

Posted via CB10

[SHOBOKSHY]

I think because the hardware doesn't support it

[Mark Mutz]

That's kinda weird. Thor on launch day was holding both the z10 and q10. One would think the z10 would have the same initial inards

Posted via CB10

[oilgeo10]

The FM module/switch is not built into the antenna that is used on the Z10, but it is on the other BB10 phones.

[h20work]

Hey guys just wondering why FM Radio wasn't included in the Z10? I've got no idea why but I'm just curious

Posted via CB10

Because the Z10 is a serious communication tool and fm radio isn't a viable from of communication?

Serious answer, the hardware isn't there.

[Stephen Cooper]

The question is why was the necessary hardware not included with the Z10?

Posted via CB10

[sahilp17]

Very interesting to me too. Z10 and Q10 were released together and at that time, Z10 was the flagship device. So why was the hardware not there for zed

Posted via CB10

[howarmat]

Because the z10 is on very old hardware. Early 2012 hardware. The delays getting it to market killed it.

[sahilp17]

Because the z10 is on very old hardware. Early 2012 hardware. The delays getting it to market killed it.

But was Q10 not made around same time?

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

The Z10 uses older, lower-cost support chips to save money and maximize margins, as it was expected to sell well and outsell the Q10. It's the same reason that Miracast isn't supported: the older hardware can't handle it.

The Q10 was designed (as in, the hardware choices were locked down) quite a bit later than the Z10, as they needed a device MUCH earlier for development. Remember that the Z10 was supposed to be released a full year earlier than it actually was.

[Thunderbuck]

Because the z10 is on very old hardware. Early 2012 hardware. The delays getting it to market killed it.

Ironically enough, the "oldest hardware" (i.e. the chipset on the Dev Alphas and the 100-1) actually DOES support FM radio. So does the Playbook. They're all TI-OMAP4 chips and all have FM radio support.

It's the Qualcomms on the 100-2, 3, 4 that don't support FM (or Miracast, for that matter). In theory, BB COULD support FM on the 100-1, but that would leave them in the odd position of supporting a feature on one variant of a handset, but not on others. I suspect they were concerned that this would be too confusing for users, and they may have a point.

[howarmat]

Ironically enough, the "oldest hardware" (i.e. the chipset on the Dev Alphas and the 100-1) actually DOES support FM radio. So does the Playbook. They're all TI-OMAP4 chips and all have FM radio support.

It's the Qualcomms on the 100-2, 3, 4 that don't support FM (or Miracast, for that matter). In theory, BB COULD support FM on the 100-1, but that would leave them in the odd position of supporting a feature on one variant of a handset, but not on others. I suspect they were concerned that this would be too confusing for users, and they may have a point.

i agree its just better to not fragment more than they have to. I still think the qualcomm chip is a better chip but they should have updated the specs on all the Z10s since there were many other more up to date options before the launch

[Thunderbuck]

i agree its just better to not fragment more than they have to. I still think the qualcomm chip is a better chip but they should have updated the specs on all the Z10s since there were many other more up to date options before the launch

Agreed, but we got what we got. Another mildly compelling argument is that leads to a little more feature differentiation between the Z10 and the rest of the lineup.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30 2B6927F7

[VR6]

Posted via CB10

[Acidwire]

Because the Z10 is a serious communication tool and fm radio isn't a viable from of communication?

Serious answer, the hardware isn't there.

only toys have gimmicks like fm radio

[beantownwindsorite]

So the other BlackBerry phones must be toys?

Posted via CB10

[ihys]

Why does qualcomm own site says it supports Fm?

https://developer.qualcomm.com/mobil...4-msm8960-mdps


That is the exact same chip in stl 234. Unless Fm means something else on that site?

Posted via CB10

[stabstabdie]

You should talk to ^this guy and explain that.
Come back me up here
http://forums.crackberry.com/showthread.php?t=902108

Maybe he will listen to you as you are a mod and are well respected.

i agree its just better to not fragment more than they have to. I still think the qualcomm chip is a better chip but they should have updated the specs on all the Z10s since there were many other more up to date options before the launch

[ssbtech]

Heck, I'd have gone for AM radio before FM.

BlackBerry phones are "business tools", and AM radio is full of business and news talk.

The Z10 is probably big enough that an AM loop antenna might have worked.

[Troy Tiscareno]

No way. The phone is way too small to house an AM antenna that would give even decent performance. FM works because wired headphones are used as the antenna, keeping the antenna outside the phone and not increasing any internal phone space.



This is the same reason the tiny FM radios that were made in the 80's (like the Sony Sports models) didn't have AM - the antenna would be much bigger than the whole radio. Even today, the smallest AM/FM radios are the size of a cassette Walkman in order to hold a "bar" AM antenna.