Will the FP4 have FM radio capability?

[Nicolas_Soriano]

Does anyone know if the FP4 will have FM radio capability?

[Alex.A]

Answer: no.
Check the specs:

Fairphone 4

[madbilly]

Hi @Alex.A ,

The specs don’t say what the phone won’t have, so checking the specs won’t answer this question. Although it might be a reasonable assumption that the specs list all features, experience has told me that this is not true for any phone or electronic device, there’s always some features which are not listed.

So, @Nicolas_Soriano , that’s a good question and I’d like to know too. You could ask supportatfairphonedotcom to find out I think.

Cheers

[Incanus]

As all phones I know use the headphone cable as antenna, a FP4 without a headphone jack will most likely not be able to have a FM radio. The adapter from USB-C to Mini Audio Jack will not make a direct connection to the receiver I guess.

[AlbertJP]

That depends on whether the adapter is active or passive, which also isn’t indicated in the specifications.

[JeroenH]

Is it possible to use DVB-T <-> USB-A <-> USB-C or would it require external power source? DVB-T devices are often used for SDR. If people use a device like HackRF on their phone with say Kali Nethunter, then you could use perhaps one of these cheaper DVB-T devices to get FM radio to work.

Here’s a guide to get it to work with a Raspberry Pi FM Radio ontvangen met een DVB-T USB Stick • raspberrytips.nl I might give it a whirl on my FP3 just for the fun of it.

[Martin_Anderseck]

@JeroenH

If people use a device like HackRF on their phone with say Kali Nethunter, then you could use perhaps one of these cheaper DVB-T devices to get FM radio to work.

That sounds like the perfect solution for those of us who already don’t like the USB-C to 3.5mm adaptor: Straight forward, small in size, who would then still need built-in solutions?
Seriously: I think that’s a nice experiment to try out but it is far away from being a replacement for a built-in FM (or DAB) tuner.
The main question for making it work probably is if the kernel of the Fairphone has the required modules available. Please keep us updated on your findings!

[TobiasF]

@JeroenH

Is it possible to use DVB-T ↔ USB-A ↔ USB-C?

Of course it works, I tested it with both the FP2 and FP3.

What you need:

• Your Fairphone
• An USB-OTG adapter
• An USB DVB-T stick
• An antenna
• The SDR driver app.
• The Wavesink app (€ 12.90).

Wavesink will look as follows:

You don’t need root or an external power source.

Advantages:

• You retrofitted an FM radio to your phone.
• It provides an auto-scan feature, but you can also manually tune into frequencies.
• RDS is supported.
• It has not only an FM tuner, but also a DAB tuner.
• It shows a lot of technical information you won’t see on most other radios (like the RDS PI or the AF list).

Disadvantages:

• The USB stick with the antenna is not suitable for your pocket.
• The reception is not as good as with a dedicated radio (even pocket ones).
• The battery consumption is quite high, especially with the FP2, and you cannot charge while listening.
• Wavesink’s UI is not beginner-friendly.

---

My idea: How about a retrofit case for the FP4 with FM/DAB tuner, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB-C, which only adds a bit of thickness to it, but does not require adapters outside of your phone case? I really hope the OS fault which prevents the simultaneous usage of OTG and charging (technical term: “ACA”) in the FP2/FP3 is fixed in the FP4.

[AlbertJP]

The FP4 will likely support USB PD and I’ve been told in private that it works with charge + sound splitters for USB-C, so I think that’s a yes for your use case as well.

[JeroenH]

Neat.

Could be a save for that one person who wants to have FM available in case of emergency.

I did find a DAB app which should be free (but does not work with SDR) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zoulou.dab with a list of supported devices here DAB+ App: (real)zoulou's DAB-Z app (official support thread) | XDA Forums

For people who currently have a DAB stick maybe a solution.

For other people, I think buying the RTL DVB-T (last I checked it was 27 EUR on Ali, but you may have one lying around anyway) + the app is cheaper.

[Michael2c8]

A few months ago I successfully tested welle.io with an SDR (DVB-T chipset).
It should be the cheapest option for ~30 Euros total.

[TobiasF]

I get much better DAB+ reception with Wavesink than with welle.io.