iPhone: US government urges Apple to switch on hidden FM radios inside handsets
Apple says that newer phones don't actually have the radios inside them
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Your iPhone might have a secret chip in it that could save your life. But it's not switched on.
The US telecoms regulator has asked Apple to activate the FM radios that are in some of its phones so they can be used to relay messages in an emergency, like a storm, that knocks out data connections.
But Apple says that only some of its phones have the chip, and that it's not been installing them in recent models. Neither the iPhone 7 or 8 have the right technology, "nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products", the company said in a statement.
Apple is the only major phone company that hasn't yet activated the chips, the FCC said. “I hope the company will reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria,” chairman Arjit Pai said in a statement.
Apple said that it has activated and engineered a whole range of different systems in its phones, all intended to keep their users safe. The company has "engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts," it said in a release, making clear that all the same it wouldn't be able to comply with the FCC request.
The company has been showing off some of those security and privacy features this week, as part of the launch of a new website and the new phones.
It's not clear whether the FCC could force Apple to turn on the chips in the phones that do have them, or to compel them to install the feature in future phones. It didn't reply to Apple's statement that it couldn't actually comply with the request.
Mobile phone networks have been wiped out in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, after storms there. The FM radios allow the phones to pick up signals far more easily and over longer distances, allowing them to be used to relay information even when normal networks are down.
The FM radios will have come as part of other internal parts bought by Apple to add into its phone. As such, it's likely that Apple never actually intended to use them, and it's possible that they couldn't even be turned on.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments