You’re on a hiking trail, three miles from the nearest cell tower, and the sky turns a nasty shade of bruised purple. Your $1,200 flagship smartphone shows "No Service." Suddenly, that Spotify playlist feels pretty useless. This is exactly where phones that have fm radio stop being a "retro" gimmick and start being a literal lifesaver. Honestly, it’s kind of wild how we’ve traded a free, reliable, over-the-air signal for data-hungry streaming apps that die the moment you hit a dead zone.
Most people think the FM chip in their phone just vanished. It didn't. In many cases, it’s still sitting there on the motherboard, gathering dust because your carrier or the manufacturer decided you’d rather pay for a 5G data plan. But for a specific group of users—commuters, emergency preppers, and people who just don't want to burn through their data—finding a device with a working FM tuner is the ultimate tech "life hack."
The Strange Death (and Survival) of the Internal Tuner
Why did they go away? Money. Mostly.
Apple famously never included an FM radio in the iPhone, despite the early Broadcom chips they used having the technical capability to support it. Samsung followed suit on their high-end Galaxy S series a few years back. The logic is simple: streaming services like YouTube Music and Spotify make money for the ecosystem. Free radio doesn't. Plus, removing the 3.5mm headphone jack—which acts as the antenna for the FM signal—made it physically harder to implement. Without those wires acting as a receiver, you're basically trying to catch a signal with a fork.
But here is the thing: phones that have fm radio are making a quiet comeback in the mid-range and budget sectors. Companies like Motorola and Nokia (HMD Global) realize that in many parts of the world, data is expensive or unreliable. Even in the US, the FCC has occasionally nudged manufacturers to "activate the chip" for public safety reasons. During a natural disaster, cellular networks congest and fail. FM broadcast towers usually stay standing.
The Hardware Reality
To get a signal, you usually need a wired headset. The wire acts as the antenna.
You can still pipe the audio through the phone's speakers once the "antenna" is plugged in, but without that physical wire, most of these apps won't even launch.
There are exceptions, though. A few rugged handsets from brands like Ulefone or AGM have internal antennas, but they’re bulky. They look like bricks. They feel like bricks. But they work in the middle of nowhere.
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Real Phones You Can Actually Buy Right Now
If you're hunting for a modern device that doesn't require a monthly subscription to hear the news, you have to look away from the $1,000 "Ultra" and "Pro Max" tier.
The Motorola Moto G Series: Motorola is arguably the king of the FM radio hill in 2026. Almost the entire G-family, including the Moto G Power and the Moto G Stylus, comes with a dedicated FM Radio app pre-installed. They kept the 3.5mm jack. It’s a deliberate choice. You plug in a cheap pair of buds, open the app, and you've got local stations. No login. No tracking. Just music.
Samsung’s "A" Series: While the S24 or S25 might skip it, the more affordable Galaxy A14 or A15 often retains the tuner in specific regions. You have to check the regional spec sheet, though. Samsung is notorious for disabling the FM chip in North American versions while leaving it active in international models. It’s frustrating.
Nokia (HMD) Originals: If you want to go full minimalist, the Nokia "Classic" line (like the 225 4G) has FM radio that sometimes even works without headphones. For a smartphone experience, the Nokia G42 is a solid bet. They focus on repairability and "digital detoxing," so the radio fits their brand perfectly.
Why the "Radio Apps" on the Play Store Are a Lie
Don't get tricked. If you search for "FM Radio" on the Google Play Store, you'll find a thousand apps with names like "Real FM Tuner."
They are almost all fake. Or rather, they are streaming apps.
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A real FM radio app doesn't use your Wi-Fi or LTE. If you put your phone in Airplane Mode and the radio stops working, it’s not a real tuner—it’s just an internet radio app masquerading as hardware. Real phones that have fm radio will play music while the SIM card is pulled out and the Wi-Fi is toggled off.
The Technical Hurdle: The 3.5mm Jack
We need to talk about the "Dongle Problem." Since most flagship phones killed the headphone jack, users tried using USB-C to 3.5mm adapters.
It’s a hit-or-miss disaster.
Some adapters don't have the internal wiring to pass the FM signal from the wire to the chip. If the phone doesn't have the "FM API" in its software kernel, it won't matter what you plug in. It’s a software-lockout situation. This is why if radio is a priority, you should buy a phone that has a native 3.5mm port. It’s just easier.
The E-E-A-T Factor: Is it Actually Better for You?
From a technical standpoint, FM radio is superior for one thing: battery life. Streaming music over 5G is a massive power suck. Your phone has to maintain a constant handshake with a cell tower, process data packets, and manage a buffer.
FM radio? It’s passive. The power draw is negligible. You can listen to the radio for 20 hours and barely see a dent in your percentage. For people who work long shifts in warehouses or outdoors where charging isn't an option, this isn't just a "nice to have" feature—it's essential kit.
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Also, consider privacy.
Spotify knows every song you skip.
The FM tower? It has no idea you’re listening. It’s a one-way broadcast. In an era where every single click is tracked and sold to advertisers, there is something incredibly liberating about "invisible" consumption. No algorithms. Just a DJ in a booth somewhere playing what they want.
How to Verify Your Phone's FM Capability
If you’re holding a phone and wondering if it has the "hidden" chip, there’s a way to check. Download an app called NextRadio. It was a project designed specifically to bridge the gap between FM chips and modern interfaces.
- Step 1: Plug in wired headphones.
- Step 2: Open NextRadio.
- Step 3: If the app says "Your device does not have the necessary hardware," you’re out of luck.
- Step 4: If it opens, you’ve just unlocked a free entertainment system.
Sadly, NextRadio has lost some support in recent years from certain manufacturers, but it remains the "gold standard" for testing whether your carrier has blocked the chip.
The Practical Move for Radio Lovers
If you are specifically looking for phones that have fm radio, stop looking at the top shelf. You are looking for "Value" or "Mid-range" devices.
Look for these specific features in the product description:
- 3.5mm Headset Jack: Essential for the antenna.
- Dedicated FM App: Look for it in the "Tools" or "Extras" folder in reviews.
- Snapdragon 400 or 600 series chips: These mid-tier processors almost always include the tuner hardware, and manufacturers are more likely to leave it active to appeal to global markets.
Don't settle for the "just stream it" argument. There is no replacement for the reliability of a broadcast signal when the power goes out or the data cap hits.
Next Steps for the Radio Hunter:
Check the current inventory of the Motorola Moto G (2024 or 2025 models) or the Samsung Galaxy A25. These represent the most reliable path to getting a functional tuner in a modern smartphone. Before buying, verify the specific model number on a site like GSMArena to ensure "FM Radio" is listed under the "Features" or "Comms" section for your specific country. If you already have a phone without a jack, buy a dedicated "USB-C to 3.5mm" adapter that specifically mentions "analog support" to give yourself the best chance of the wire acting as a functional antenna.