Why are there no mobile phones with DAB?

[EM2]

As per title, really.
My contract will be up in March, so I'm starting to look around to see what is close to high-end now and therefore likely to be a bit cheaper then.
But there seems to be no phones with DAB? I love to listen to 6Music and Amazing Radio at home and it'd be nice to on the commute too.
Or if I have an unlimited Internet plan, can I use that to listen online?

 

[Bungle73]

You can listen online, provided you have a data connection.

 

[district]

Bare in mind an 'unlimited data connection' is very unlikely to be unlimited; in most cases a fair use policy of some sort always applies with charges if you exceed it, so read the small print!

 

[tony_mac]

There was a phone with DAB (my brother had one), but it was quite bulky and there aren't any new ones.

Internet streaming audio works.

 

[Bungle73]

There was a phone with DAB (my brother had one), but it was quite bulky and there aren't any new ones.

Yeah, I found one called the Virgin Lobster (what a name), but it's discontinued. You can also get an adapter thingy that works with (some) Nokia smart phones.

 

[87 027]

Yeah, I found one called the Virgin Lobster (what a name), but it's discontinued. You can also get an adapter thingy that works with (some) Nokia smart phones.

Yes, my Nokia N8 has DAB radio

 

[Blue Pool Halt]

Yes, my Nokia N8 has DAB radio

But you need a DAB specific Nokia headset at £60 to get the N8 to get DAB ?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I've never seen the need to have a radio in a phone, or a game, or the internet, or a calculator, or a personal organiser, or an MP3 player, or....well, anything except a phone, but I guess I'm not the type of person who needs to know what everyone else is doing all the time.

Once upon a time, when DAB first came out they had little mini DAB radio things that were powered by two AAA size batteries and cost about £2.

 

[Bungle73]

I've never seen the need to have a radio in a phone, or a game, or the internet, or a calculator, or a personal organiser, or an MP3 player, or....well, anything except a phone, but I guess I'm not the type of person who needs to know what everyone else is doing all the time.

Because its useful. I'm not sure what it's got to with "knowing what everyone is is doing all the time either".

Once upon a time, when DAB first came out they had little mini DAB radio things that were powered by two AAA size batteries and cost about £2.

I think you must be confused. When DAB first came out it was very power hungry, and I'm pretty sure there were no battery powered radios around; and I'm certain a couple of AAA batteries would not have been enough.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Well maybe not straight away, but there was a little thing, no bigger than the size of my palm, maybe 10-15mm thick, I'm sure it was DAB. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

 

[Mojo]

Well maybe not straight away, but there was a little thing, no bigger than the size of my palm, maybe 10-15mm thick, I'm sure it was DAB. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

Sounds like an FM radio. As I had one of these.

I've been looking at getting a decent DAB radio, as someone who listens to the radio a lot, but with my iPhone there is the ''TuneInRadio'' App which requires a data connection (so no good on a train), and all DAB radios (portable) cost double figures.

 

[balne-wonderer]

I've never seen the need to have a radio in a phone, or a game, or the internet, or a calculator, or a personal organiser, or an MP3 player, or....well, anything except a phone, but I guess I'm not the type of person who needs to know what everyone else is doing all the time.

Once upon a time, when DAB first came out they had little mini DAB radio things that were powered by two AAA size batteries and cost about £2.

Same. I don't even own a mobile phone, I just have company phone.

I've never had one of those touchy screen carry on's, can't be doing with that rubbish.

 

[GB]

"Rubbish"? Yep right O:roll:

 

[SS4]

I got a portable one for about £25 which runs off two AA batteries.

Like Mojo I use TuneIn

 

[table38]

I bought one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001PT023U which has a rechargeable battery (charges via a usb cable). It's about 1.5" square and 0.75" thick.

The reception is patchy but that may be more a feature of DAB signals than the unit itself.

 

[Michael.Y]

Well maybe not straight away, but there was a little thing, no bigger than the size of my palm, maybe 10-15mm thick, I'm sure it was DAB. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

Your mind isn't playing tricks on you.

I have a Goodmans DAB/FM personal radio

http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...a=X&ei=IEfZTsPEBcOy8QOu0rDgDQ&ved=0CGUQ8wIwAg

Powered by - you guessed it - 2xAAA batteries.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I am surprised that the market for DAB radios has led only to the choices that we find today, mainly self-contained small units with small built-in speakers, tiny portable units and combined MP3 docking stations and radio.

I own a full-sized DAB tuner as part of a home stereo system; connects to the amplifier just like a CD player or FM tuner. Its a Sony ST-SD8900, 17" wide, with large screen and includes FM and AM reception.

I could usefully use a couple more of them! Anyone else agree that a mains powered 'receiver - only' design of DAB radio would be useful, or have the manufactures estimated their market correctly by concentrating on small portable radios with little speakers?

 

[the sniper]

I've never seen the need to have a radio in a phone, or a game, or the internet, or a calculator, or a personal organiser, or an MP3 player, or....well, anything except a phone, but I guess I'm not the type of person who needs to know what everyone else is doing all the time.

Since when has a game, a calculator or an MP3 player let you know "what everyone else is doing all the time".

The reason they're all incorporated into one device is because most people don't want to carry a mini-radio, calculator, personal organiser and MP3 player with them just in case they might need one of them. Doesn't it make perfect sense to incorporate them all into one device that you're carrying around anyway?

Personally, I use my phone 95% of the time to listen to the radio, the other 5% making use of the 'traditional' features of a phone. I also use the alarm on it. Why would it make sense to use three different appliances for tasks that can easily be completed by one?

 

[jon0844]

Bare in mind an 'unlimited data connection' is very unlikely to be unlimited; in most cases a fair use policy of some sort always applies with charges if you exceed it, so read the small print!

On Three's One Plan, unlimited really will be unlimited. They exclude tethering (that is connecting your mobile to a PC to use it for mobile broadband) but otherwise, do whatever you want.

Three also supports HSPA+ and I've had 14Mbps download speeds on a FCC train into King's Cross, so suffice to say, I'd rate their network.

Giffgaff (which uses O2's network) also has an unlimited tariff that's really unlimited, but I wouldn't rate O2's network for data (voice is fine on the other hand).

HTC made a phone for Virgin that had TV over DAB, but it flopped (it was very big and had terrible battery life). I presume the big issue is the need for a decent antenna. With FM, you can use a headset and it's not a massive problem to have interference - but it would be for DAB, as it would sound terrible, or not work at all.

 

[Bungle73]

On Three's One Plan, unlimited really will be unlimited. They exclude tethering (that is connecting your mobile to a PC to use it for mobile broadband) but otherwise, do whatever you want.

Three also supports HSPA+ and I've had 14Mbps download speeds on a FCC train into King's Cross, so suffice to say, I'd rate their network.

Giffgaff (which uses O2's network) also has an unlimited tariff that's really unlimited, but I wouldn't rate O2's network for data (voice is fine on the other hand).

HTC made a phone for Virgin that had TV over DAB, but it flopped (it was very big and had terrible battery life). I presume the big issue is the need for a decent antenna. With FM, you can use a headset and it's not a massive problem to have interference - but it would be for DAB, as it would sound terrible, or not work at all.

TV over DAB?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Since when has a game, a calculator or an MP3 player let you know "what everyone else is doing all the time".

The reason they're all incorporated into one device is because most people don't want to carry a mini-radio, calculator, personal organiser and MP3 player with them just in case they might need one of them. Doesn't it make perfect sense to incorporate them all into one device that you're carrying around anyway?

Personally, I use my phone 95% of the time to listen to the radio, the other 5% making use of the 'traditional' features of a phone. I also use the alarm on it. Why would it make sense to use three different appliances for tasks that can easily be completed by one?

I could have used better wording, my point really is that my first mobile phone was precisely that, a phone, it didn't matter that it didn't have a calculator or a game on it, it did the job it was bought for. That's what phones should be for.

Imo, these phones now are "jack of all trades, master of none". Given that I could buy an MP3 player (with 8Gb memory (expandable) and a radio), an alarm clock and a phone for less than all three combined, I'd rather buy them separately.

That way, my alarm clock can sit by my bedside ready to wake me up each morning, with no thoughts about remembering to pick it up or put it by the bed each day (and no chance of losing it!) and my MP3 player can sit in my jacket, with no worries about forgetting it (except when charging). I have little need for the calculator as my company supplies one for me to use at work (and I'm quite good at maths anyway) and I'm not busy enough to need an organiser.

Now if anyone can persuade me that they 'need' a game on their phone then fair enough, but be honest, there is no chance of that happening anytime soon!

 

[jon0844]

Yes, TV (for mobile so quite low resolution) carried over DAB. The recognised standard is DVB-H I believe but there's no licence issued in the UK yet.

My mobile is awesome for music and video, and a great camera too. I am also posting this from it. I have a 32GB card in it so I can store loads of content too.

The alarm clock is also incredibly load and in clock mode even shows the weather forecast for the day ahead.

I haven't used my clock radio to wake me up in years. Phone has never failed once (it's not an iPhone!) and I have loads of presets for weekday, weekend and ad hoc.

 

[jon0844]

http://www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051279 says a bit about the TV service.