HD Radio Comes to the iPhone

**Paul Daniel Ash** · 11-09-2009, 09:43 AM

iBiquity Digital, the company behind HD Radio, has finally released the first digital radio solution for the iPhone. It requires a Gigaware HD Radio Tuner, which costs $80 through Radio Shack, and uses your earphone cord as an antenna.

HD radio uses a digital signal piggybacked onto existing analog broadcasts, allowing high-quality sound and song metadata (artist, track and album). There are nearly 2000 stations in the US are already broadcasting a digital HD Radio signal. The Gigaware tuner, like all HD Radio receivers, can pick up both the digital and analog stations, so you can get regular AM and FM along with the HD broadcasts.

Bob Struble, the head of iBiquity, told the Wall Street Journal that the relatively high cost of the HD tuner is offset by the fact that digital signal can often be picked up in areas where there is not WiFi or 3G signal for services like Pandora. “The signal is coming from your local radio broadcast, so in most cases, if you’re within range of that signal,” the app will work exactly as a radio does. Users are able to access a wide variety of multicast as well as local radio stations.

Struble says iBiquity is trying to get Apple to add a built-in HD Radio receiver to the iPhone and iPod touch, as the external device is somewhat unwieldy. Microsoft released the fourth-generation [URL="http://zune.net:80/en-US/"]Zune HD[/URL, which has an integrated HD Tuner, in September.

iBiquity's Navigator Control app is free on the iTunes Store.

image via iBiquity Digital

**Melech518** · 11-09-2009, 09:52 AM

Hmmm....$80 for radio...Lame

Here is the link to the HD Gigaware Tuner

And here is the ratings chart from iTunes of the App

**iadventure** · 11-09-2009, 10:10 AM

not going to be a hit I don't think...

**Vandam500** · 11-09-2009, 10:14 AM

Horrible title. Makes it sound as if Apple had provided it. Change the title so people will know it's not a "Made by Apple" thing.

**Fallguy** · 11-09-2009, 10:15 AM

This looks cool , but I am still looking for a HD radio for my car that works great with the iphone .

**CaptainChaos** · 11-09-2009, 10:16 AM

I really only see audiophiles getting into this. Just having to buy another piece of hardware is going to be a deal killer.

**s4mb4** · 11-09-2009, 10:24 AM

HD radio is lame. I will stick with Slacker and Sirius. If i have no signal, i will listen to my iTunes tracks saved locally....

**organik** · 11-09-2009, 10:31 AM

HD Radio quality is better than satellite, and unlike Sirius HD is free. C'mon Apple, get this tuner in the next gen iPhone! I want!

**iPhone3G[S]** · 11-09-2009, 10:37 AM

no bluetooth? lammme.

**s4mb4** · 11-09-2009, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by organik

HD Radio quality is better than satellite, and unlike Sirius HD is free. C'mon Apple, get this tuner in the next gen iPhone! I want!

how do you figure HD's radio quality is better than SAT? HD radio right now is about where SAT radio was 5 -6 years ago.....
As far as quaility, my Sirius streams are at or above 128 kbs. Last i checked, that is CD quality.....

**nighthawk283** · 11-09-2009, 11:27 AM

Thats not worth it it should already be built in the ipod or ipod touch that be great

**DarkDragonAn** · 11-09-2009, 12:18 PM

Not for nothing, but the iPhone 3GS needed to have a Radio app" when it was release and maybe add the HD Radio on the next iPhone. Like always Apple take it's time to-do things.

**jahkas** · 11-09-2009, 12:28 PM

FStream play internet radio and its free. thats wack

**CaptainChaos** · 11-09-2009, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by s4mb4

how do you figure HD's radio quality is better than SAT? HD radio right now is about where SAT radio was 5 -6 years ago.....
As far as quaility, my Sirius streams are at or above 128 kbs. Last i checked, that is CD quality.....

CD quality is 190kbs and above and Sirius just started streaming 128 recently. HD radio is very clear in my car, but I don't use it. I stream Sirius through my phone while driving around.

**HitNWakes** · 11-09-2009, 03:30 PM

RIP OFF!!

I like how they justify the cost saying it comes in even when you dont have WIFI or 3G!! LMAO!

Ohh and sorry,
CD quality is NOT 128.

**tudtran** · 11-09-2009, 05:50 PM

Who would pay $80 for radio? Maybe for XM radio. This is like the $129 TomTom car kit. What a RIP OFF!!!!!!!! Good luck selling that.

**bbillh77** · 11-09-2009, 06:10 PM

$3.00 a month and the Sirrius app seemes like a better option besides who still listens to radio?

**xgus69** · 11-10-2009, 12:15 AM

I dont think this will be a hit... getting sirius satellite radio is cheaper... why would u want regular antena radio.. its all commercials and only playlists of like 20 songs for a whole month lol

**StealthBravo** · 11-10-2009, 12:28 AM

pass

**BleachOne** · 11-10-2009, 01:37 AM

For 20$ maby

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