Nokia will gladly include DAB support on handsets... after it's popular

by Darren Murph posted Dec 6th 2008 at 4:04PM

This folks, is a classic case of "chicken before the egg." Reportedly, Nokia's director of product and technology marketing Sari Stahlberg was quoted as saying that "when the technology reaches mass adoption we would consider putting DAB radios into our phones," but rather than supporting it now and assisting the technology in becoming adopted en masse, it's fine to just wait things out. He continued with: ""The more the technology is adopted across Europe and other territories, the more chance it's got of being included." Translation? "We'll gladly pull the trigger once it's safe, but don't count on us to increase DAB visibility in the mobile space."

Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Nokia

Tags: DAB, DAB radio, DabRadio, Nokia, radio

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

greenlight @ Dec 6th 2008 5:09PM

People use DAB? I haven't even used FM since I got an A2DP headset, I just stream radio channels over 3G, and it even has better coverage than FM does in buildings and stuff.

Neutral

Roger Alford @ Dec 6th 2008 5:24PM

HERE HERE!

Do the same thing too!

I dont understand with the supposed universal High Definition change, seems we are having too many "Digital" formats more so then we did with "Analog". At least with Analog there was 3 formats, and 3 different types and technologies of mobile phone service. Digital, we have WAY TOO MANY FORMATS and Technologies.

DVB-H, DVB-T, DAB, and whats next?

Neutral

L @ Dec 6th 2008 6:08PM

I think the UK is likely the only country in Europe where DAB has had any success - dunno about other parts of the world, but here in central Europe it's pretty much dead...

I wonder if it will become more popular once analogue radio senders will have to be switched off by 2012 (?)...

Neutral

Northerner @ Dec 9th 2008 10:39AM

DAB in the UK is a dead end because its obsolete format and crap quality. The rest of Europe are gearing up for DAB+.
Also even the best dedicated DAB receivers are a total battery hog, so it's the last thing you'd want to put in a phone where the battery resource is so limited.
The Virgin Lobster was a flop even though it was a full Windows Mobile Smartphone with DAB selling at just £40 SIM free. No wonder Nokia don't want go there.
It's analogue TV that's being switched off by 2012, not radio. I can't see them ever switching off analogue radio - nit just for entertainment reasons - it's a strategic emergency communications medium after all.

Neutral

Fernando @ Dec 6th 2008 8:49PM

I don't exactly blame them after the Visual Radio fiasco and mobile TV adoption issues.

Highest Ranked

wickedme @ Dec 7th 2008 12:01AM

Oh, please! You're being such an ass with Nokia! It's useless to add DAB support now... Why raise the cost of production for something most of the people don't even care about? Come on! Nokia phones already do much more than the others - I'm so in love with my FM transmitter right now - stop acting like a spoiled child for five seconds...

You pretend to be tech lovers, but you spend most of your time dissing what is not Iphone (or RIM - are you suffering from that terrible americans-buy-american-goods-only disease? )... Iphone is sooo over-rated! It's just some random dumbphone with a capacitive screen... get over it for God's sake! That "everyone's product" is so reductive it makes me want to puke...I'm so done with engadget!

Neutral

bustafone @ Dec 7th 2008 5:52AM

Goodbye

Neutral

Bill @ Dec 7th 2008 9:13AM

Can't say I blame Nokia for taking such a stance in regards to DAB. Hell, the various committees can't even get it together enough to have just one standard for Digital Television yet.

Neutral

Eric @ Dec 7th 2008 10:08AM

How about a DAB bluetooth puck? Just pair and go, just like a GPS.

Neutral

David @ Dec 8th 2008 9:11AM

DAB is the only thing missing from my handset now, as far as I am concerned. My top 3 favourite radio stations are on DAB now, I'd use it far more than DVB-H.

Given that chipsets are now on the market supporting DAB, DAB+ and T-DMB, it shouldn't be too hard to make a phone that works on any coountry's digital radio system.