Apple Plans To Bring an HD Radio Technology To iPhone

A new Apple’s patent application entitled “Digital Radio Tagging Using an RF Tuner Accessory” has been revealed this week. It describes an HD Radio technology that may be later delivered to iPod touch and iPhone and gives its users greater flexibility in interaction with broadcast media. Nowadays HD Radio is a trademarked wireless radio format that allows FM and AM radio stations to simulcast analog and digital audio at the same time on the same channel. Currently it is owned by iBiquity.

The patent application also describes the way user may search for digital stations that fit currently defined filters, such as currently playing content similarity or any other.

"Enhanced metadata and searching can provide the listener the ability to refine station choices without having to listen at length to any particular station, and further can facilitate tagging broadcast tracks for subsequent access and/or purchase".

Something similar had been already implemented in the last iPod nano with built-in FM radio and it's called iTunes Tagging. It allows user to tag songs that play on the radio to preview and purchase it from iTunes later, when synced with a computer.

In opposition to iPod's feature new technology will allow full integration with HD Radio via special tuner that will be built-in in Apple's next-gen mobile devices.

The HD Radio support has been rumored already some months ago. In November 2009 The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was negotiating with iBuquity on bringing HD Radio to next-gen models of the iPod touch and iPhone. Thus was created the Gigaware HD Radio Receiver that along with a special free app allowed listening to HD Radio broadcasts of local stations.