XM Satellite Radio has a couple of new portable units available. The Samsung Helix, pictured above, and the Pioneer Inno. The features on these new units show that the company is trying to offer more to the portable audio consumer than is out on the market currently.
Business Week did a fine reveiw of these; you can peep it here.
With some of the features here, we are getting close to something other than radio. There is a certain level of interactivity, enhanced displays, and recording capabilities that will make the more sophisticated users curators on their own. If this thing had the ability to get podcasts, they would be set.
One feature, curiously absent, is FM radio.
The above image is an iPod with the $50 attachment that adds FM radio capacity to the iPod. Neat. But $50 extra. The iPods, too, are bereft of FM Radio as a standard feature.
A new Ipsos poll indicates that the number one thing that users wish to have on their portable device is FM radio. MacNewsDaily cites this poll: 46% of users aged 12-24 and 37% of users aged 25-54 want FM tuners.
It may be a bit of a surprise that the younger generation, having grown up with all of this technology, want those FM tuners more than the older generation. By almost 10%!
In hindsight, Apple circumvented the number one request, and went with numbers 4 & 5 on the list as standard features first: photos and video.
Bad for Apple, but a good sign for radio. The kids are alright. And they want to listen to the radio.