What can the iPod nano FM tuner do for you?

ipod-nano-fm-radio

Before you all say it at once, I know the Zune has had an FM tuner all along. But the new iPod nano just got one of its own and so FM is all of a sudden relevant again. A recent online survey by VisionCritical of 1,185 American adults shows that 66% have an active interest in the pause-and-rewind feature of the built-in FM radio. Plus, it’s the third most popular feature of the iPod nano only after the new, larger screen and the video camera. But how many people will really use it?

I for one would use it and according to this survey, I’m not alone. Having thousands of MP3s is nice, but there is something about being able to tune a live broadcast that still appeals to me. Maybe it’s the trust that I have in my local rock station to always play something cool. Or it’s the excitement of not know what’s coming up because even though you might have loaded your iPod with tons of MP3s and hit shuffle, there is still a level of predictability. But I like FM radio and would use it as long as the tuner pulls in stations without any rigmarole.

The survey also shows 55% of 18-34 year-olds like the ability to see what’s playing thanks to the nano’s RDS display. Only 45% of the same demographic are “very interested” in the ability to tag a song for future purchase though. Personally, I don’t know if FM needs saving, but the tuner within the nano will likely introduce more people to radio if they get tired of what they loaded on their iPod. [via 9to5mac]