Turn your iPhone 5 into an FM Radio

We can listen to music in a variety of ways. It can be on our own device, where we cherry-pick what songs are on there with specific playlists, CDs or records which play only what’s on them, online music stations which are also determined by you, or the radio. The latter of these options has local and national news, commercials, special events, music picked by the host or callers, and the main use for most of us, is using this medium for information in times of emergency. Aside from having a radio in your car, most of us don’t really bother with getting something that specifically works as a radio.

There are apps you can download, but you will usually need some form of internet connection. This is where the Lightning FM Radio for iPhone and iPad might come in handy. It is an 8pin lightning compatible FM radio that plugs directly into your iDevice. It will draw power from your phone, and you can change the station by pressing a single button.

This is compatible with the iPhone 5, iPad Air, iPad 4, iPad mini, and the iPod Touch 5th Gen. It’s a neat idea for those who prefer to listen to the radio, though it is a bit costly at around $30. If this was going to be used in emergency situations, then it also doesn’t help that draws power from your phone, which could end up being a lifeline for you. It might be better to save up a bit more for a hand-crank or solar powered radio that is portable and has phone charging capabilities.