Why doesn't iOS allow multiple apps to run

2010madone · Dec 8, 2012

i have been a pure apple user for years. . .have 28 devices across all the products. but when the maps debacle happened i tried a Droid Razr Maxx HD alongside an iphone 5 for a few weeks. i had only ever tried Android on my wife's htc phone which ran i believe Droid 2.1 and i hated it

no one is more axed to want to move up to the newest/shiniest apple device than i am. but after using Jelly Bean for a few weeks there is literally no comparison anymore between android and ios.

being able to run multiple apps at the same time is a GAME CHANGER for a smartphone. i can leave a web page open, have stock quotes update, pause a game without closing it, go from maps/directions/navigation (which actually works) back to an email with location information, back to an ongoing phone call, etc, etc

it boggles my mind why apple wouldn't allow this basic functionality on a 2012 smartphone operating system. at this point ios6 feels like dos to me--and i used and loved the feel of ios for years on various other iphones. it can't be because they can't put this functionality in the os. ..its because they don't want to ? i literally do not get it

having run these phones side by side for a few weeks i will not be back to ios. google are simply a way better software company and i believe the gap only widens over time. the difference between Droid 2.1 and 4.2 is STAGGERING and that is basically progress made in about 2 years. in that time ios looks more or less the same

and don't get me started on how good predictive typing, haptic feedback (keyboard does very faint buzz every time you press--wildly improves typing accuracy), google now, etc, etc are.

apple--i am a 10 year user of your products and was totally locked into the ecosystem. i always literally laughed at Droid users. . .now I find out i AM the clueless parents in the Samsung Galaxy S commercial.

if i'm leaving it ain't good. . .need to get the mojo back

sammich · Dec 8, 2012

I'm confused. I do what you say on my iDevice all the time?

cmChimera · Dec 8, 2012

2010madone said:
i have been a pure apple user for years. . .have 28 devices across all the products. but when the maps debacle happened i tried a Droid Razr Maxx HD alongside an iphone 5 for a few weeks. i had only ever tried Android on my wife's htc phone which ran i believe Droid 2.1 and i hated it

no one is more axed to want to move up to the newest/shiniest apple device than i am. but after using Jelly Bean for a few weeks there is literally no comparison anymore between android and ios.

being able to run multiple apps at the same time is a GAME CHANGER for a smartphone. i can leave a web page open, have stock quotes update, pause a game without closing it, go from maps/directions/navigation (which actually works) back to an email with location information, back to an ongoing phone call, etc, etc

it boggles my mind why apple wouldn't allow this basic functionality on a 2012 smartphone operating system. at this point ios6 feels like dos to me--and i used and loved the feel of ios for years on various other iphones. it can't be because they can't put this functionality in the os. ..its because they don't want to ? i literally do not get it

having run these phones side by side for a few weeks i will not be back to ios. google are simply a way better software company and i believe the gap only widens over time. the difference between Droid 2.1 and 4.2 is STAGGERING and that is basically progress made in about 2 years. in that time ios looks more or less the same

and don't get me started on how good predictive typing, haptic feedback (keyboard does very faint buzz every time you press--wildly improves typing accuracy), google now, etc, etc are.

apple--i am a 10 year user of your products and was totally locked into the ecosystem. i always literally laughed at Droid users. . .now I find out i AM the clueless parents in the Samsung Galaxy S commercial.

if i'm leaving it ain't good. . .need to get the mojo back

There is nothing in your post that an iPhone can't do besides haptic feedback while typing....

KirkL · Dec 8, 2012

iOS has had multitasking for at least 2 years now...

stevemiller · Dec 8, 2012

i ask this out of genuine curiosity, how does haptic feedback "wildly improve" typing accuracy? it tells you when you've touched a key, but the problem remains whether you've hit the *right* key.

Garenius · Dec 8, 2012

I'm not exactly sure what you mean but multi-tasking here. If you press the Home Button long enough you can see all of the apps running, so I have no idea what you're talkin about

Vetvito · Dec 8, 2012

Not exactly fellas, the OP is right. He's not talking about the frozen apps in the double tap menu. He's referring to the full blown multitasking of Android.

Some like it, some don't. That's why we have choices.

Oui · Dec 8, 2012

So the choice is simple. Return the iPhone and keep the droid.
It seems to be the one your looking for so move along.

Beeplance · Dec 8, 2012

Vetvito said:
Not exactly fellas, the OP is right. He's not talking about the frozen apps in the double tap menu. He's referring to the full blown multitasking of Android.

Some like it, some don't. That's why we have choices.

The only reason why iOS doesn't have full-blown multi-tasking: Battery life.

Steve Jobs said it himself. Look at the iOS 4 keynote.

Vetvito · Dec 8, 2012

^ trust me I know.

cmChimera · Dec 8, 2012

Vetvito said:
Not exactly fellas, the OP is right. He's not talking about the frozen apps in the double tap menu. He's referring to the full blown multitasking of Android.

Some like it, some don't. That's why we have choices.

But he's not, there's nothing in his post that operates differently than a iOS device. For example, I can pause a game go to another app and go back to the game. That's not "closing" the app. I can do his e-mail/maps example. I can do all these things with an ongoing phone call as well. If he actually means, why can't iOS do that without bothering to conserve battery life, I'm more confused.

Vetvito · Dec 8, 2012

^ I can't exactly explain it to you, but you may seem to be able to do this but reality is, you're not. iOS doesn't has full multitasking abilities. iOS freezes apps.

Better to some, worse to others. Doesn't matter to me.

2010madone · Dec 8, 2012

stevemiller said:
i ask this out of genuine curiosity, how does haptic feedback "wildly improve" typing accuracy? it tells you when you've touched a key, but the problem remains whether you've hit the *right* key.

the combination of haptic feedback + predictive keyboard on jelly bean wildly improves typing accuracy and i would estimate i use maybe 30-40% less keystrokes because as you type any word it shows you the most likely words you are trying to type above the keyboard. predictive keyboard = it knows what you type most often and learns based on that. it is very hard to use an apple keyboard on my new ipod touch or ipad 4s after using the Droid keyboard for a few days.

KirkL · Dec 8, 2012

Vetvito said:
^ I can't exactly explain it to you, but you may seem to be able to do this but reality is, you're not. iOS doesn't has full multitasking abilities. iOS freezes apps.

Better to some, worse to others. Doesn't matter to me.

It freezes some apps. I can listen to Pandora and do web browsing

Intell · Dec 8, 2012

Vetvito said:
^ I can't exactly explain it to you, but you may seem to be able to do this but reality is, you're not. iOS doesn't has full multitasking abilities. iOS freezes apps.

Better to some, worse to others. Doesn't matter to me.

iOS doesn't freeze every app. Only those that have the API hooks in place for it, which by default they do if they are built with iOS 4+ in mind. Those that don't, simply quit. App developers can also request via one of the seven backgrounding APIs to not have their app frozen for X amount of minutes. That is true backgrounding and iOS has it. Other backgrounding APIs include audio playback, VOIP, location data, local push notifications, push notifications, task completion, and freezing. With iOS 5, Apple introduced three more, Newsstand download, external accessory, and Bluetooth accessory. If a process engages one of these (excluding freezing) the process remains active in the background. This, by definition, is multitasking. Technically, iOS has done multitasking since iOS 1.0.

2010madone · Dec 8, 2012

KirkL said:
It freezes some apps. I can listen to Pandora and do web browsing

ios is NOT multitasking. it freezes some apps and then re-opens. android allows you to run multiple apps in real time just like macs have been doing since almost the beginning of time.

after 3 days of being able to multitask one really can't go back

ThatsMeRight · Dec 8, 2012

stevemiller said:
i ask this out of genuine curiosity, how does haptic feedback "wildly improve" typing accuracy? it tells you when you've touched a key, but the problem remains whether you've hit the *right* key.

Because this isn't true haptic feedback. It's the kind of "touch-a-button-and-let-the-vibrator-vibrate"-haptic-feedback.

The haptic, or better worded, tactile, feedback is like Senseg's technology. To give you an example: you could go with your finger over a virtual keyboard and feel all the buttons. If you press a bit harder than you actually push the key.

Vetvito · Dec 8, 2012

Like I said it freezes apps, obviously not the ones with the appropriate API used.

Play Dead Trigger, Sims 3, Sims Free Play, COD Zombies, open the YouTube App and launch a video, then go play a stored video on your phone. Then jump back in to each of those apps without it reloading, Android devices with the appropriate RAM will keep all of those apps running until low on ram before completely closing them. Thus the battery drain statement.

However Google is your friend, as this is well documented.

ThatsMeRight · Dec 8, 2012

2010madone said:
ios is NOT multitasking. it freezes some apps and then re-opens. android allows you to run multiple apps in real time just like macs have been doing since almost the beginning of time.

after 3 days of being able to multitask one really can't go back

Depends on the developer. That's why, for example, GPS apps continue running in the background. Or radio apps. Or photo upload apps. There is no need for an app like "weather" to run all the time.

Intell · Dec 8, 2012

Vetvito said:
Like I said it freezes apps, obviously not the ones with the appropriate API used.

Play Dead Trigger, Sims 3, Sims Free Play, COD Zombies, open the YouTube App and launch a video, then go play a stored video on your phone. Then jump back in to each of those apps without it reloading, Android devices with the appropriate RAM will keep all of those apps running until low on ram before completely closing them. Thus the battery drain statement.

However Google is your friend, as this is well documented.

I do very similar things quite often on my 4S. Lots of games, uploading things via Dropbox, Safari browsing, texting, and Pandora. All while quickly switching between them. Not a single reload or crash. I'd image an A5X/A6 chip would be able to handle it even better. I don't have any reloading problems or other crashes. Don't forget, Apple's Developer Documentation has all of this laid out if glorious technical detail.

Vetvito · Dec 8, 2012

Intell said:
I do very similar things quite often on my 4S. Lots of games, uploading things via Dropbox, Safari browsing, texting, and Pandora. All while quickly switching between them. Not a single reload or crash. I'd image an A5X/A6 chip would be able to handle it even better. I don't have any reloading problems or other crashes. Don't forget, Apple's Developer Documentation has all of this laid out if glorious technical detail.

Those apps are using the appropriate APIs. That's nothing similar to what I said btw.

As I said, Google Bing, or whatever search engine you use, use it. This is well documented.

Intell · Dec 8, 2012

Vetvito said:
Those apps are using the appropriate APIs. That's nothing similar to what I said btw.

As I said, Google Bing, or whatever search engine you use, use it. This is well documented.

Maybe I should revise my post to state that I get great battery life while doing those things as well. I'm also very aware of Android's battery life problems when multitasking goes unchecked. Even when iOS doesn't freeze the apps, battery life is still very good. One can also force all apps to remain in the "foreground" state if jailbroken and using Backgrounder. Even then, battery life is quite remarkable.

Vetvito · Dec 8, 2012

Intell said:
Maybe I should revise my post to state that I get great battery life while doing those things as well. I'm also very aware of Android's battery life problems when multitasking goes unchecked. Even when iOS doesn't freeze the apps, battery life is still very good. One can also force all apps to remain in the "foreground" state if jailbroken and using Backgrounder. Even then, battery life is quite remarkable.

Now we are on the same page. Like I sad, some like it some don't.

I prefer my iPhone a lot of times over my Android.

TacticalDesire · Dec 8, 2012

State a flaw about iOS or a positive about android and people get defensive

paulbennett95 · Dec 8, 2012

TacticalDesire said:
State a flaw about iOS or a positive about android and people get defensive

Please note the name of this forum, and this particular subforum...

And I can do all those things you noted on mu 4S, not all at once on the same screen without changing apps/screens, but even if ios allowed it I wouldn't be able to do it, I can't type/write and talk at the same time, let alone make a phone call, look at something and type...
To each his own I guess.

Why doesn't iOS allow multiple apps to run

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