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Will Push Notification Destroy Battery Life?

Gibson88

Gibson88

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 25, 2006
960
148
United Kingdom
I've just been watching the iPhone 3.0 March event and I noticed what was said about background processes and battery life.

The thing is I don't quite understand, will say for example Facebook getting badge alerts just destroy your battery? I don't know if this is what they mean by running in the background. I know there will some affect on battery but does anyone know realistically how much?
 
I was wondering the same thing. I imagine it will take away some from the newly announced (what is it 8 hour battery life) but not alot.
 
Background Processes decrease battery life by 80% (which iPhone doesn't have, thankfully)

Push Notifications only decrease battery life by 20%....

So, yes, it decreases your battery life but not by much
 
I was just doing some searching on the fourms and I read from someone that if you already have Push mail set up you will notice basically no battery life difference as you already have a constant connection with the Push server.

Is this true?
 
Caris said:
I was just doing some searching on the fourms and I read from someone that if you already have Push mail set up you will notice basically no battery life difference as you already have a constant connection with the Push server.

Is this true?
Click to expand...

Well, effectively it'll be connecting to two servers instead of one so you'll still notice some difference.
 
Wait, iPhone doesn't have background processes?

Then how will the IM apps that are being developed tell us that there is new messages or something?
 
fireshot91 said:
Wait, iPhone doesn't have background processes?

Then how will the IM apps that are being developed tell us that there is new messages or something?
Click to expand...

Via a push notification. I believe you then have to startup the app to actually read/reply to the message. The push notification is just there to tell you that something has happened. Can anyone tell me if you get a push notification to say you have a new IM, does that notification include a button to startup the relevant app and show the relevent message, or do you have to dismiss the notifaction and startup the app as normal?

Thanks
 
It's 1 service running on your phone as apposed to all the apps running. The Apple server keeps a constant connection to the phone or ipod while they have a signal and sends the notification. So since the apps aren't running in the background, they don't use as much battery life.
 
ChrisWilder07 said:
Background Processes decrease battery life by 80% (which iPhone doesn't have, thankfully)
Click to expand...

Sigh. P.T. Barnum would've loved Apple.

Look, that ridiculous number was true for a poorly written background application that Apple picked out as an excuse for their lack of third party multitasking support.

It might also be true of Apple's own iPod music player in the background. But of course, Apple is okay with that.

There are different kinds of background processes. Some use NO extra battery. Some do a little. Some even might do a lot, but they'd be in the minority.

So since the apps aren't running in the background, they don't use as much battery life.
Click to expand...

OTOH, if you stopped being interested in all those apps' notices, you'll need to manually turn off the notification watcher, or it'll use battery for no reason.
 
If you have "Fetch every 15 minutes" set like I do, it will actually save battery.

Basically what happens now for say ... Email is you set your iPhone to "Fetch" the information every 15 minutes or 30 minutes or so. So while you're on Fetch your iPhone has to go check for messages every 15 minutes or so, even if there is nothing new ... That wastes battery life. PUSH is when the service, like GMail sends the new message to your iPhone. That will save some battery if you're already fetching frequently.
 
This is my biggest worry with push notifications, the battery life.

I have mobileme, gmail, and exchange on my phone. I find that when gmail is set to 30min fetch and the other two set to push that my battery life sucks when compared to push turned off and all three set to 30min fetch.

Has anyone else who uses mobileme or exchange or both found out that push has much crappier battery life than fetch?

I'm afraid of adding yet another push service to the phone. I don't like using it now.
 
fireshot91 said:
So, will those apps keep you signed onto your IM app if you hit the home button?
Click to expand...

AOL will keep you signed on. The AIM application will fully close and not run in the background. If someone sends you an IM while the application is closed, AOL will send your phone a push notification.

Though it will seem like AIM is running in the background constantly on your phone, it will not be. That is the benefit of push notification.
 
The General said:
AOL will keep you signed on. The AIM application will fully close and not run in the background. If someone sends you an IM while the application is closed, AOL will send your phone a push notification.

Though it will seem like AIM is running in the background constantly on your phone, it will not be. That is the benefit of push notification.
Click to expand...

You could have always done something similar to this by having AIM keep you on and send you a text everytime someone IMs you. I guess it isn't worth it to people whom don't have unlimited text.
 
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