Background applications that wont work with push notification

[shk718]

So i was thinking about the way apple is going to do background applications. i think its a great solution - but there are probably a few it wont work with.

for example - if your getting driving directions and a call comes in will you loose your current location and if a turn comes up will it be able to notify you?

unless they make exceptions for certain applications - what do you guys think?

 

[sparkyms]

It should continue as normal in a 3g area, as the map can be downloaded via the 2g cell network whilst on the call. (i think).

 

[kdarling]

According to an Apple employee on their forum, the nav program would have to stop (as with any app), but you could hit the home button and start it again during the call.

Contrast that to, say, TomTom on WM phones, which says it continues to display driving directions during calls and texts.

So yes, it seems like some apps will need exceptions with Apple to be truly useful, because of the restriction on background processing.

 

[fishkorp]

Since 3G can have simultaneous voice and data, couldn't you answer the call and then just go right back into the navigation app? The phone app will run in the background while you use the nav. Would that not work? I can do almost anything on my current iPhone while on a call if I'm connected to WiFi.

 

[kdarling]

Since 3G can have simultaneous voice and data, couldn't you answer the call and then just go right back into the navigation app? The phone app will run in the background while you use the nav. Would that not work? I can do almost anything on my current iPhone while on a call if I'm connected to WiFi.

Yep, you can go use the 3G connection while on a call (although navigation apps like TomTom are standalone and don't need a connection anyway).

The point is, if a call comes on the iPhone, you'll have to manually restart the nav app using the Home button and menu page. Otherwise you'll miss the next turns.

This is totally different from other phones that simply push the app to the background, and you can pop them back to the front with one touch... and/or the app continues to display directions automatically (as with TomTom and Windows Mobile phones).

This lack of an app stack is the worst part of iPhone's OSX version. For instance, I hate when I click on a contact's address and am taken to the map app:

On Windows Mobile, I would then click the Back/Okay button and go back to the still running contacts app. On the iPhone, I have to make my way back through the home page menu and start contacts again. It's not a great UI from that standpoint.

 

[bitslap47]

It could make it different, but not necessarily not able to work.

As a developer, I can think of a number of ways to work around this.

For example, you are using navigation. A Phone call comes in. The application shuts down, but on shutdown notifies a server that it was shut down due to a phone call.

So... the call comes in, app shuts down, server sends a push notification with a message that pops up immediately after accepting the call that says "Continue Navigation?" If you select yes the app re-opens.

 

[kdarling]

Thanks. Sounds workable.

As long as you were in 3G coverage so it could get the notification while you're on the call...

 

[Project]

Last FM

 

[wonderbread57]

As we have just learned, the standard iPhone SDK prohibits navigation apps to be developed. This means that a company wanting to do nav (like tomtom) would have to negotiate a separate license agreement with apple. A separate license would not necessarily be restricted to the "no background process" that the standard SDK apps are. If turn-by-turn comes to the iPhone, it will be done right, i'm sure.

 

[markym07931]

how about a call comes in, and the prompt appears on screen, you answer the call, and the call is answered, and the map application doesn't even quit...

that is the most logical.. because the phone app always runs in the background....

 

[CrazEtooN]

As we have just learned, the standard iPhone SDK prohibits navigation apps to be developed. This means that a company wanting to do nav (like tomtom) would have to negotiate a separate license agreement with apple. A separate license would not necessarily be restricted to the "no background process" that the standard SDK apps are. If turn-by-turn comes to the iPhone, it will be done right, i'm sure.

Have you bothered to read the updates on this info? Nobody knows for sure exactly what it means yet, and it is pretty widely assumed that it just doesn't allow a 3rd party developer to use Google Maps as the map program they add voice and route directions to. It is more leaning towards saying that all developers need to code the entire thing, maps and all, from the ground up.

TomTom is also claiming they already have it up and running on the iPhone, so....

 

[kdarling]

how about a call comes in, and the prompt appears on screen, you answer the call, and the call is answered, and the map application doesn't even quit...

I find it a bit ironic that, for some of the most interesting and useful apps to work well, they need to ignore Apple's rules and act more like apps on other smartphones.

Apple is clearly still trying to figure out the best way to do things. Which is okay. It's not an easy problem.