Fix needed for Location Services 2.1 fix

[icewing]

I've seen lots of complaints on the fix (break) of Location Services in 2.1.

Frankly at a minimum I think they need to put it back the way it was: if Location Services is off, you get a dialog giving you a chance to turn it on, instead of the lame new Micro$oft-type dialog we get now.

Better yet, in Settings, give an option to turn on Location Services if an application needs it, and then turn it back off when you exit the app. I would expect the OS to be aware when an application exits, either to another app or to the home screen. Any developers out there that can confirm this?

 

[heyp]

I've seen lots of complaints on the fix (break) of Location Services in 2.1.

Frankly at a minimum I think they need to put it back the way it was: if Location Services is off, you get a dialog giving you a chance to turn it on, instead of the lame new Micro$oft-type dialog we get now.

Better yet, in Settings, give an option to turn on Location Services if an application needs it, and then turn it back off when you exit the app. I would expect the OS to be aware when an application exits, either to another app or to the home screen. Any developers out there that can confirm this?

the new way is terrible and i have a theory that it's where all the battery savings they claim with 2.1 comes from (people were previously unaware the drain location services had on their battery, so this is to make them more conscious of it... but people who were already toggling it on only when needed, won't see the better battery life)... either way, i agree with you...at a bare minimum it should be changed to the way it used to be and preferably it should turn on only when an application needs it and then quit when the app is closed

 

[SHIFTLife]

My location services are on 100% of the time. I see a HUGE increase in battery life. The trick is after restoring to 2.1, completely charge and discharge your phone 2-3 times to allow the hardware to recalibrate to the battery... you're reflashing the whole OS, so any calibration of your battery meter is lost too.

 

[arubinst]

This is how I think Location Services is supposed to work:

- User opens a Location Based application
- GPS starts running, draining batteries fast

Now, one of two things happen:

- User closes application by pressing the Home button
- GPS stops, no more draining

or,

- User does not press the Home button and leaves application running
- GPS keeps running and keeps draining batteries

So, the whole point of the option that allows the user to deactivate Location Services will prevent scenario 2. In any case, if the user closes a Location Based application every time, there should be no major impact on battery life.

This is how I understand it. I wish Apple could confirm (or deny) it.

Cheers

 

[icewing]

My location services are on 100% of the time. I see a HUGE increase in battery life. The trick is after restoring to 2.1, completely charge and discharge your phone 2-3 times to allow the hardware to recalibrate to the battery... you're reflashing the whole OS, so any calibration of your battery meter is lost too.

Haven't tried that yet, I will though. Have you done a comparison between a day with it off and one with it on?

 

[Saladinos]

This is how I think Location Services is supposed to work:

- User opens a Location Based application
- GPS starts running, draining batteries fast

Now, one of two things happen:

- User closes application by pressing the Home button
- GPS stops, no more draining

or,

- User does not press the Home button and leaves application running
- GPS keeps running and keeps draining batteries

So, the whole point of the option that allows the user to deactivate Location Services will prevent scenario 2. In any case, if the user closes a Location Based application every time, there should be no major impact on battery life.

This is how I understand it. I wish Apple could confirm (or deny) it.

Cheers

That doesn't make any sense. If you don't close the application, you're still using it. Hence, GPS shouldn't turn off. Locking closes the application AFAIK.

The location services switch is for times when you don't want the phone (specifically, applications on the phone) to know where you are. If there are social networking applications that you don't want to have that information, you can disable it. It's not about battery life. When the location services framework was announced, Apple said that the switch was for privacy.

It doesn't make sense to keep any location determining hardware powered, because there aren't any background applications, so there are no applications to use that information. It would just measure where you are, and discard that information. Apple aren't that stupid, ergo location-determining hardware is not kept powered in the background.