Memory leak or multitask?

[jayducharme]

I was having bizarre issues with my iP4. Besides standing in one location and watching my bars shift from 1 to 5 and back and have the phone switch repeatedly from 3G to E, I also had a few incidents where the phone would suddenly read "No Service" and wouldn't re-connect with a tower until I re-booted it.

So I took it to my local Genius Bar. The guy there said that I had too many applications running in the multi-task bar, and that ate up my available memory which would then affect cell reception. He said to be sure I always manually closed any applications I wasn't using. Then he reset my iPhone and told me to set it up as a new phone.

That seemed absurd. I thought Apple had figured out this whole "multi-tasking" issue and claimed that any apps sitting in the multi-task bar didn't impact memory usage. If I have to close every bloody app each time I use it, then what's the point of being able to multi-task? In that case, Apple should at least give me some way to turn off multi-tasking.

So then I went to the nearby AT&T store to explain my problem. I told the guy there what the Genius has said to me. The AT&T guy asked where I lived, and when I told him he said ominously, "Ooohhh -- you're near the college. Yeah, reception always sucks there. The kids drain all the bandwidth." He then replaced my SIM card.

So I went home and spent two hours re-doing all the settings on my iPhone. It hasn't kicked into "No Service" yet, but the bars are still wonky.

Anyone have any thoughts on this issue? Has anyone had similar issues? Do you think the Genius or AT&T guy was right, or just blowing smoke?

 

[Daveoc64]

So I took it to my local Genius Bar. The guy there said that I had too many applications running in the multi-task bar, and that ate up my available memory which would then affect cell reception. He said to be sure I always manually closed any applications I wasn't using. Then he reset my iPhone and told me to set it up as a new phone.

Total nonsense.

Ignoring your problem for a second, he's given you two unrelated solutions.

That generally always means that the person you are talking to doesn't have a clue.

If the problem is too many things running (which it isn't) then how is restoring as a new phone going to help!?

 

[mgamber]

When the idi...genius said you need to track what's running and close them you should have replied "Oh, like a Windows Mobile phone?" Dumbass....he had no clue what he was talking about.

I have similar problems here at home. Reception generally sucks, it often flips back and forth between 3G and E, sometimes I get no service, I wasn't able to hold a call longer than 4 or 5 minutes for 2 years. What's worse, I went to the local mall's AT&T and bought a microcell which wouldn't enable. 6 weeks later, too late to return it of course, I find out from AT&T support that they will never support the microcell here. So I said ****** AT&T (for like the 10,000th time since buying an iPhone) and bought a zBoost YX545 cell extender. Basically a repeater. I stuck the antenna on the roof, put the unit in an upstairs bedroom and now I get 3 to 5 bars everywhere on my property. Always 3G, text messages actually go out the same day I hit Send, data is considerably faster and if you finally have enough of AT&T and change carriers, it works with everything but Nextel. Best phone purchase I've made since my first smartphone 5 or 6 years ago.

 

[Runt888]

The apple genius is completely wrong. It's not a multitasking bar, it's a history bar. The vast majority of the apps shown aren't running (more than likely, none of them are).

The AT&T guy is probably closer to the truth, but it's not because the college kids are "draining" the bandwidth.

 

[Carlanga]

the problem is that you live close to the college, I think you should get a MicroCell to improve and fix your reception...

 

[jayducharme]

Thanks for all the feedback! I'll look into that cell extender.

 

[kAoTiX]

The apple genius is completely wrong. It's not a multitasking bar, it's a history bar. The vast majority of the apps shown aren't running (more than likely, none of them are).

The AT&T guy is probably closer to the truth, but it's not because the college kids are "draining" the bandwidth.

Spot on with the 'history bar'
Example, start many apps, close apps, view 'history' bar to see apps still there. Reboot phone (switch off and back on) apps remain in 'history' bar.

Apps running even after a reboot? Don't be stupid. Clearly were never running, or are definately not running now.
Also a respring frees up memory, I'm jailbroken with memory showing in top bar and if you respring the memory is free'd.