Mobileme behaviour on iPhone 4

[Mikegs]

Hi guys

I have an iPhone 4 running ios 4.2.1

I've just created a mobileme account to sync calendar, contacs etc from the iPhone to the me.com website.

During the setup one is adviced to turn on "push" for the mobileme account. I don't like push though, I only want email notifications when i actually check the mail manually.

The questions are:

1. Would disabling push in anyway affect outgoing information, ie. syncing FROM the phone To the me.com site?

2. Would disabling push impair syncing information FROM me.com TO the iPhone? (If I should decide to add a contact on the me.com site for example)

3. Or does push in fact only apply to incoming mail and not calendar, contact updates etc?

Thank you!

 

[xraydoc]

When set to fetch manually, syncing from the phone up to the MobileMe servers will occur when you add/change something in the contacts/calendar/mail apps.

The downloading of info would then only occur when you open that app. So, opening mail will fetch the email, opening calendar will fetch any calendar changes and opening contacts will fetch any changes there.

 

[Mikegs]

When set to fetch manually, syncing from the phone up to the MobileMe servers will occur when you add/change something in the contacts/calendar/mail apps.

The downloading of info would then only occur when you open that app. So, opening mail will fetch the email, opening calendar will fetch any calendar changes and opening contacts will fetch any changes there.

Okay but that only makes a difference for email right? You wouldnt get a notification anyway, if there was a new calendar event and push was on... You would only see it if you open the calendar... Which, by your logic, would make the new event appear anyway if push was off??

 

[chestvrg]

Why don't you like "push" technology? I believe that's the whole purpose of using mobile email on a compatible device that has a Quasi-desktop experience.

 

[Mikegs]

Because I don't like to be notified every time an email is received, i'd rather check 2-3 time a day manually. And I don't like my phone connecting to the internet without me knowing (because of battery and data using issues).

 

[neko girl]

I have found Push to be a heavy battery drain, but disclaimer: I'm on an original iPhone and the battery efficiency of Push might have been improved.

I have noticed that Calendar updates do occur sporadically on their own, now and then, but for the most part when set to "Manual" the updates will occur only when you are in the application and you are connected to the internet.

I have noticed that MobileMe sync for bookmarks works inconsistently with Push off (information will not be refreshed even when in Safari and connected to the internet). Sync for contacts works without issue (works like Mail/Calendar). Notes works same as Contacts/Mail/Calendar.

There is a warning for Find My iPhone that indicates it will not work with Push off.

So to answer your question: disabling Push should disable all communications for refreshes unless you are in the relevant application and connected to the internet. This works less consistently in 3.1.3, and I have read that it works quite consistently in 4.x.

Just so you know, you can turn Mail notifications off. This is useful if you get a lot of email..

 

[Mikegs]

Thanks for the reply neko_girl

Here are my experiences with push off:

Calender and contacts updates fine. When updating on me.com it syncs to the iPhone. It does take a little while though. Of course you need to either open the calendar app or contacts to see that something has changed. But you would as well with push on I think? (you dont get notified like with the emails)

Haven't tried bookmarks or notes.

Find my iphone does work with push off.

No problem in sync from iPhone to me.com regarding changes in calendar/contacts made on the phone. (nobody has yet answered explicitly, but really, push is only affecting incoming transmission to from me.com to the iPhone not outgoing transmission from the iphone to me.com, right?)

I can only see one reason to use push: If you move in and out of areas with internet connection, it would probably sync automatically whenever there is internet. If push is off, you would need to open the relevant app when internet connection is available (in this case calendar or contacts) before syncing with mobileme occurs.

 

[MultiMediaWill]

Is it even any good?

 

[Mikegs]

That's off-topic, this is about me learning what push exactly is, and what the advantages/diasadvantages are in relation to mobileme ... But it could definitely be better... Just using the 60-days free trial

 

[neko girl]

(nobody has yet answered explicitly, but really, push is only affecting incoming transmission to from me.com to the iPhone not outgoing transmission from the iphone to me.com, right?)

Think of it this way:

• If you made changes on me.com, then Push would push this data to your iPhone even if you were not in the Calendar/Mail app. Otherwise, you will only see these changes reflected if you actually open the application.
• If you made changes on your iPhone, your iPhone would send this data to me.com as you are making your changes since the app is already open. Push has nothing to do with sending data out.

It's good to know that Find My iPhone works without Push, but I don't understand why it would work. Is it still sending data out in the background then?

 

[Mikegs]

Think of it this way:

• If you made changes on me.com, then Push would push this data to your iPhone even if you were not in the Calendar/Mail app. Otherwise, you will only see these changes reflected if you actually open the application.
• If you made changes on your iPhone, your iPhone would send this data to me.com as you are making your changes since the app is already open. Push has nothing to do with sending data out.

It's good to know that Find My iPhone works without Push, but I don't understand why it would work. Is it still sending data out in the background then?

I think you've answered it yourself. Push only affects incoming information and find my iPhone is about sending GPS data from the iPhone to mobileme?