Notifications battery drain doesn't make sense

[mbob]

Hi all,

Long time iPhone user since 1st gen and current 3gs user. I just enabled notifications as I finally have an app that is appealing enough to me to receive them. The thing is it burns up my battery more even though I get maybe 1 notification a day. I have been using push email for years with mobileme and exchange and know my battery trends like the back of my hand as this phone is my life staple.

So have others noticed this? It doesn't make sense as I would think if you are not getting any notifications it should not impact your battery at all. weird.

 

[doubleatheman]

Notifications dramatically reduce my battery life. But I receive ~50-1100 push notifications a day. So it's not a good comparison.


I did combine all of my email accounts into one gmail.
I used to have my phone checking 5 email accounts, but when I combined them all into one gmail, and only have my phone check that my battery life is much better.

It's obvious the less connections you have the better the battery life is. I wish baseband, push, and email could all be somehow managed in one low power consuming connection.

Beejive IM (instant messenger)

Text Free

Facebook

And several others.

 

[soLoredd]

I notice this big time. I use my iPhone on the golf course and have noticed if I don't disable notifications (but keep 3G and Location Services on, WiFi off) my battery drains like a bathtub. If I disable notifications but keep the others on, WiFi off, my battery lasts much longer. I don't know how the notifications work, I'm assuming the phone must keep some kind of connection going non-stop.

 

[blancoBronco]

even if the app never sends a notification, it still is checking to see if there is one to send, which takes up a lot of battery. its almost like having the app running in the background, except the only thing running in the background is the notification service

 

[mbob]

I thought it worked like push email where only data is used when something is sent to your phone telling it to go check for a new notification.

 

[bigchief]

Notifications is a battery hog. I refuse to use it.

 

[doubleatheman]

Exchange/Push emails don't seem to take as much power.

I was annoyed when I took my iPhone into the Apple store a few months back...

They told me my battery life sucked because I was using too many things.

She said 2 min lock timer, 3g, notifications, 5 email accounts, and screen too bright, is causing my problem.

I fully understand I can cut back to save battery, but the girl at the store made it seem like I was outright using the device wrong, or in some way it was not designed to lol.

I love how apple says oh look... you can browse the web on wi-fi for 9 hours...

if....

You turn off 3g, bluetooth, location services. Turn the brightness all the way down, turn on call forwarding, turn off auto brightness, all email accounts off, notifications off. Be sitting 1 foot away from your router, and be in a non congested cell network area, on a fast antenna.

.... That is not a real world number..

end rant....