Someone explain what multtasking is, and why ios is worse at it?

[mib1800]

People are saying it can download in the background, though... so what's the story? Do you have to be using specific apps for all this nice multi-tasking (i.e. downloading in the background) to work or is it supported as a service in iOS that some apps are just not taking advantage of?

IOS apps can only run for a limited period in the background. Applies to app started by automatic background refresh as well.

Another ios bad is background refresh auto run apps not based on whether the apps needed to run but based on user usage pattern of the app. This is a poor implementation of real multi tasking compared to android intent system. Maybe that is why ios has such bad battery life with background refresh on.

On android apps are started in background only when certain events/intents occurred. E.g when a photo is taken a "photo" intent is broadcasted. Those apps that have registered to be run when this intent occurred (e.g dropbox upload) will be started in the background to do the task.

 

[cynics]

Someone explain what multtasking is, and why ios is worse at it?

Really? That's odd.



When I drive and receive a phone call my navigation continues in the background, providing voice directions and notification area info. Not a power user feature, just a simple example of multi-tasking.



Similarly if I'm co-pilot and I'm navigating I'll have my phone navigating and just talking in the background while I'm playing a game or looking something up in a browser.



I don't even know if iPhone can do this or not (I really hope it can, because it's so basic), I'm mentioning these things because many times we do multi-task and we do want to run multiple applications at the same time without even realizing we're doing it. We don't have to go out of our ways to do so, is what I mean.



Another example of this, and I know the iPhone supports something like it, is when you load up a podcast or Pandora or SiriusXM or whatever else and listen to it while you may play a game or do whatever else with your other senses.



Am I wrong about any of this or does the iPhone allow for enough multi-tasking in some of those common areas like I've described, where you feel having "more" multi-tasking is really just too advanced?



Sorry, I'm confused.

iOS does navigation in the background and I much prefer it over Android.

I think that's a bad example to use because of that. For example in iOS if I'm on a call using Bluetooth + maps it will make a subtle but noticeable tone to turn right while making the opposite tone to turn left.

Although not integrated as well as Apple maps other navigation apps will run in the background too giving you notifications to turn etc.

Music is the same way. For example I'm playing DI radio in the background right now while I'm in tapatalk. Without closing/minimizing tapatalk I can pull up control center to forward back or pause tracks. Or AirPlay any music to my home theater system.

 

[cynics]

IOS apps can only run for a limited period in the background. Applies to app started by automatic background refresh as well.

Another ios bad is background refresh auto run apps not based on whether the apps needed to run but based on user usage pattern of the app. This is a poor implementation of real multi tasking compared to android intent system. Maybe that is why ios has such bad battery life with background refresh on.

On android apps are started in background only when certain events/intents occurred. E.g when a photo is taken a "photo" intent is broadcasted. Those apps that have registered to be run when this intent occurred (e.g dropbox upload) will be started in the background to do the task.

Once again not a great example.

Dropbox supports iOS background uploading during inactivity with the app closed. I never open it and all the photos I take are there.

This used to be an issue a ways back but isn't any longer.

 

[tbayrgs]

IOS apps can only run for a limited period in the background. Applies to app started by automatic background refresh as well.

Another ios bad is background refresh auto run apps not based on whether the apps needed to run but based on user usage pattern of the app. This is a poor implementation of real multi tasking compared to android intent system. Maybe that is why ios has such bad battery life with background refresh on.

On android apps are started in background only when certain events/intents occurred. E.g when a photo is taken a "photo" intent is broadcasted. Those apps that have registered to be run when this intent occurred (e.g dropbox upload) will be started in the background to do the task.

I won't being to feign any expertise regarding how multi-tasking is implemented on iOS or Android--you sound infinitely more knowledgeable so I'll defer to your expertise on how it works.

What I do know is that however it's implemented on iOS, it's been working just fine for my particular needs. I have all my photos automatically uploaded to Dropbox as well from my iPhone and haven't had to open the Dropbox app once as used to be required prior to iOS 7. That task, and music/internet radio playback is probably the extend of my regular multi-tasking requirements and again, have had no issues so far.

I don't use my phone regularly for navigation so I decided to test my iPhone's limits multi-tasking limits this afternoon. I was able to use navigation via Apple Maps while simultaneously streaming music via Google Music app over bluetooth to my car audio system and playing a game (I wasn't driving ). The music volume would turn down slightly whenever a navigation command was spoken, and while playing the game the next navigation instruction resided at the top of the phone's display as well.

Also, I only have my experience to go on but background refresh certainly doesn't appear to have any significantly adverse impact on my battery life as I'm getting great battery performance on my 5S, quite a bit better than I saw on my HTC One and easily lasting the entire day with what I'd consider to be moderately heavy usage.

Not claiming in any way it's better on one system or the other, just that it's working well for me on my iPhone.

 

[mib1800]

I won't being to feign any expertise regarding how multi-tasking is implemented on iOS or Android--you sound infinitely more knowledgeable so I'll defer to your expertise on how it works.

What I do know is that however it's implemented on iOS, it's been working just fine for my particular needs. I have all my photos automatically uploaded to Dropbox as well from my iPhone and haven't had to open the Dropbox app once as used to be required prior to iOS 7. That task, and music/internet radio playback is probably the extend of my regular multi-tasking requirements and again, have had no issues so far.

I don't use my phone regularly for navigation so I decided to test my iPhone's limits multi-tasking limits this afternoon. I was able to use navigation via Apple Maps while simultaneously streaming music via Google Music app over bluetooth to my car audio system and playing a game (I wasn't driving ). The music volume would turn down slightly whenever a navigation command was spoken, and while playing the game the next navigation instruction resided at the top of the phone's display as well.

Also, I only have my experience to go on but background refresh certainly doesn't appear to have any significantly adverse impact on my battery life as I'm getting great battery performance on my 5S, quite a bit better than I saw on my HTC One and easily lasting the entire day with what I'd consider to be moderately heavy usage.

Not claiming in any way it's better on one system or the other, just that it's working well for me on my iPhone.

Ios Dropbox uses the location change to auto execute. This is like the intent in android. Ios supports only a few intents for waking up a background app for execution compared to hundreds in android.

For the ios dropbox example,

1. you have to manually start Dropbox and put it in the background. Fir Android the os activates it automatically.

2. your phone needs to change location before dropbox can upload. Your photo is not uploaded immediately after it was taken.

3. battery life wastage if there are no photo to upload as dropbox keeps waking up every time your phone changes location. Many ios apps uses this location loophole to simulate intent to wake up in the background for execution. Now you know why battery sucks on ios if you don't kill these apps from background. No such issue with Android as apps can just target the intents/events it wants to wake up from.

Like I say ios is just a poor man's implementation of background multi task.

 

[JH-]

Ios Dropbox uses the location change to auto execute. This is like the intent in android. Ios supports only a few intents for waking up a background app for execution compared to hundreds in android.

For the ios dropbox example,

1. you have to manually start Dropbox and put it in the background. Fir Android the os activates it automatically.

2. your phone needs to change location before dropbox can upload. Your photo is not uploaded immediately after it was taken.

3. battery life wastage if there are no photo to upload as dropbox keeps waking up every time your phone changes location. Many ios apps uses this location loophole to simulate intent to wake up in the background for execution. Now you know why battery sucks on ios if you don't kill these apps from background. No such issue with Android as apps can just target the intents/events it wants to wake up from.

Like I say ios is just a poor man's implementation of background multi task.

What follows is a serious question, not a troll attempt, as this is what eventually led to my decision to get a 5S over an android phone. I did some calculating and found for my use case iOS gets the best battery life. I understand that the background processes have a huge effect on the battery of the phone. If this is the case then why do iPhones achieve similar if not better battery life than android phones with with much smaller batteries? I also noticed that browsing over LTE normally results in much better battery life for the iPhone than the G2. Why is that?

 

[mib1800]

What follows is a serious question, not a troll attempt, as this is what eventually led to my decision to get a 5S over an android phone. I did some calculating and found for my use case iOS gets the best battery life. I understand that the background processes have a huge effect on the battery of the phone. If this is the case then why do iPhones achieve similar if not better battery life than android phones with with much smaller batteries? I also noticed that browsing over LTE normally results in much better battery life for the iPhone than the G2. Why is that?

Simple answer - overriding battery usage is the screen. Bigger screen and higher resolution draws more power.

Switch off the screen and perform a task (e.g download) in the background and you will see the usage is proportional to battery size no matter whether it is on android or ios. Hardware chipset are pretty optimized nowadays that there isnt much difference in power consumption. Or the difference is insignificant compared to screen factor.

The only thing better with ios is standby usage. Why? Because there are so few intents that apps can wake up to which means most of the time ios device is really sleeping when the screen goes off.

Android has so many intents (which equates to more capabilites) that apps can use. E.g when a sensor changes a pedometer app can wake up to do stuff. Or when you shake the phone to wake it up. Or turn the phone to silent when you move to a specific location. Or when a push notification comes have the app wakes up to refresh data. Or google Now able to proactively feeds you info. All these done automatically without any user intervention. You can never do any of these with ios. So android is actually still doing lots of stuff for you in the background when the phone is off.

 

[viskon]

The biggest cause of idle drain in Android is that caused by Google services.

 

[Nikhil72]

I think one thing those unfamiliar with iOS 7 are overlooking is that a good number of new apps take advantage of push-triggered back grounding as well; Pocket and Pocket Cast are two great examples where they receive a push notification to sync in the background. It's partially different from the background refresh, which does refresh based on your usage schedule (Facebook, for instance, is always ready to go with the latest updates around 5pm when I usually get on the bus and log in). These push-based backgrounding abilities have been around in more limited fashion with newspapers and magazine apps. It's just now available to all developers.

 

[OhHaiThere]

Simple answer - overriding battery usage is the screen. Bigger screen and higher resolution draws more power.

Switch off the screen and perform a task (e.g download) in the background and you will see the usage is proportional to battery size no matter whether it is on android or ios. Hardware chipset are pretty optimized nowadays that there isnt much difference in power consumption. Or the difference is insignificant compared to screen factor.

The only thing better with ios is standby usage. Why? Because there are so few intents that apps can wake up to which means most of the time ios device is really sleeping when the screen goes off.

Android has so many intents (which equates to more capabilites) that apps can use. E.g when a sensor changes a pedometer app can wake up to do stuff. Or when you shake the phone to wake it up. Or turn the phone to silent when you move to a specific location. Or when a push notification comes have the app wakes up to refresh data. Or google Now able to proactively feeds you info. All these done automatically without any user intervention. You can never do any of these with ios. So android is actually still doing lots of stuff for you in the background when the phone is off.

This is great discussion. I'm actually familiar with Android development - and have no interest in iOS development - so your explanations are beneficial.

BTW, just to put this thread back on topic, I'd ignore the battery life argument. There are several variables and this discussion has more to do with the capability of an OS, not a specific device implementation. Let's just assume that each device is capable of going a full day, for an average user, doing similar activities before it goes back on the charger.

 

[jeffe]

Android can have services in the background doing or waiting forever. Viral is a good visual example of multi-tasking.

http://youtu.be/sbmB6cbQaLQ?t=1m28s

 

[Todd B.]

I've played around on several Android machines, but I'll just be upfront about my loyalty being to Apple.

I wouldn't exactly call myself a "power user" but I'm more than a "casual user"

Everybody always talks about multitasking, and how the Android has "true" multitasking" but to me, it doesn't do anything differently than ios.

I'm starting to think it's just a market buzzword that Android likes to throw around, much like Segas "Blast Processing"

Basically "true multitasking" is just another word for "complete battery drain".

 

[JC17]

Basically "true multitasking" is just another word for "complete battery drain".

Really?? Sounds like BS to me...
Drains the battery yes, it's not a 'complete battery' drain by any stretch of the imagination

 

[pdqgp]

Basically "true multitasking" is just another word for "complete battery drain".

and basically iOS's way of doing it is just another way for them to conserve battery power by sacrificing some usability.

in the end however, true multitasking and background work on the Droid doesn't lead to complete battery drain in the sense you're noting. Not when properly set up.

 

[superwoman]

Basically "true multitasking" is just another word for "complete battery drain".

I'm enjoying the discussions here so far, but this is easily the most idiotic comment made, by far. Not least because the poster can't count.

 

[jrswizzle]

It's not just a "buzzword" on the part of Android/Google/etc. It's real and several examples in this thread are perhaps not of value to you but they are real. In some cases however, they aren't of value such as downloading a spreadsheet, pdf, MSWord File, etc. because in iOS you really can't download it, edit it and store it in a true file system for later use. You can "park it" in the file system of another 3rd party app but that's just a ridiculous work-around.

I was at the airport recently and while waiting for my flight, wanted to take advantage of the time by multitasking on my phone. There were about a dozen videos (11 GB) worth of Affordable Care Act related videos up on YouTube that I wanted to download and review on a plane ride in efforts to tackle some learning for work, but on an iPhone that wouldn't be possible in several ways. However, with my Note 3 not only could I open a dual screen answering email (1) while simultaneously searching downloading multiple videos from YouTube at one time (2), I could then put both those apps in the background and move onto something else (3rd thing), all while waiting for my notification that the videos were on board my micro SD Card. At the same time as all of the above, Google Now was keeping me posted on the status of my flight real-time, including gate changes and delays pushing those notifications to me as well while I was doing something else (4th thing). While all that's going on, my weather widget is keeping me updated real time on what the weather was like at my destination. (5th thing) Before getting on my plane I could swipe over to my 2nd home screen and see my SalesForce.com Widget and read real-time updated communications from my sales team. (6th thing)

At the same time Google Now is also reading through my emails, picking up any order confirmations that come to me from vendor. Once it sees it, it begins tracking my UPS Package from Amazon that I ordered the night before and will notify me of it being delivered without me doing anything, so I can call my neighbor and insure he gets the box off my front porch as I would be in the air. When I land and turn on my phone, it will update me on traffic and the route/time to my hotel so when I get in my rental car, I'm not caught by a surprise accident delaying me. As I approach my hotel, Retail me Not will chime in with updates on coupons and specials that are around me and Google Now will read my calender and present me the directions to the steakhouse I'm having a dinner meeting at and also present me with their menu. The last few aren't true multitasking but they are an example of great Google Driven features that happen in the background and come through as notifications that I can dismiss individually.

The above is true multitasking. 6 Tasks all being done simultaneously some in the background and some by me first hand all with the ability to switch back and forth without interrupting the other.

There are a number of examples whereby Android can use Live Widgets that are active in the background updating and presenting us with real-time information. Not just with "select-supported" apps either. Sure, Apple has "supported" apps that can do similar things....but not supporting Dropbox? Really? Users are okay with that? iOS will support. No thanks, I want to be able to choose which apps I want to use and know that if it's my photos, that they will be uploaded in the background while I do other things.

And in 11 minutes, you're ready to recharge your battery again!

OP - iOS 7 introduced "intelligent multitasking". No it doesn't work like Android in that it doesn't simply let apps do whatever they want, whenever they want. Instead, if iOS 7 recognizes you check Facebook in the morning, it will update your Facebook each morning - things like that.

Safari WILL continue loading a page, even if you back out of safari, but the reality is pages load in about a second - essentially the page is loaded before I have time to switch to anything else.

Yes the iPhone has a relatively small amount of RAM. So background processes get halted periodically based on system needs. But that's also why my iPhone is sitting at 98% battery life versus my Nexus 5 at 86%.

If you want to download torrents and read emails while watching youtube videos, you want an Android phone. Otherwise? "True-multitasking" is a rallying cry for over-the-top Android fans who want to rant and rave about their platform's perceived superiority. In the end its all about experience. If the way Android handles multitasking doesn't offer any difference in experience for you, then it doesn't really matter for you. You make your decision based on other criteria that are important TO YOU.

Don't worry about what other people think.

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Nope. Multitasking is basically the same, only now selected apps can fetch data on the background, but there's still no true multitasking. It's like the app turns on by itself for a minute and then exits on it's own again. It doesn't stay active! The example you gave with Safari is excellent. Not only that, if you touch the screen while the webpage is loading it will stop loading until you take your finger off the screen.

You can't download something in the background while you are doing something else, for example. With Android, I download my tv shows via torrent while I browse the web or do something else. This is impossible with iOS.

As much as the OP wants it, iOS has no true multitasking and Android does, and it is much much better. That's the way things are. He is a casual user, so he just doesn't get it.

I can even turn the screen off in my Android device and let it download stuff for hours without a problem, just like a computer.

Google Now is another example of true multitasking.

This is not true - at least not on my 5S. I just tested it.

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Here's my view on multitasking.

First and foremost, my phone is a mobile device. Not a desktop computer. Therefore the number one thing for me is that my device works for as long as possible without having to charge. I don't want to be tethered to a wall.

That being said - I'd venture to guess that most of us use our mobile devices to consume information. Whether that's emails for work, news articles, music, movies, games - our smartphones are consumption devices. Occasionally we are forced to work on them - but even you with the Note 3 can't tell me you'd rather pick up your smartphone to compose a lengthy email or put together a report over a laptop or even a tablet.

So - as far as consuming information as efficiently as possible, iOS does an excellent job imo. Apps are not kept running in the background needlessly - information is updated on various schedules based on connectivity (to wifi or to power) and use case (i.e. I check flipboard at lunch every day - therefore when I open the flipboard app at lunch today, the content will be fresh as soon as I open it).

This is extremely valuable and shouldn't be discounted. Can I download a torrent, switch to a youtube video and watch it while the torrent downloads? Well no....(actually....I could - but my torrent set up doesn't involved downloading anything to my phone). However, could I airplay a youtube video or WatchESPN and then continue to surf? Why yes I can.

So while many of you bash Apple - (and even throw out year + old arguments), recognize that there is value in the way Apple handles multitasking. And also realize that those of you who torrent to your phones are in the minority.

 

[cynics]

Ios Dropbox uses the location change to auto execute. This is like the intent in android. Ios supports only a few intents for waking up a background app for execution compared to hundreds in android.

For the ios dropbox example,

1. you have to manually start Dropbox and put it in the background. Fir Android the os activates it automatically.

2. your phone needs to change location before dropbox can upload. Your photo is not uploaded immediately after it was taken.

3. battery life wastage if there are no photo to upload as dropbox keeps waking up every time your phone changes location. Many ios apps uses this location loophole to simulate intent to wake up in the background for execution. Now you know why battery sucks on ios if you don't kill these apps from background. No such issue with Android as apps can just target the intents/events it wants to wake up from.

Like I say ios is just a poor man's implementation of background multi task.

On 1. I never open Dropbox and my photos are there. iOS.

2. That could be a problem for some I guess but not me.

Let me ask you if you delete the photo on your Android device does it delete off of Dropbox?

If not then I much prefer the way iOS does it because immediately uploading would be a pita since I'll delete 50%+ of the photos I take within minutes of taking them.

3. If it does use more battery I still get better battery life in the end. That's more an insult toward Android then iOS IMO.

 

[mib1800]

On 1. I never open Dropbox and my photos are there. iOS.

I thought you need to open it once and leave it in background.

2. That could be a problem for some I guess but not me.

Let me ask you if you delete the photo on your Android device does it delete off of Dropbox?

If not then I much prefer the way iOS does it because immediately uploading would be a pita since I'll delete 50%+ of the photos I take within minutes of taking them.

It is up to you how you want it setup. It can upload and leave the original.

3. If it does use more battery I still get better battery life in the end. That's more an insult toward Android then iOS IMO.

If you on background refresh for all your apps, battery life on 5s is bad as well. What's the point of having a restricted multi-task (ios7) as compared to android when you gain very little in battery life advantage. And we are talking battery life advantage in standby only. My Note 3 drops 0.4% per hour standby (everything on except Google Now). Even if 5s can better that by 50%, we are only looking at 2-4% different in 12 hours period. For this slight battery advantage the 5s can't do lots of things my Note 3 can.

 

[pdqgp]

My Note 3 drops 0.4% per hour standby (everything on except Google Now).

Based on some comments in this thread, I came home after shopping all day and left my Note 3 on without charging. It was at like 40% when I went to bed early last night. Woke up about an hour ago and even with Google Now on...in fact I changed no settings, it only lost a few percent in standby mode. The only thing I turn on/off manually is GPS and I'm not sure I really need to do that. It's just at home I don't need to leave it on.

The great thing too is the Note 3 charges amazingly fast too.