iPhone Multitasking?

Le_Petit_Lapin · 8 Sep 2009 at 16:23

Hi,

Is it possible for the iphone to multitask? On these forums it seem that many people seem to say that the iPhone can't in fact multitask, while when I search Google it appears that this a myth.

So which is true? Any people here with an iPhone care to chime in?

I do want an iPhone, as there is a good selection of apps on the store that will do exactly what I want from my Phone (Sat-Nav, eBook reader, Wi-Fi AP, etc) and from what I read the only real alternative, the HTC Hero(?) seems to be plagued with slowness bugs. It is also rather slim and sexy.

I currently use an N95 8GB and at times it looks like I have a massive rectangular erection in my never-regions!

Anyway, if I was to get an iPhone, would I for example be able to run a Sat-Nav on it, say while driving, and if a call comes in, be able to take that on the iPhone without it first closing the Sat-Nav app?

Cheers.

PiKe · 8 Sep 2009 at 16:28

It can multitask, Apple just don't want people to take advantage of it as it would sap battery life.

I don't know about others but TomTom closes when a call comes in the automatically reopens when it ends I believe.

Jabbs · 8 Sep 2009 at 16:35

The hero with the update is sweet as mine is anyway and others that have put it on i don't get any lag of it now.

Le_Petit_Lapin · 8 Sep 2009 at 16:42

Its it app specific though, or is it available to all 3rd Party Apps?

On my N95 for example, if I push and hold the menu button it pops up a wee menu of all running apps and allows me to switch between them.

Is there something similar on the iPhnoe?

InvaderGIR · 8 Sep 2009 at 16:58

As far as I'm aware from setting them up for clients, they are single app/task devices, when you go to the main screen whilst in an app or menu it will close that app/menu and return to main screen.

I've not extensively used them though so don't know if there are any multitasking apps.

bigredshark · 8 Sep 2009 at 17:04

Aside from Apple's own apps which run in the background (mail checking, music, etc) there is no multitasking as it's normally known. GPS closes and reopens at beginning and end of calls usually.

It's not quite so clear cut as yes/no but there is no multitasking as most people would understand it...

Le_Petit_Lapin · 8 Sep 2009 at 17:19

bigredshark said:
Aside from Apple's own apps which run in the background (mail checking, music, etc) there is no multitasking as it's normally known. GPS closes and reopens at beginning and end of calls usually.

It's not quite so clear cut as yes/no but there is no multitasking as most people would understand it...

I'd find that quite irritating, as I find myself hopping back and forth between apps rather a lot. Guess I'll have to see if Apple brings it to the iPhone before November really (end of contract), if not, I guess I'll get something else.

InvaderGIR · 8 Sep 2009 at 17:22

Le_Petit_Lapin said:
I'd find that quite irritating, as I find myself hopping back and forth between apps rather a lot. Guess I'll have to see if Apple brings it to the iPhone before November really (end of contract), if not, I guess I'll get something else.

The speed the phone runs at you'd not really notice it for jumping apps to be honest (Well, from what I've seen when using it).

djmc0 · 8 Sep 2009 at 17:39

If you decide to jailbreak there is an app called backgrounder, which lets you run any app you want in background, I use reguarly with apps like Wunder Radio and now spotify. Bewarned the iPhone isn't meant to run non native apps like these in the background and they eat RAM, also battery life is an issue.

Tunney · 9 Sep 2009 at 08:09

InvaderGIR said:
The speed the phone runs at you'd not really notice it for jumping apps to be honest (Well, from what I've seen when using it).

I notice it.

Coming from an N97, my iPhone's lack of multitasking can be very irritating. From example, I've got an app on my iPhone that downloads and plays podcasts. If an SMS comes in, the podcast app will stop if I decide to read the SMS. Resuming the podcast afterwards means re-opening the app, finding the podcast I was listening to and then hitting resume. I obviously can't browse the web and listen at the same time.

Same with Tweeter clients. mavity for S60 happily sits in the background updating itself periodically. Switch to it and everything you need is instantly there. On the iPhone, opening Tweetie takes a few seconds and then downloading all of the latest tweets takes another 5-10 seconds (and only then if you've got a good signal at that exact moment). It feels very slow and inefficient.

I'm tempted to try Backgrounder but I really don't want to jailbreak my iPhone.

Still, at least the first party apps will run in the background.

Yas786 · 9 Sep 2009 at 10:28

Until Apple bring multi tasking to the iphone i wont even touch it although im pretty tempted by the 3GS...my bro picked one up last week and its pretty nippy compared to the 3G....but no multi tasking means its a complete utter fail for me.

Hopefully and fingers crossed the next gen of iphone might have multi tasking built in...

PESolution · 9 Sep 2009 at 10:45

with a jailbroken iphone you can get an app called backgrounder which allows you to run as many apps aas you want (as you iphone can handle) at the same time

Yas786 · 9 Sep 2009 at 10:55

PESolution said:
with a jailbroken iphone you can get an app called backgrounder which allows you to run as many apps aas you want (as you iphone can handle) at the same time

Yes you can do that but Apple have deemed jailbreaking as illegal and as such wont touch the phone if its been jailbroken...personally id rather not go through the pain of jailbreaking my phone everytime an update comes out.

Le_Petit_Lapin · 9 Sep 2009 at 11:01

Spawn said:
Yes you can do that but Apple have deemed jailbreaking as illegal and as such wont touch the phone if its been jailbroken...personally id rather not go through the pain of jailbreaking my phone everytime an update comes out.

How long does it take? A few minutes? To be honest, I'd rather have a bit more functionality, over worrying about taking a few more minutes to update, no?

Tunney · 9 Sep 2009 at 12:42

Le_Petit_Lapin said:
How long does it take? A few minutes? To be honest, I'd rather have a bit more functionality, over worrying about taking a few more minutes to update, no?

How long it takes depends on what you've got installed.

I haven't jailbroken my iPhone but I did jailbreak my iPod touch. Re-installing all of the apps each time was annoying. More annoying was when an app I was using was dropped from the repository, so I lost it completely.

Wicksta · 9 Sep 2009 at 14:02

Tunney said:
How long it takes depends on what you've got installed.

I haven't jailbroken my iPhone but I did jailbreak my iPod touch. Re-installing all of the apps each time was annoying. More annoying was when an app I was using was dropped from the repository, so I lost it completely.

You don't have to reinstall anything when you jailbreak, you're doing it wrong.

Anyway, jailbreaking threads aren't allowed here, so I expect these posts to disappear soon.

leaskovski · 9 Sep 2009 at 17:54

Im supprised that apple have choosen this route. Bit of a facepalm to be honest.

Hmm, lets see.... Using your sat nav on your ipony, you answer a call, then your stuck for navigation commands whilst you are talking to the call. They should allow for being able to mute the sat nav and leave it at the front so you can see the directions whilst the call goes on in the background (just like WM, Andriod and all others i suspect).

lol

djmc0 · 9 Sep 2009 at 23:06

My upgrade is due with t-mobile in the next few months and proper multitasking is the reason I'm thinking of getting the Hero and selling my iPhone. Should get close to £300 considering its jailbroken and unlocked. Fingers crossed.

Christo · 9 Sep 2009 at 23:20

PiKe said:
It can multitask, Apple just don't want people to take advantage of it as it would sap battery life.

I don't know about others but TomTom closes when a call comes in the automatically reopens when it ends I believe.

So why not just say - it cant multitask. The iphone cant multitask - its biggest flaw. It can play music in the background and check for emails (good) however it cant multitask anything else.

arfur · 10 Sep 2009 at 15:04

Christo said:
So why not just say - it cant multitask. The iphone cant multitask - its biggest flaw. It can play music in the background and check for emails (good) however it cant multitask anything else.

so Fring doesnt run in the background of my iphone ??? there are also other apps that run in the background as well, therefore you... FAIL, hang your head in shame and leave the room....