Final verdict, should I use an app killer or not?

[owensch1]

What's the final word, yes or no? I've used one for a while but I don't know if its worth it our not. I don't want stuff on my phone that I don't need.

 

[mobiledevice]

final word is: it's a judgement call

 

[Teksu]

...I don't want stuff on my phone that I don't need.

seems to me you answered your own question right there

I used ATK for 2 weeks, been without it after i read about how awesome the memory handling in android is, and how some apps depend on parts of other apps to perform their best.

ATK also stopped my alarm from going off. i know you can add exceptions... but it got me thinking, what else could it be killing off that could improve my experience? I say trust your droid to do what it is meant to do, and if its not running fast enough for you, root and overclock.

you can always kill off stuff you dont want running in "Settings - Applications - running processes"

 

[NIKSTORM]

Absolutely not!!

 

[SilverLight98]

I have one on my phone but use it rarely

Sent from my Droid

 

[Prospekt]

I say don't use one. I never have, never will.

 

[ctw500]

I don't use it, but I don't think there's a consensus on whether it is something that is really worth doing. Some people swear by it though, so I think it just comes down to personal preference...

 

[Qazme]

I used one for 2 weeks then without for 2 weeks to decide which was better. On battery life I didn't see any major difference and variances will be seen naturally from day to day week to week dependent on your use of the device. As far as memory management goes it was the same boat, however I consistently saw more free memory with ATK running however you run into several side effects of running it, like mentioned above, the alarm clock not going off just to name one.

In the end, it ends up being a personal choice and what you see with your phone. From my perspective, absolutely don't use them I haven't experienced one slow down that ATK would have made a difference in, just my $.02.

 

[rjdangerous]

Does leaving something like google maps on or some other app that needs your gps location hurt your battery? Especially if your inside and it is constantly searching for a signal?

 

[Qazme]

Yes. It will constantly try to pull GPS information. If you have a signal or not. If you aren't using the app best bet is to close the app and disable GPS until you need it.

 

[MA2GA28]

Does leaving something like google maps on or some other app that needs your gps location hurt your battery? Especially if your inside and it is constantly searching for a signal?

I leave GPS on 24/7, along with Wifi. I typically average about 25-30 hours of uptime and about 4 to 6 hours of awake time before I hit the approx 20% mark where I usually charge the battery (I always charge with the phone off). My awake time is usually spent sending texts, on Facebook, checking Gmail, the App Market, making ringtones with Ringdroid, and playing games (some via WiFi, some via a mid-range 3G signal). Call time is not a ton, but I usually average about 20 minutes in my 'awake' time. However, my position doesn't change a whole lot during the day.

With that said, having GPS on has to do with how much you move. If you're in an office all day, and then typically just go home, then it won't have much of an impact on your battery. However, if you travel around a lot for work, or drive quite a bit, then it'll suck more of your juice as its constantly trying to update your location. Otherwise its just a matter of sending a ping here and there to say, "She/he's still in the same spot."

 

[Qazme]

GPS doesn't draw more of less power when you move or if you are sitting still. GPS satellites continuously broadcast their signal at 1.023Mhz, so the faster your processing routine the more accurate your GPS unit is. Some of the fastest units reach out for the data from GPS satellites at 100Hz. Phone GPS's are on average somewhere between 1Hz and 5Hz depending on manufacturers, chips used and all that jazz. Not exactly sure how fast the Incredible reaches out, but considering that it's normally only accurate within 5-10 feet I would imagine it's probably 1Hz, which would also mean less power draw when GPS is enabled.

With all that being said, when you have the GPS enabled in your phone your phone is doing one of two things. If no signal or not enough satellites are being reached it is searching for satellites, essentially searching for the 1.023MHz frequency band and receiving the measurements from 1 or more GPS satellites. If it has signal, regardless if you move or not, it is receiving those signals in a 1-5Hz cycle and calculating it's position based off GPS information.

GPS is also designed that it needs three satellites to conduct navigation, however once it has contacted three satellites it will continue to gain new information from more satellites to refine your position to be more accurate. This is why you always hear with GPS to sit still until it's ready because it can judge your position and the satellites in view to gain a better understanding of where you are. So yes the GPS receiver in your phone most definitely kills your battery if left on.

Hope someone found that helpful.

 

[Raptor007]

I found AppKillers not to do much of anything for me, I have yet to run so low on memory that I couldn't do anything. There is one game that slows, but that is likely due to the storage card hold most of the game for access. Your mileage may vary.

 

[gabrielzorz]

Does leaving something like google maps on or some other app that needs your gps location hurt your battery? Especially if your inside and it is constantly searching for a signal?

No, it doesn't...the GPS icon will show you when it's active. Mine only turns on briefly when I open some apps that use it. When I close the app it stops the GPS right away...I would keep my GPS off and turn it on only when I needed it but now I don't and I haven't noticed any difference in battery.

 

[PvilleComp]

OK let’s review some Radio 101. Receivers use less electricity than Transmitters. (Please note Period at end of sentence, there will be a quiz on this.)

Wi-Fi is a Transmitter/Receiver, aka Transceiver. Wireless Telecom is a Transceiver. GPS is a Transceiver. 4G data (aka Wi-Max) is a transceiver (Lower case because really who has it?). Bluetooth is a Transceiver. 3G data is a Transceiver.

Quiz:

What will use more power:

A) Wireless Telecom with no other radios on unless needed?

B) Wireless Telecom w/ GPS, Wi-Fi (not connected and roaming needlessly) , BT (with no associated device nearby), 3G data, and 4G data (which is a ghost in most markets, is searching needlesly and does not exist in even major markets ubiquitously).

C) Wireless Telecom, GPS, BT (If you have a speaker phone or ear piece, if not consider it off) and WiFi off.

I apologize to the Mods in advance. It is not my intent to Hijack this thread from Appkiller to Radio 101. I just felt it was necessary to do some elementary education.