Is the multitasking a big issue?

[Raneciansamaiya]

Well I picked up an HOX yesterday and so far I must say over my iPhone... Im loving it. The multitask issue isn't really that big of an issue to me. My main concern was my music & trying to sync with MAC.

 

[gravage]

Not true. That doesn't happen with audio apps. Ever. I use Pandora and Slacker all the time, it's never stopped once. And to answer op, answering a call or text doesn't cause any app reload. Why are people that obviously don't have the phone giving advice about it's inner workings to prospective owners?

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

Pandora does not die, but Slacker most certainly does. I know because that's my main music app and I have tested it extensively. Start up Slacker and play a station, then hit home to minimize it and let your screen turn off. Just leave it sitting there. Slacker will stop playing within 2-3 songs.

To claim otherwise, you are either lying, or using the only One X that doesn't have this issue. I have tested it on both the AT&T and International models. I have also reported it to Slacker support, for all the good it will do.

 

[calvin35]

I haven't had a chance to play with much sense 4 multitasking, but I do know that you can jump between at least 4 apps in the iPhone 4S without reloads or losing your place.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

The that would mean that the 4S multitasks way better than the ONE X.

 

[sniffs]

Everyone, are we actually talking about "multitasking" ? or "fast app switching with saved state" ?

Because the definition of multitask is doing multiple tasks at once. The One X clearly does this if you look at the Running Services tab. I can be playing music, load a video game, get a text message(via SMS Popup), quick reply to the text(again using SMS Popup), go back to playing the game(it never exits the game, SMS Popup appears ontop of the game) all while the music continues to play. By this very explanation, the One X multitasks fine.

What we should really be calling this issue on the One X is that it doesn't fast app switch with saved state. I can't play a video game, exit the game, go to messaging, respond to a text, and go back to the game and expect it to be at my saved state.

Is this a Sense issue or a Google issue?

 

[gravage]

Everyone, are we actually talking about "multitasking" ? or "fast app switching with saved state" ?

Because the definition of multitask is doing multiple tasks at once. The One X clearly does this if you look at the Running Services tab. I can be playing music, load a video game, get a text message(via SMS Popup), quick reply to the text(again using SMS Popup), go back to playing the game(it never exits the game, SMS Popup appears ontop of the game) all while the music continues to play. By this very explanation, the One X multitasks fine.

What we should really be calling this issue on the One X is that it doesn't fast app switch with saved state. I can't play a video game, exit the game, go to messaging, respond to a text, and go back to the game and expect it to be at my saved state.

Is this a Sense issue or a Google issue?

It's definitely a Sense issue, as the GS3 and Galaxy Nexus do a much better job of this. Stock ICS is able to return to previously used apps without reloading them. This is some kind of "optimization" that HTC made to their software.

 

[sniffs]

We need to stop calling this a multitasking issue though.. it's not an issue with the device's multitasking abilities.

The One X lacks the ability to fast app switch and return to saved state(99% of the time).. this is because of aggressive memory management.

 

[gravage]

We need to stop calling this a multitasking issue though.. it's not an issue with the device's multitasking abilities.

The One X lacks the ability to fast app switch and return to saved state(99% of the time).. this is because of aggressive memory management.

But that's not completely accurate, as evidenced by the fact that it kills some apps that should stay running in the background (Slacker, etc.). There's definitely more at work here than a simple failure to resume saved state. If that was the case, developers would just need to update their apps and there wouldn't be an issue.

No, the One X is aggressively killing apps that it shouldn't and that's the real failure here. Some stuff resumes fine without reloading, but most apps don't.

 

[steve dave]

The that would mean that the 4S multitasks way better than the ONE X.

This is a true state in my experience. I am bored with iOS but I can say that the experience is vastly superior to the One X right now.

 

[sniffs]

But that's not completely accurate, as evidenced by the fact that it kills some apps that should stay running in the background (Slacker, etc.). There's definitely more at work here than a simple failure to resume saved state. If that was the case, developers would just need to update their apps and there wouldn't be an issue.

No, the One X is aggressively killing apps that it shouldn't and that's the real failure here. Some stuff resumes fine without reloading, but most apps don't.

Perhaps Slacker isn't using the correct Sense API's? Perhaps it's using way too much memory and Sense kills it?

We know Sense 4 is aggressive, but the device DOES multitask. If it didn't, then music wouldn't play in the background, push notifications wouldn't work, services would stop, email wouldn't work unless you opened it and manually fetched it, Google Play wouldn't auto update or tell you you have updates, and anything else that happens while you use the phone.

I'm willing to bet 100 dollhairs this is a Slacker issue and not a Sense issue because why would Pandora/Google Music work fine, yet Slacker doesn't?

 

[gravage]

Perhaps Slacker isn't using the correct Sense API's? Perhaps it's using way too much memory and Sense kills it?

We know Sense 4 is aggressive, but the device DOES multitask. If it didn't, then music wouldn't play in the background, push notifications wouldn't work, services would stop, email wouldn't work unless you opened it and manually fetched it, Google Play wouldn't auto update or tell you you have updates, and anything else that happens while you use the phone.

I'm willing to bet 100 dollhairs this is a Slacker issue and not a Sense issue because why would Pandora/Google Music work fine, yet Slacker doesn't?

No one is claiming that it doesn't multitask at all. The issue is that the multitasking is gimped. It is definitely worse than stock ICS multitasking. Slacker is just an example. There are other applications that have issues.

And sticking with Slacker, I can start streaming it on both my One X and Galaxy Nexus side-by-side, minimize it on both phones, and turn off the screen. The Gnex will continue to play music indefinitely, the One X will kill it after a few songs. EVERY. TIME.

Could Slacker do something to up date their app to keep it alive on this one phone? Possibly. I think it's more likely the way that HTC has designed the multitasking to work on this particular version of sense, probably to keep memory freed up so that Sense runs without any performance issues.

The phone is good and I have learned to somewhat live with the crippled multitasking, but to say that it's not an issue is turning a blind eye to a very real problem.

 

[Mercury81]

No one is claiming that it doesn't multitask at all. The issue is that the multitasking is gimped. It is definitely worse than stock ICS multitasking. Slacker is just an example. There are other applications that have issues.

And sticking with Slacker, I can start streaming it on both my One X and Galaxy Nexus side-by-side, minimize it on both phones, and turn off the screen. The Gnex will continue to play music indefinitely, the One X will kill it after a few songs. EVERY. TIME.

Could Slacker do something to up date their app to keep it alive on this one phone? Possibly. I think it's more likely the way that HTC has designed the multitasking to work on this particular version of sense, probably to keep memory freed up so that Sense runs without any performance issues.

The phone is good and I have learned to somewhat live with the crippled multitasking, but to say that it's not an issue is turning a blind eye to a very real problem.

Well to use your own words," No one is claiming that it doesn't multitask at all."

"but to say that it's not an issue is turning a blind eye to a very real problem."

It all depends on who is really experiencing a so called issue on multitasking. The phone allows t you to use phone feature while surfing the web, listening to music, writing a note or letter. And to interact back and forth between those tasks I listed. To me that is multi tasking.

from Evo4GLTE on Android Central

 

[gravage]

Well to use your own words," No one is claiming that it doesn't multitask at all."

"but to say that it's not an issue is turning a blind eye to a very real problem."

It all depends on who is really experiencing a so called issue on multitasking. The phone allows t you to use phone feature while surfing the web, listening to music, writing a note or letter. And to interact back and forth between those tasks I listed. To me that is multi tasking.

from Evo4GLTE on Android Central

And to anyone who has ever used any other phone with real multitasking, it is not. Even the iPhone multitasks better than the One X, or at least restores the state of apps better. One thing I do know is that any app I have streaming in the background never dies on my iPhone or iPad and I have no issues with my Galaxy Nexus. I had no issues with my Skyrocket or my Galaxy Note, my GS2 or any of the dozen phones I had before that.

I like the One X. The screen is amazing and the camera is great. But don't go claiming that there's nothing wrong with the multitasking just because you bought the phone and need to justify the purchase. There are numerous threads over at XDA and other Android forums with hundreds of users talking about this issue. It is very real. But, much like the antenna issue with the iPhone 4, people are willing to live with it for now because the pros outweigh the cons overall for this phone.

For those who can't live with it, it gets returned or listed on ebay.

 

[crackberrytraitor]

Pandora does not die, but Slacker most certainly does. I know because that's my main music app and I have tested it extensively. Start up Slacker and play a station, then hit home to minimize it and let your screen turn off. Just leave it sitting there. Slacker will stop playing within 2-3 songs.

To claim otherwise, you are either lying, or using the only One X that doesn't have this issue. I have tested it on both the AT&T and International models. I have also reported it to Slacker support, for all the good it will do.

That's bologna. If you really want to see, I'll flash back to my stock backup and male a video for you. I use slacker nearly every day. I never had it close on me. What version O.S. update were you on? And assuming your 2 phones represent all the One X stock in the world is just silly. There are numerous other one X owners who have reported having no issues with slacker, while some have.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[crackberrytraitor]

And to anyone who has ever used any other phone with real multitasking, it is not. Even the iPhone multitasks better than the One X, or at least restores the state of apps better. One thing I do know is that any app I have streaming in the background never dies on my iPhone or iPad and I have no issues with my Galaxy Nexus. I had no issues with my Skyrocket or my Galaxy Note, my GS2 or any of the dozen phones I had before that.

I like the One X. The screen is amazing and the camera is great. But don't go claiming that there's nothing wrong with the multitasking just because you bought the phone and need to justify the purchase. There are numerous threads over at XDA and other Android forums with hundreds of users talking about this issue. It is very real. But, much like the antenna issue with the iPhone 4, people are willing to live with it for now because the pros outweigh the cons overall for this phone.

For those who can't live with it, it gets returned or listed on ebay.

Either that or it you don't notice it/it doesn't bother you at all if you're not a heavy multitasker.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[gravage]

That's bologna. If you really want to see, I'll flash back to my stock backup and male a video for you. I use slacker nearly every day. I never had it close on me. What version O.S. update were you on? And assuming your 2 phones represent all the One X stock in the world is just silly. There are numerous other one X owners who have reported having no issues with slacker, while some have.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

Right. Let me know when you wake up from that dream you're having. Both of my phones were stock, one was AT&T, the other was the international version running German firmware and currently on 1.29.111. I tested it again just yesterday with the same result. It is real.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[gravage]

Either that or it you don't notice it/it doesn't bother you at all if you're not a heavy multitasker.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

Yeah, I'll concede that. I definitely learned to work around it, it was just a bit sad knowing how it was supposed to work and didn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[crackberrytraitor]

Right. Let me know when you wake up from that dream you're having. Both of my phones were stock, one was AT&T, the other was the international version running German firmware and currently on 1.29.111. I tested it again just yesterday with the same result. It is real.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

What version software on the att. I had the 8.5. I'll happily flash back from CM9 and make a video if you feel like a little cash l bet?

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[gravage]

What version software on the att. I had the 8.5. I'll happily flash back from CM9 and make a video if you feel like a little cash l bet?

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

I switched to the international version before 8.5 was released, but I highly doubt that update fixed the issue, since the latest international update didn't.

And that would be a pretty boring video, given that you would have to stream anywhere from 2-4 full songs to duplicate the issue.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[steve dave]

Perhaps Slacker isn't using the correct Sense API's? Perhaps it's using way too much memory and Sense kills it?

We know Sense 4 is aggressive, but the device DOES multitask. If it didn't, then music wouldn't play in the background, push notifications wouldn't work, services would stop, email wouldn't work unless you opened it and manually fetched it, Google Play wouldn't auto update or tell you you have updates, and anything else that happens while you use the phone.

I'm willing to bet 100 dollhairs this is a Slacker issue and not a Sense issue because why would Pandora/Google Music work fine, yet Slacker doesn't?

So your claim now is that every app developer in the store needs to code their apps specifically for Sense 4.0 just because HTC decided to break the code already present in every copy of Android?

 

[sniffs]

So your claim now is that every app developer in the store needs to code their apps specifically for Sense 4.0 just because HTC decided to break the code already present in every copy of Android?

There is no "breaking of code" dude.. they adjusted the minfree settings and the low memory killer.

Stock AOSP is,

8099, 10132, 12165, 14213, 16245, 20295

AT&T HTC One X is,

7746, 9720, 11694, 13742, 15715, 24709

This isn't a code change to the AOSP, or Sense. It's a basic setting that can be changed by anyone with a rooted device.

What the developers for Slacker should do is work around Sense's aggressive memory management. Other apps have, why can't they?