Widgets...... The debate ranges on.....

[robert7107]

So I am in a debate with a coworker...he states... "All widgets drain battery ,regardless if there working in background"...

I told him...
Only widgets that constantly or frequently update use battery... Not apps that stay more or less inactive.........
My hd widget which I have two (see picture) GSM battery monitor use low battery consumption......
My Google newsstand and AT&T DATA monitoring. Apps only use when I open them....I have had these widgets since o got phone and well...... My battery life is great!!!!!!

So he and I agree to let a forum settle the debate once and for all!!!!!

 

[SpookDroid]

You're both right, actually. Any added widget will take a toll on the processing time needed by the OS/Launcher to run, even if it's inactive in the background. But widgets of yore are long gone, so like you say, widgets that aren't animation-intensive and that aren't constantly polling for information will use an almost negligible amount of battery.

Think of having someone draw a picture. If you as them to draw a single square with an apricot in the middle (to avoid drawing 'that other fruit'), they're probably gonna be done a lot more quickly and with less strain to their wrist as if you ask them to draw a square with an apricot, 10 bananas, two lemons, and a strawberry margarita. But once they're done, they can both take out the same picture you asked of them with the same amount of effort because it's already been drawn, and if you ask them to add a spot or two to any of the elements, they probably will do so quickly and with little to no effort.

The more apps and processes you have running in the background (which are there to avoid launching the app every time you turn the screen on, including widgets) will make your phone use more processing to keep those apps running and churning.

If you place widgets that seldom update, and you turn off any syncing and updating from your phone, you could probably squeeze a few seconds or minutes more of battery if you were to use the same phone without widgets. It's only when they're actually doing something that they'll start consuming significant battery time.

 

[enigmax]

right now im running 29 widgets, mainly made by zooper and zooper has used battery only 2% and hdwidgets using the same. other widgets doesnt even be listed on that list. i have always thought that hdwidgets eats battery and there was a time when i didnt use it because of that. nowadays it seems to handle a battery consumption much better.

been using widgets for years and there are widgets that are poorly coded and widgets that are coded well.


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