Apple’s iPhone Background Processes List
I have been meaning to write this since about a month ago, when I wrote My iPhone Background Processes List. Exam term: it’s quite busy.
So Apple have seven services for third party background processes (these can be seen at about 30 minutes into to the OS 4 event video):
- Background Audio
- Voice Over IP
- Background Location
- Push Notifications
- Local Notifications
- Task Completion
- Fast App Switching
This all looks fine. The only thing I was hoping for which is missing is background synchronisation. Task completion allows for some of this: Simplenote can finish writing new notes to the server after I return to the home screen. However, Reeder or NetNewsWire shall not be able to show new news stories immediately after opening. I shall have to wait a short while. I admit, this is a very short while and is not really a problem so well done to you Apple for focusing on more important things.
What I am not happy with is what Apple calls the 'multitasking UI'. Taking the sceptical view, this ‘tray’ seems to serve two purposes:
- Duplicating existing functionality of the home screen
- Acting as a process manager
I find the home screen system works very well almost all the time. Two taps is all it takes to go between all the applications I use regularly. I know exactly where I need to tap: Safari is in the top left, Camera in the top right (where the camera actually is), Pastebot is below Camera, etc.
And process manager… I know you probably will not need to manually quit apps, but in that case why can they be quit manually? Background processes do not need a user interface. Isn't that the point — they are in the background?