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iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
#32537 01/20/15 01:38 AM
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kevs Offline OP
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The missing manual makes some reference that having the bluetooth and/ or wifi control on sucks either battery or usage, not sure which, but is this true?

It would be a huge PITA to turn those 2 on and off a lot. thanks!

Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32539 01/20/15 05:36 PM
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Yes bluetooth and WiFI do consume power but only a small fraction of the power consumed by the GPS, the screen, and searching for the next cell when driving cross country. The only times I turn bluetooth and WiFi off are when required by the FAA, and when I want to recharge the battery as quickly as possible. Assuming iOS 8 look in Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage and you will find a log of what percentage of battery power has been used by each app in the last 24 hours or the last 7 days. Unfortunately this does not break down the power usage by system hardware function, but it will give you an idea. There is an app called Battery Power Free that shows the time various services are in use, but it does not show the %power consumption for each service.


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Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32540 01/20/15 07:05 PM
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Thanks Joe, excellent, I keep them both on!

The author also says that the refreshes take a lot of power, as the apps ping all the time to refresh, do you disable refreshing for your apps or keep them on?

I don't use GPS yet ot maps, do you have that on all the time?

the app Battery Power Free, what does it do that the iphones own battery usage does not?

Also Joe: What about Bluetooth headphones? The idea is amazing in that I would never lose calls while jogging or biking, but I have bought 8 backup Apple earbuds (old style - like them more), would using Bluetooth earphones drain usage or battery a lot? or not so bad...

Last edited by kevs; 01/20/15 09:19 PM.
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32541 01/20/15 10:37 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
The author also says that the refreshes take a lot of power, as the apps ping all the time to refresh, do you disable refreshing for your apps or keep them on?

It all depends on the app. If it is a app where I want to be sure I always have the latest data I will have Background App Refresh and Notifications both turned on for that app. For most apps I have both turned off because immediate notification is unnecessary (and can be annoying).

Originally Posted By: kevs
I don't use GPS yet ot maps, do you have that on all the time?

I leave location services on because should I misplace my iOS device I want to be able to find out where I left it and hopefully not where it has wandered off to. As far as actually using GPS navigation, it is only active when I am using Maps or GPS Drive but I am generally in the car when doing that, so I plug into a handy lightning adaptor built into the center console of my VW so I am not worried about the battery.

Originally Posted By: kevs
the app Battery Power Free, what does it do that the iphones own battery usage does not?

Not a lot. Mainly it pulls everything together in one spot and shows it on a pretty display. It will flag when it thinks it is time to recycle the battery which is a handy reminder to help extend battery life. (Note that is not in the free version)

Originally Posted By: kevs
Also Joe: What about Bluetooth headphones? The idea is amazing in that I would never lose calls while jogging or biking, but I have bought 8 backup Apple earbuds (old style - like them more), would using Bluetooth earphones drain usage or battery a lot? or not so bad…

The Apple Store catalogs Beats in the ear wireless headphones at $200 that look pretty nice to me, but in the ear headphones hurt my ears or fall out (especially the older style Apple ones — I could never keep them in). I have been looking at the Beats over the ear wireless headphones (nearly twice as much money) because I find the over the ear type more comfortable and I generally use them at the office or on an airplane. The kicker with many of the bluetooth wireless headphones is not the battery life with the iPhone or iPad but the battery life of the headphones themselves. Often four hours or less but the Beats in the ear model claims six hours and the over the ear version 12 hours. Personally I am confident YMMV.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32542 01/21/15 02:51 AM
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Thanks Joe,
Do you think the book author is exaggerating then about refreshing taking so much battery? He says the iphone is constantly seeking to see what it needs...

GPS Drive is a 3rd party app?

He says Bluetooth is one of the battery killers, not so?

Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32546 01/21/15 04:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
Do you think the book author is exaggerating then about refreshing taking so much battery? He says the iPhone is constantly seeking to see what it needs…

The author is correct that refreshing takes battery power although I have no exact measurement of how much it takes. As I mentioned earlier I pick and choose automatic refreshing on an app by app basis. In my case it is not so much because of reduced battery usage, although that is a side benefit, but because I do not have a continuous need to know that items have changed. If I open an app that is not continually refreshed there will be a few second delay while it refreshes, but I may only open it once a week or less so continual refreshing is unimportant. On the other hand there are apps that provide information that I do want to know about immediately when changes occur.


Originally Posted By: keys
GPS Drive is a 3rd party app?

Yes it is one that I started using before Maps appeared as a standard iOS app, and I continued to rely on it when Maps was having its initial teething problems. As Maps has improved, I have come to rely on it more and more and rarely resort to third party mapping or GPS services. Besides that I like being able to say to Siri, "route me to Papadeaux's" and I don't have to manually enter any information.

Originally Posted By: keys
He says Bluetooth is one of the battery killers, not so?

I seldom turn Bluetooth off and at the end of the day the charge on my iPhone 6 Plus is often above 90% so it isn't eating much battery. Week before last wandering around the parks at Walt Disney World with frequent texting to family members, "where are you" phone calls, lots of photographs and videos, searching for cell towers, with both WiFI and Bluetooth; on at the end of the day the battery would be down to around 40%. How much more it would have been had I switched Bluetooth and WiFi off — I don't know.

FWIW: I cannot verify this, but I have a vague sense that bluetooth did use more battery on my iPhone 5S than it does on on the 6 Plus, but I pretty much had the same Bluetooth usage pattern on the 5S that I do now on the 6 Plus.

Last edited by joemikeb; 01/21/15 04:50 PM. Reason: add FWIW

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32563 01/22/15 02:52 AM
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Thanks Joe, great info, as always.

I have never used Navigation in my car, I'm pretty good finding places, but like so much else, the iphone is a game changer.

So you use Maps for navigation while driving? It's as good as all the others now?

Curious what are the apps you keep on refresh? I find that quick 2 second refresh not a big deal, and I'm impatient!

Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32567 01/22/15 04:21 PM
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I will say one thing for GPS navigation whether it is on the iPhone or built into the vehicle itself, I have learned new and better routes to get to places I would probably never have found on my own. Additionally on long trips my iPhone and/or builtin GPS has saved me many miles and lots of time by finding previously unnoticed alternate routes and they have guided me through the heart of big cities which can be a nightmare, especially driving a 22foot long motor home pulling a tow dolly with a VW on it, all without a missed turn.

Apple has worked the bugs out of Maps and, at least in the places I go it is as accurate as any of the others. There is a small area in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex where it is inaccurate, but so is the builtin GPS in my VW and my motor home, not to mention GPS Drive and Google Maps apps on the iPhone. The same address takes you to a different location in each of them and it is incorrect in all of them. Apparently the local plats have the wrong latitude and longitude coordinates and the different GPS map makers for have all attempted to correct for that with a common lack of success.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the iOS hosted GPS based mapping applications. Because the maps are downloaded on demand, they are almost always more current than the maps in builtin GPS devices. On the other hand they are dependent on a data connection and sometimes when I need the GPS guidance the most — like on back roads in the mountains of northern New Mexico or southern Colorado — there is no or very spotty data service regardless of who the carrier is. Some iOS mapping apps compensate for that by downloading the general route when you first map the route but even with that you lose the detail as well as the ability to reroute. Builtin GPS units have maps of the entire country stored and perform the routing internally which eliminates that problem.

CAUTION: When using GPS route guidance on your iOS device…
  • It is a good idea to keep it plugged into a power source for all but really short routes. The data downloads and especially the GPS activity eat a LOT of battery power.
  • The power draw generates a lot of heat and putting your iOS device in the front window of your vehicle in mid-summer can and will cause it your iOS device to shut down to protect itself from overheating. (The voice of experience speaking) I usually put my iPhone in the cup holder in the center console where it is convenient to a power outlet and cooled by the A/C albeit not so convenient to see.
As to the apps I keep on automatic refresh,
  • Amex and USAA Those are my principle financial institutions and they alert me of suspected fraud attempts. (I have had fraud attempts made against three different credit cards in the past year, all three caught by either Amex or USAA. I really wish many more merchants would start accepting ApplePay!)
  • Evernote I could probably turn off but I use it so frequently that having it refreshed is a convenience
  • Starbucks simply because I use it so often (I am addicted to the Flat White grin )
  • During tornado season I keep Weather on automatic refresh for obvious reasons.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32586 01/24/15 03:02 AM
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Thanks Joe, yes the flat white is the drink now that closest approximates a real Italian cappuccino. I think its about the foam quality right?

I'll look into a lighter charger for the car, any favorite accessory to hold up the iphone in the car? I'll look around for that too....

Do you think Apple pay might eliminate the need to carry around they physical plastic one day? that would be nice. You think it will be more secure that cards? You don't use Visa or Mastercard?

Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32590 01/24/15 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
Thanks Joe, yes the flat white is the drink now that closest approximates a real Italian cappuccino. I think its about the foam quality right?

Basically there is no foam in the flat white, just steamed milk. According to my barista (since he is a middle aged man should that be baristo or am I too influenced by Spanish?) many customers felt the foam in American cappuccino was too dry and did not add to the coffee experience. Interestingly enough I was in the Starbucks next door to my favorite Apple Store a day or two ago and they refused to make the flat white in any size except tall. I wanted to ask the manager about that, but she wasn't there at the time.

Originally Posted By: kevs
I'll look into a lighter charger for the car, any favorite accessory to hold up the iphone in the car? I'll look around for that too….

Any drug store, filling station, convenience mart, office supply, etc will have a good supply of cigarette lighter plugin USB power adaptors with and without LEDs to indicate they are actually powered up. Personally I like the really small ones with a regular USB slot I can plug the lightning connector into.

I have gone through a number of in car mounts over the years including suction cups on the windshield, mounts bolted to the dash, One that bolted to the front seat bracket, and a few that fit in cupholders and none of them were particularly satisfactory. The Apple store catalogs a couple that mount on car A/C vents — an appealing idea except where I live you don't want anything to block the air flow in the summer. The sound system in all my vehicles connect to iOS devices via Bluetooth so I just leave the iPhone in my pocket unless I am using the GPS navigation. In that case I prop the iPhone in a cupholder where I can glance down at it when needed and rely mostly on the voice guidance feature. Each GPS app and/or device has its own rhythm and pattern of announcing what and when so it can take a while to adapt from one to another.

Originally Posted By: kevs
Do you think Apple pay might eliminate the need to carry around they physical plastic one day? that would be nice. You think it will be more secure that cards? You don't use Visa or Mastercard?

We can give up carrying credit cards when merchants, credit card companies, the issuing banks, etc. lose enough money to credit card fraud that it forces them to invest in the equipment to read ApplePay, PayPal, and "Chip and PIN" credit cards. Large national firms such as Target, Walgreens, and several major department stores have installed the equipment because they have seen the fraud loss on their bottom line. Even Disney has their own chip and PIN payment system in their parks for Disney Resort guests. But in general, as long as it is only the consumer getting hurt there is no real incentive for merchants to upgrade their equipment.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32599 01/25/15 01:36 AM
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Thanks Joe. Foam and steamed milk? I think most people at Starbucks/ Coffee Bean use those terms interchangeably. I lived in Italy a year where they make the cappuccinos perfectly everywhere. Here it's a struggle at the chains to get the kids to make the milk part good. The flat white seems to be consistently good with the creamy texture I like. I've described it to them as creamy, or smooth, or like melted ice creams, but they often the chain kids, screw it up -- too light foamy. Just got the venti flat white, and even at three shots it seemed weak to me oh well.

Great point on not putting the iphone in front of the AC vents. I do have a cup holder tray at the dashboard level. Any product you like to hold it there? Oh.... you said you have never found a great mount..

Yeah credit card fraud is unbelievable. I was just on a 2 month trip and had two cards. It seemed one or the other was always on a block, and one day both were blocked, and I could not get money. One had a chip, I don't think that reduced fraud warning does it? Apple pay, I know nothing about, is if less prone to fraud?

Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32602 01/25/15 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
Apple pay, I know nothing about, is if less prone to fraud?

ApplePay is less vulnerable to having the credit card number and security number stolen. Every transaction uses a dynamically generated, one time use, number to validate the charge. Generating that number requires the iOS user to authenticate the transaction by entering either their password or fingerprint. The generated number is the only number sent and the card number and security code are not revealed in the transaction. Certainly that will remove at least one significant opportunity for the bad guys to obtain that critical data.

By a similar token I use PayPal for online transactions any time it is available to reduce the number of places where credit card data may get cached on the internet and when I have to use my credit card for online e-commerce I use one specific credit card to narrow the opportunity for fraud due to hacked business databases. I have the highest possible level of protection set on that card including getting text message and email notification of all transactions where the card is not present for the transaction. (I was able to call American Express and tell them I did not buy that $10,000 first class airline ticket from Dubai to Berlin. I know the purchaser did not get to fly on my nickel, but I don't know if they caught him or her.)


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32603 01/25/15 10:30 PM
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> I use one specific credit card to narrow the opportunity for fraud due to hacked business databases.

(A low limit card, I hope. wink )

In that vein, whenever I must enter a card number, I always check to make sure that it has not been saved on the particular website, sometimes even calling to find out.

Amazon is an offender, so after every transaction I go into my account and re-delete my card. (Can you do that at the App Store?)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
artie505 #32604 01/25/15 10:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Amazon is an offender, so after every transaction I go into my account and re-delete my card. (Can you do that at the App Store?)

Yes and/or you can use PayPal as the payment method iTunes > Store > Manage Account.

Last edited by joemikeb; 01/25/15 10:52 PM.

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32605 01/25/15 11:36 PM
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Thanks. That's good to know, particularly the PayPal part! smile

Edit: That includes the App Store, or is it limited to the iTunes Store, or is there no difference?

Last edited by artie505; 01/25/15 11:38 PM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
artie505 #32606 01/26/15 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Edit: That includes the App Store, or is it limited to the iTunes Store, or is there no difference?

Everything you do with Apple including purchases from the iTunes Store, the iTunes App Store, the App Store, iCloud and email accounts, purchase history, warranty/Paypal records, are all one in the same account using the same ID, password, and payment information. You can access different aspects of that account from different applications, but the easiest access to the financial data is through iTunes.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
joemikeb #32616 01/26/15 07:37 PM
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Much appreciated; many thanks! smile


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
artie505 #32640 01/27/15 02:59 AM
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Thanks Joe, I like that email idea and will ask citi mastercard if they will do it, though I'm not sure they will.

I've had my card number stored with Amazon, as I buy SO much stuff there, its a huge time saver. Only once in the last few years has my card been compromised. Was it Amazon? I don't know. I enter the number on a lot of sites. It also gets rung up in a lot of stores. ONly one card.

Ironically whoever got the number bought stuff on the Apple store!

I would love Apple pay to take over, as I don't bring my card around with me unless I know I'll need it. I don't carry it in my wallet. But I do carry the iphone everywhere now.

I never use paypal if I can pay with my card otherwise. Personally I'm not crazy about Paypal in that they still wont allow my card to be the default payment, and I get miles on the card, hence I have to always change the payment to the card, real pain.


Re: iphone is it bad to have bluetooth and wifi on all
kevs #32641 01/27/15 03:09 AM
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> Personally I'm not crazy about Paypal in that they still wont allow my card to be the default payment....

PayPal infuriated me for the longest time by defaulting to my PP account when I invariably use my eBay Master Card, but some months back they stopped, and now automatically go to my card. (Interestingly, my MC isn't even a registered card in my PP account.)

It may be worth your while to try again.

Like joemike, a pay with PayPal as much as possible, and I've even paid a coupl'a bucks more for things on occasion just for the privilege.

Last edited by artie505; 01/27/15 03:11 AM. Reason: Cleanup

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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