1. bounce007's Avatar
    So I assume that like the PlayBook, the Z10 will have TRUE multitasking. Question to those who are familiar with the Galaxy S3: Is there TRUE multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy S3? You know, on the PlayBook for example you can be watching a video on a website (say youtube) and minimize the browser and start looking at some pictures and the video is still playing within the browser. I assume the Z10 will be able to do the same (correct me if I am wrong). Is there anything like this on the Samsung Galaxy S3??

    A co worker of mine saw me watching the BB10 launch event and started making snide remarks about how Android already does all BB10 is coming with. I have a PlayBook and I know its OS is BB10s precursor. If the Galaxy S3 doesn't have true multitasking liek the PlayBook, how can I show her that her Galaxy doesn't have true multitasking?
    01-30-13 05:59 PM
  2. YorkieRay's Avatar
    I'd like to know the same. I know that the iPhone definately can't fully multitask, but I have always wondered about Android.
    01-30-13 06:25 PM
  3. AutoPilot2020's Avatar
    Android is basically a glorified app switcher- no multitasking.
    01-30-13 06:29 PM
  4. YorkieRay's Avatar
    Android is basically a glorified app switcher- no multitasking.
    Just like the iPhone with their "multitasking" bar?
    01-30-13 06:39 PM
  5. polytope's Avatar
    Samsung is trying to implement multiple windows on its own. Good news for BlackBerry since there will be even more Android fragmentation.
    01-30-13 06:41 PM
  6. AutoPilot2020's Avatar
    Just like the iPhone with their "multitasking" bar?

    A bit better, they show pictures of the app. But nothing close to BB10
    01-30-13 06:46 PM
  7. greatwiseone's Avatar
    Android does multi-task but it puts the control out of the user's hands. It's difficult to figure out whether something is actually running. For instance, Skype video call can run in the background if there's enough RAM, but if you start doing other stuff, Android will shut the app down. That's the biggest advantage the BB10 over Android. Problem is that they disabled the video running in the active frame (it's more like WebOS now where the audio would keep playing if you had a YouTube video running).
    01-30-13 06:50 PM
  8. mikeo007's Avatar
    Android is basically a glorified app switcher- no multitasking.
    Face palm. Why must people make things up?
    randall2580, jimmyjyc and Donvald like this.
    01-30-13 06:52 PM
  9. bounce007's Avatar
    Android does multi-task but it puts the control out of the user's hands. It's difficult to figure out whether something is actually running. For instance, Skype video call can run in the background if there's enough RAM, but if you start doing other stuff, Android will shut the app down. That's the biggest advantage the BB10 over Android. Problem is that they disabled the video running in the active frame (it's more like WebOS now where the audio would keep playing if you had a YouTube video running).
    So if I were to go to Youtube.com in the Galaxy S3's browser then mimimize the browser and start taking pictures, would the video still be playing?
    01-30-13 06:52 PM
  10. Toodeurep's Avatar
    I think Samsung has figured this out. They can run two apps side by side.

    The best PlayBook multitasking I do on a regular basis is capture video from the rear camera and then switch to the browser to confirm what the presenter said or a word document and capture important notes. All the while the video capture is a "background" process. I like this much better than the side by side method the S3 uses.

    I really want to get my hands on the S3 and Z10 to see if that remains possible.
    01-30-13 07:08 PM
  11. bounce007's Avatar
    I am going to mess with her S3 tomorrow and report here.
    01-30-13 07:11 PM
  12. YorkieRay's Avatar
    I had been researching iOS multitasking recently and Apple fans mainly defended their devices lack of multitasking by sayng that Apple's impletation saved on resources.
    On my PlayBook the level of multitasking is switchable, a choice that Apple does not give, are there similar multitasking options within BB10 as there are on the PlayBook?
    Last edited by YorkieRay; 01-30-13 at 09:41 PM.
    houshinto#IM likes this.
    01-30-13 07:16 PM
  13. overzeer's Avatar
    iOS does not multitask truly. An app has to be special and able to run in separate background mode to something that just scratches the surface. As always, Apple defends their deficiencies by saying that having the feature is detrimental (because they don't know how to handle it)

    I don't know details about Android but I can think of a few things that may matter. It's underlying OS could theoretically handle multitasking but there are two factors that make this inferior. It is not a real time OS like QNX that essentially guarantees things will happen when they need to happen. This makes for "smooth" and seamless performance of all running processes. Furthermore, Android deals with a Java virtual machine (BB OS 7 and before also dealt with Java). Java VM has to deal with occasional memory ("Heap") garbage collection (release of once used memory that is no longer used). This is what makes Java so unfriendly to real time operation as this garbage collection is unpredictable both in terms of how frequently it is needed and how long it will take. This is what causes Java apps to simply pause for a while...

    QNX inside BB10 OS is a real time beast meant to handle many things all at once in cars, tanks, medical devices, rockets where there is no excuse for missing a beat. Hence the smoothest, best multitasking experience.

    Edit: example of PB multitasking: letting my children watch a movie in the car while another app gives me navigation directions at the same time. Showcase mode, Magellan + PB's own video app.

    Edit 2: I believe the guy at launch demonstrated how video continues to play smoothly even while peeking into the hub. I see no reason why apps would not be able to keep their action frames animated as well, they just choose not to draw too much attention or battery if it does not make sense.
    Last edited by overzeer; 01-30-13 at 07:57 PM.
    01-30-13 07:45 PM
  14. Admorris's Avatar
    The S3 will not run YouTube while minimized...although not sure the point in that. I think in would rather have a video I was watching paused if I'm not watching it, but that's me. Android pauses any app that you minimize with the ability to open it at that paused state. The newer Android phones with 2 gigs of ram have no issues holding multiple apps paused with no issues. The Note 2 (S3's big brother) does offer true multitasking...it will actually show two apps open at the same time on the same screen...it's called multi window and it's quite impressive. Some S3's have this ability...mainly the international versions at this point, but they will all get this within the next few months. This is my opinion is much more practical than any multitasking being offered at this time.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
    Donvald and Creaulx like this.
    01-30-13 07:47 PM
  15. mikeo007's Avatar
    iOS does not multitask truly. An app has to be special and able to run in separate background mode to something that just scratches the surface. As always, Apple defends their deficiencies by saying that having the feature is detrimental (because they don't know how to handle it)
    So that's why a jailbroken iPhone can run background apps perfectly?

    It was a choice by Apple to provide multitasking APIs instead of full background process access to developers. Some people might not like it, but it's certainly not due to them not knowing how to handle it.
    01-30-13 07:56 PM
  16. overzeer's Avatar
    So that's why a jailbroken iPhone can run background apps perfectly?

    It was a choice by Apple to provide multitasking APIs instead of full background process access to developers. Some people might not like it, but it's certainly not due to them not knowing how to handle it.
    "Background" is not the same as multitasking and proper multitasking is not that simple. iOS comes from the days of my3 players that did not care much about this stuff and that causes all sorts of trouble in development.

    Note that with true multitasking there are no separate APIs to deal with. As far as apps are concerned they are still running normally. "Background" becomes only a UI attribute - e.g is it shown full screen or not.
    Last edited by overzeer; 01-30-13 at 08:13 PM.
    Dapper37 likes this.
    01-30-13 08:01 PM
  17. cjcampbell's Avatar
    The S3 will not run YouTube while minimized...although not sure the point in that. I think in would rather have a video I was watching paused if I'm not watching it, but that's me. Android pauses any app that you minimize with the ability to open it at that paused state. The newer Android phones with 2 gigs of ram have no issues holding multiple apps paused with no issues.
    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
    I see what you mean if you're just watching a video. You want to pause it and finish watching it, but what if you're watching a music video, or a stand up comic, or any number of other things that the sheer view part isn't what's most important, then want to reply to a text or email, and just keep listening? I think that's a lot of the difference. I've used this feature on my PB more than a few times and I love it.
    01-30-13 08:20 PM
  18. mikeo007's Avatar
    "Background" is not the same as multitasking and proper multitasking is not that simple. iOS comes from the days of my3 players that did not care much about this stuff and that causes all sorts of trouble in development.

    Note that with true multitasking there are no separate APIs to deal with. As far as apps are concerned they are still running normally. "Background" becomes only a UI attribute - e.g is it shown full screen or not.
    Background processing is EXACTLY what makes BB10 multitasking different from iOS and Android. And only in the sense that the background processing is wide open to the devs.

    I'll state again, iOS is 100% capable of background processing, exactly like BB10 is. Apple forces devs to use specific APIs in order to save battery life, nothing more. It's not because they "can't figure it out". Case in point, like I mentioned earlier, a jailbroken iPhone only requires a simple tweak to enable full background processing, exactly like BB10. This of course comes at the cost of battery life.

    Furthermore, the multitasking implementation in Samsung's Android devices is decidedly more useful than BB10's setup. The ability to run 2 apps on the same screen simultaneously is much more useful than having an app sitting in the background chewing up resources.
    01-30-13 08:24 PM
  19. overzeer's Avatar

    I'll state again, iOS is 100% capable of background processing, exactly like BlackBerry
    Stating it multiple times won't make it true. I am experienced in this exact field, but you may also claim to be. So, I'll stop here and recommend that those who care to know more read actual OS dev docs and about the subject area (reputable documentation, not forums or blpgs or opinion sites) and figure it out for themselves based on what both of us said.
    dj_matty_s likes this.
    01-30-13 08:35 PM
  20. Raestloz's Avatar
    Furthermore, the multitasking implementation in Samsung's Android devices is decidedly more useful than BB10's setup. The ability to run 2 apps on the same screen simultaneously is much more useful than having an app sitting in the background chewing up resources.
    I suppose that's what you can do when you have a screen larger than your entire hand.
    SDTRMG and SteelGreek like this.
    01-30-13 08:57 PM
  21. big dawg 23's Avatar
    Android and iOS will not Multitasking like the Playbook. Playbook is the only true Multitasking mobile device. On iOS and Android if you toggle off a video it will pause, however on BB it will not, it continues to play. I was demo rep for the Playbook and showed users that I could Play a Video then toggle to a game and start playing and then toggle to a Web Page. I would they pull of the multitasking viewing to show the Game and Video are still Play. This wowed a lot of people.
    01-30-13 09:12 PM
  22. howarmat's Avatar
    Android and iOS will not Multitasking like the Playbook. Playbook is the only true Multitasking mobile device. On iOS and Android if you toggle off a video it will pause, however on BB it will not, it continues to play. I was demo rep for the Playbook and showed users that I could Play a Video then toggle to a game and start playing and then toggle to a Web Page. I would they pull of the multitasking viewing to show the Game and Video are still Play. This wowed a lot of people.
    this changed later in the OS though. Games now pause when you exit them
    hantudurian likes this.
    01-30-13 09:13 PM
  23. overzeer's Avatar
    this changed later in the OS though. Games now pause when you exit them
    This is not an OS change but that of the game. Find another game and try again. I just did with playing a video and "Ball Balance" version 1.0 (just a random pick). Also had app world open at the same time to check that version.
    01-30-13 09:23 PM
  24. mikeo007's Avatar
    Android and iOS will not Multitasking like the Playbook. Playbook is the only true Multitasking mobile device. On iOS and Android if you toggle off a video it will pause, however on BB it will not, it continues to play. I was demo rep for the Playbook and showed users that I could Play a Video then toggle to a game and start playing and then toggle to a Web Page. I would they pull of the multitasking viewing to show the Game and Video are still Play. This wowed a lot of people.
    The Samsung phones can play a video at the same time as they are doing something else.
    As for your playbook example...technically? Sure, it's neat. Completely useless though.
    There is never a scenario where I would want a game to run continuously in the background.
    As Matt alluded to, most devs are getting smarter and using BlackBerry's own background APIs to properly handle their apps rather than letting them run freely.
    It provides a better user experience overall.
    You keep saying "true multitasking" but you have yet to provide a single example that BB10 can accomplish that an Android device can't.
    I'll help you out. There's exactly ONE usage scenario that I haven't seen replicated on Android that is actually useful on the Playbook. Backgrounding the video recording app and having it keep running.

    So can you give me another useful scenario that that the SGS3 or Note can't replicate?
    Donvald likes this.
    01-30-13 09:34 PM
  25. vinhdinh's Avatar
    Here is a video of the multi window samsung s3 and the note 2 have

    mikeo007, Mel25, rnhld and 3 others like this.
    01-30-13 09:38 PM
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