It’s not even been a week that Google launched Google Now for iOS and reports have started making the round on the Internet that suggest that the service is draining the smartphone’s battery. Google was quick to respond to the reports, clarifying it isn’t Google Now that’s causing the battery to drain faster.
In a statement to CNET, Google says, “Reports that Google Now on iOS drains battery life are incorrect. We understand people’s concern about seeing the Location Services icon stay on when they use Google Now. Many apps that keep the icon on actually do drain the phone’s battery because they require very accurate location. (For example, some apps have to run your GPS all the time during navigation to keep you from missing your turn.) This update to the Google Search app is built very differently: it uses cell towers and Wi-Fi hot spots for much lower battery impact.
We extensively tested Google Now on iOS for months and didn’t see reports of significant battery impact — we would encourage you to try it in the Google Search app for a few days and we don’t expect you to see significant impact on your battery. If you are seeing a problem, please do tell us (just tap feedback in the app settings). We take user feedback very seriously.”
Google Now has been available on Android devices natively since the launch of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Simply put, Google Now is your one stop shop for information such as traffic details, nearby places, commuting information, weather details, news updates and more. Google Now on Android can be accessed by swiping up from anywhere on the display. For iOS however, you need to access the Google app, which houses Google Now features.
Google Now is available for free. Android users need to have Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher to access it and iOS users need iOS 5 or higher to avail its features.
Source: CNET