Why do certain apps draw so much battery power?

[Chuck1906]

I was discussing this on facebook recently. Why do certain apps drain the battery faster than other apps? For me its apps like Sirius/XM; Tunein Radio, Youtube (if I am watching a lot of videos); Even the camera or video camera will drain it too. I think I need a new battery or one of the extended batteries. Is it true that if I turn on Wi-Fi, I won't drain the battery as fast?

 

[takeshi]

Is it true that if I turn on Wi-Fi, I won't drain the battery as fast?

It's not so cut and dry. WiFi will use more in general but how much more isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. WiFi actually uses less power than the cellular network for transferring the same amount of data.

Why apps use more power really depends on the app. The screen is a major battery hog so anything using the display will chew through the battery. Heavy CPU use will also eat up battery. Heavy data transfer will also eat up the battery, etc etc.