05-04-2022, 04:42 AM
Apple do it with sophisticated power management software AND HARDWARE. They're designing their own highly integrated silicon to work with their software to achieve very good power efficiency.
Android shows similar levels of efficiency are possible with linux - for certain definitions of linux. On the hardware side the necessary drivers are often closed (arguably in violation of the GPL) and tied to specific kernel versions. Power efficiency is an area of competitive advantage so manufacturers like to keep it secret. If you want open code it may rule out the most efficient hardware, assuming it would even be available to a small manufacturer like Pine64. Google have been upstreaming a lot of the kernel changes they made that impact power efficiency either directly or indirectly, but aspects like the application lifecycle management aren't generally used by linux distros. That may be a good thing given the complaints about Android phones killing apps that people want to remain running in the background.
Short version - there are improvements to be made in the software, and only in making them are we likely to find out whether there are gotchas in the hardware, but neither the PinePhone nor the Pro will ever be at iPhone levels with the current hardware.
Android shows similar levels of efficiency are possible with linux - for certain definitions of linux. On the hardware side the necessary drivers are often closed (arguably in violation of the GPL) and tied to specific kernel versions. Power efficiency is an area of competitive advantage so manufacturers like to keep it secret. If you want open code it may rule out the most efficient hardware, assuming it would even be available to a small manufacturer like Pine64. Google have been upstreaming a lot of the kernel changes they made that impact power efficiency either directly or indirectly, but aspects like the application lifecycle management aren't generally used by linux distros. That may be a good thing given the complaints about Android phones killing apps that people want to remain running in the background.
Short version - there are improvements to be made in the software, and only in making them are we likely to find out whether there are gotchas in the hardware, but neither the PinePhone nor the Pro will ever be at iPhone levels with the current hardware.
