Since Windows Phone launched, it has gone through 3 major revisions, with its multitasking capabilities going through as many.
Windows Phone 7: Every app had its state reset when you entered another app.
WP 7.5: Fast App Switching ! Apps saved their state. Decent multitasking arrived on WP. Still, no app could operate in the background. (except through hacks, like the Audio API hack)
WP 8.0: Fast App Resume ! Now apps could load instantly when multitasking. Also now apps could so some stuff in the background, even if capabilities were severely limited based on battery level.
WP8.1 : WinRT ! Universal apps ! Default Fast App Resume ! Proper memory utilization by apps !
So now we have two types of apps. Silverlight, which works on WP7/8/8.1 and WinRT which works on WP8.1 and W8. Also since I can't find proper documentation about WP7, I can only speak for WP8 and assume for WP7.
Now let's take in consideration the memory limits of the WP platform. (as far as I know, XNA refers to the gamey related stuff)
WP8
512 MB devices: 150 MB BASE, 150 MB minus XNA, 180 MB max limit
1 GB devices: 150 MB BASE, 300 MB minus XNA, 350 MB max limit
2 GB devices: 150 MB BASE, 300 MB minus XNA, 570 MB max limit
WP7*
512 MB devices: 90 BASE, 90 MB max limit
256 MB devices: 60 MB BASE, 90 MB Max Limit
? AFAIK = WP7 does not have a strict base limit. It works more like WP8.1 in that matter if I understand correctly.
WP8.1 lifts the BASE limit for every app. In WP 8.0, if you open an tab in IE, Messaging, Facebook and Whatsapp, all these apps will consume 150 MB minimum. In theory. In WP8.1, all these apps consume exactly how much they need to. So Calls, People and Messaging wouldn't consume each 150 MB, which would be quite ridiculous. I'm not saying they are all being used at the same time.
Multitasking in WP8.1 is also quite strange. As opposed to Android and iOS, you only have 7 cards (in multitasking menu, the Start Screen can be one on them) of all. You can never have more. So whatever app you are using or how many instances open you have of them (think of messaging the same contact being opened 3 times). Also, regardless of how much memory an app is using, it can and it will always be pushed out of memory if ONE condition is met. If for example there are already 7 apps open, entering the Start Screen WILL close the first app/card in the multitasking menu. I also cannot make sense of the Tomb Stoning algorithm. If you open some apps that fall within memory, they should all fast resume from memory. If you open more app or maybe something more intensive, like a game, then other apps should be tombstoned. But it doesn't always consistently acts like this. As I've mentioned with the 7 cards system, the first apps always get tombstoned, just in case, regardless of how YOU think you've used your apps.
Have, Facebook and 6 instances of messaging with friends, in this order. The mere act of returning to the Start Screen WILL push the Facebook app out of memory. I know its a pre-emptive automatic algorithm, but it's still barbaric.
You know how WP was supposed to function like a combination of iOS and Android? Well, it actually does, but in a annoying way. You can open apps galore without worrying it will destroy your phone. So iOS. But unlike iOS, apps will start closing on their own too soon, because of ? arrangement in the list of cards. So not because of memory, not because of battery usage. So you actually need to manage your open apps, just like Android. It seems we need to look forward to WP8.5/9 to finally fix things.
Windows Phone 7: Every app had its state reset when you entered another app.
WP 7.5: Fast App Switching ! Apps saved their state. Decent multitasking arrived on WP. Still, no app could operate in the background. (except through hacks, like the Audio API hack)
WP 8.0: Fast App Resume ! Now apps could load instantly when multitasking. Also now apps could so some stuff in the background, even if capabilities were severely limited based on battery level.
WP8.1 : WinRT ! Universal apps ! Default Fast App Resume ! Proper memory utilization by apps !
So now we have two types of apps. Silverlight, which works on WP7/8/8.1 and WinRT which works on WP8.1 and W8. Also since I can't find proper documentation about WP7, I can only speak for WP8 and assume for WP7.
Now let's take in consideration the memory limits of the WP platform. (as far as I know, XNA refers to the gamey related stuff)
WP8
512 MB devices: 150 MB BASE, 150 MB minus XNA, 180 MB max limit
1 GB devices: 150 MB BASE, 300 MB minus XNA, 350 MB max limit
2 GB devices: 150 MB BASE, 300 MB minus XNA, 570 MB max limit
WP7*
512 MB devices: 90 BASE, 90 MB max limit
256 MB devices: 60 MB BASE, 90 MB Max Limit
? AFAIK = WP7 does not have a strict base limit. It works more like WP8.1 in that matter if I understand correctly.
WP8.1 lifts the BASE limit for every app. In WP 8.0, if you open an tab in IE, Messaging, Facebook and Whatsapp, all these apps will consume 150 MB minimum. In theory. In WP8.1, all these apps consume exactly how much they need to. So Calls, People and Messaging wouldn't consume each 150 MB, which would be quite ridiculous. I'm not saying they are all being used at the same time.
Multitasking in WP8.1 is also quite strange. As opposed to Android and iOS, you only have 7 cards (in multitasking menu, the Start Screen can be one on them) of all. You can never have more. So whatever app you are using or how many instances open you have of them (think of messaging the same contact being opened 3 times). Also, regardless of how much memory an app is using, it can and it will always be pushed out of memory if ONE condition is met. If for example there are already 7 apps open, entering the Start Screen WILL close the first app/card in the multitasking menu. I also cannot make sense of the Tomb Stoning algorithm. If you open some apps that fall within memory, they should all fast resume from memory. If you open more app or maybe something more intensive, like a game, then other apps should be tombstoned. But it doesn't always consistently acts like this. As I've mentioned with the 7 cards system, the first apps always get tombstoned, just in case, regardless of how YOU think you've used your apps.
Have, Facebook and 6 instances of messaging with friends, in this order. The mere act of returning to the Start Screen WILL push the Facebook app out of memory. I know its a pre-emptive automatic algorithm, but it's still barbaric.
You know how WP was supposed to function like a combination of iOS and Android? Well, it actually does, but in a annoying way. You can open apps galore without worrying it will destroy your phone. So iOS. But unlike iOS, apps will start closing on their own too soon, because of ? arrangement in the list of cards. So not because of memory, not because of battery usage. So you actually need to manage your open apps, just like Android. It seems we need to look forward to WP8.5/9 to finally fix things.
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