Why does Aqua Mail keep syncing even with everything but push turned off?

[Colin_S]

The aqua mail widget is regularly showing that it is doing some kind of sync even when I only have push turned on.

It is draining battery like no other mail app - 17% of my battery

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Is this a @gmail.com account?

Gmail's server "tickles" the app every 5 minutes, and the app has to run a resync. I'm guessing that this is what you see in the status bar.

As for battery use, IMAP Push is quite expensive (don't take just my opinion on this -- Steve Jobs thought so too). You might want to reduce the number of folders configured for push mode.

[Colin_S]

I am using gmail, but have 3 other mail apps all configured for push and the 3 combinded don't use as much battery as Aqua mail.

I have my local messages set to 1000 so the search in the smart inbox brings me the results I am looking for - do you think that is what is causing the battery drain?

[Kostya Vasilyev]

If the "1000" refers to "Messages per page" -- YES.

That's how many recent messages the app looks at every time it checks mail, to keep up to date.

Combined with IMAP IDLE, which is expensive by itself (insert obligatory Steve Jobs quote here) that's going to be just too much

[Colin_S]

Yes it was 1000 messages per page and reducing that saves my battery life considerably. I use using that to deal with my search of the smart inbox problem I also posted.

Also even with the reduces messages per page, Aquamail still uses way more battery that other mail apps with push turned on.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Are the other apps running the same number of accounts / folders in push mode? Same ones, too?

[Colin_S]

Yep exactly the same no. of accounts. 3 gmail and 1 Exchange server.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Gmail's IMAP Push is very expensive, their server "tickles" the app every five minutes, and I have to resync recent messages, since their server also does not send flag changes (as it's required to).

Are you comparing against the built-in Gmail app perhaps? Different network protocol, closed, very efficient, not accessible for third party apps.

[Colin_S]

Comparing with gmail and built-in email app. Shame that protocol ins not available.

Aquamail is the best mail app out there for Android - but a few small tweaks would make it amazing.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

I see.

Well, Gmail app doesn't use IMAP, and built-in Email doesn't have IMAP IDLE.

It could work a lot better if Gmail's IMAP server observed the spec and didn't do "weird stuff" (tm).

Is it an oversight or are they trying to push people towards Gmail's services? I don't know the answer, but the latter seems plausible.