The Real Value of Free Mobile Apps: 79% More Traffic, 16% Less Battery
If you have the option to choose between a free mobile app with ads, or spend a dollar or any other cost of the app, you might be better off buying the app.
A new study by the University of Southern California, Rochester Institute of Technology and Queen’s University found that compared to ad-free apps, ad-based apps drain your battery, take longer to process, and consume a lot more data.
We noted a while ago that most of the energy we use goes to supporting ads in these free apps , but now we have some real numbers of what that means. These apps can reduce your phone’s battery life by 0.4–0.8 hours, depending on how you use them. More storage also means your phone will run slower.
If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, this can get expensive.
As usual, be wary of free stuff, as it often comes at a price.
“Free” Apps May Not Be That Free: They Tire Your Phone A Lot | USC News