Up to 75% of free app battery use serves ads: Research

Up to 75% of the energy used by free apps for Android and Windows Mobile is spent serving ads, according to new research from Purdue University in Indiana.

The research, conducted by Abhinav Pathak, demonstrated that only 18% of the energy used to run a free app such as Angry Birds is used for the game itself.

In contrast, GPS location tracking used 15% of the energy, 30% used to serve the ad and in the 3G tail, while finalizing the connection consumes 28% of the app energy.

The research suggests that using paid versions of apps may, in some cases, be a cost effective way of extending battery life on mobile devices.