Streaming video and audio taxes a phone’s power budget more than pre‑loading the same media. Engadget notes that video and sound quality directly affect battery draw and data consumption.[^1][^2][^3][^4][^5] Higher bi…

The same article frames the choice as a trade‑off: download once and replay locally, or keep the data pipe open and accept a faster battery drain.[^1] For users on limited plans, the difference can be measurable, espe…

Apple’s iTunes Match illustrates how a service can shift that balance. In the iOS 6 beta, iTunes Match moved from a download‑first model to a streaming‑first model.[^6][^7][^8] The beta confirmed that songs play while…

In iOS 5, the handful of tracks you listened to stayed on the device, effectively making the service a downloader with a streaming veneer.[^6][^7][^8] The iOS 6 change makes the default playback stream, leaving the us…