What are the different types of mobile applications?

 

 

What are the different types of mobile applications? And how do you choose?

 

Anyone planning to create an application for their commercial will unavoidably have to answer the question: what kind of mobile application do we build?

 

You can read about other brands promoting how they built their native app from scratch or find out that a company has a web app or hybrid app. But what exactly do those terms mean?

 

We hope to present you to the differences between the three types, and along the way, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each so that you can make a knowledgeable decision.

Types of mobile applications by technology

 

There are three basic types of mobile applications if we categorize them by the technology used to encode them:

 

    Native applications are assembled for a specific platform or operating system.

    Web applications are responsive forms of websites that can work on any mobile device or operating system because they are delivered finished a mobile browser.

    Hybrid apps are combinations of web and native apps, but wrapped within a native app, giving you the ability to have your own icon or be downloaded from an app store.

 

01. Native applications

 

Native applications are built exactly for the operating system (OS) of a mobile device. So you can have native Android mobile apps or native iOS apps, not to mention all other stages and devices. Because they are intended for a single platform, they cannot be joint, say, use a Blackberry app on an Android phone or use an iOS app on a Windows phone.

 

Skill used: Native applications are coded using a variety of programming languages. Some examples include: Java, Kotlin, Python, Swift, Objective-C, and C ++, and React.

Advantages: Due to their unique approach, native applications have the advantage of being faster and more reliable in terms of performance. They are generally more efficient with device resources than other types of mobile applications. Native apps use the native device UI, giving users a more streamlined customer experience.

 

And because native apps connect directly to the device's hardware, they have access to a wide variety of device features, such as Bluetooth, calendar contacts, camera roll, NFC, and more.

 

Cons: However, the problem with native applications lies in the fact that if you start emerging them, you have to replacement efforts for each of the different platforms. The code that you create for one platform cannot be recycled on another. This increases costs. Not to mention the effort required to maintain and update the code base for each version.

 

And then every time there is an update to the application, the user has to download the new file and reinstall it. This also means that native apps take up precious space on device storage.

02. Web applications

 

Web applications behave similarly to native applications, but are accessed through a web browser on your mobile device. They are not separate apps in the sense of having to download and install code on your device. They are actually responsive websites that adjust their user interface to the device the user is on. In fact, when you come across the option to "install" a web application, you often just dial the website URL on your device.

 

One type of web application is the progressive web application (PWA), which is basically a native application that runs within a browser. For a more in-depth conversation on PWAs, read: What are Liberal Web Apps and are they worth it?

 

Technology used: web applications are designed with HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby and similar programming languages ​​used for web work.

 

Advantages: Because it is web-based, there is no need to customize it for a platform or operating system. This reduces development costs.

 

Also, there is nothing to download. They do not take up space in the memory of your device like a native application, which facilitates maintenance; just send the update live via the web. Users do not need to download the update from the app store.

 

Cons: But this is also relevant: web applications are completely dependent on the browser used on the device. There will be functionalities obtainable within one browser and not available in another, possibly giving operators different experiences.

 

And because they are website shells, they won't work completely offline. Even if they have an offline mode, the device will still need an internet connection to back up the data on your device, offer any new data, or update what's on the screen.

 

 

03. Hybrid applications

 

And then there are the hybrid apps. These are web applications that appearance and feel like native applications. They might have an app icon on the home screen, a responsive layout, fast performance, and even be able to work offline, but they're actually web apps designed to look native.

 

Technology used: Hybrid applications use a combination of native API and web technologies. They are developed using: Ionic, Objective C, Swift, HTML5 and others.

 

Advantages: Creating a hybrid application is much faster and cheaper than a native application. As such, a hybrid application can be the minimum viable product, a way to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a native application. They also load quickly, are ideal for use in countries with slower internet connections, and provide users with a consistent user experience. Finally, because they use a single code base, there is much less code to uphold.

 

Cons: Hybrid apps can lack the power and speed, which are characteristic of native apps.

 

 

Types of mobile applications: how to choose just one

 

If you are currently developing an application, you must make a decision about the type of application to create. There will be certain factors that are ideal only in one type of application and not in others.

 

As you explore the following decision factors, you need to answer: What is the most important factor in your decision today? The answer will dictate which type you should focus on NOW.

 

Types of mobile applications: which one to choose

 

If it is absolutely necessary to have an application in the shortest time possible, then you should invest in creating a web application. Not only will a code base dramatically speed up development time, it will also mean that your users already have what they need to use it: a mobile browser.

Decision factor: I have limited resources

 

If time and money are not on your side, consider a web app or hybrid app. The hybrid application gives you the opportunity to test the market with a minimum viable product that can be in the hands of users in a few months. And if you are successful, you can decide to create a full native version later.

Decision factor: my application must be fast and stable

 

If performance is of the utmost importance, then there's no getting around it - you need to develop a native app. This type of application will provide you with the speed, stability, and customization structures that you reflect crucial to your success.

 

In the end, choosing what kind of mobile app to create is not a one-time decision. You can always choose to build another type in the future, depending on the needs of your user.

 

And once you finally build it, be sure to monitor the metrics that are important to the actual growth of your brand.