Native, Hybrid, Or Html5: What Is Your App Approach?

By Author: Yancy Marry
Total Articles: 184
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In a world where people are increasingly becoming dependent on mobile devices, the importance of mobile applications are also being felt more strongly on the devices as oppose to the web. This has in turn led to the increased production of mobile apps; the number of app development companies & individual app developers has risen significantly over the past two years. Mobile apps are not an option anymore; rather they are imperative for business mobility. However, it is important to understand the difference between native, hybrid, and HTML5 applications, before deciding on the best type suited for profitability of business interests or entertainment.

Every enterprise, irrespective of its size and workforce strength, develops a mobile strategy before deploying any mobile application. A primary part of that strategy is to determine the type of mobile app which will be used in the enterprise. Factors like the development skills of the app development team, mobile device functionality, offline capability of the device, security of the device, and interoperability determine the type of mobile app to be deployed in enterprises. ...
... Let us take a look at the features of native, hybrid, and HTML5 mobile apps to determine the best among them.

What are the Differences?
The popular belief among mobile app users is that any app built by using web technologies will run slower than those built using native technology. Native apps indeed provide the best features & usability techniques such as fast graphics API, multi touch, fluid animation, components like geolocation, camera, & address book, and documentation technicalities. Built in an IDE (integrated development environment), native apps developers have access to professional tools for project management, debugging, and version control. However, it is to be remembered that native mobile applications are the most difficult to develop.

HTML5 mobile apps are the new trend in the current mobile world because they are designed in such a way that an entire web page can be available for viewing on small screens of mobile devices. This comes across as an advantage for both the developer and the user since the former does not have to create a separate design and the latter can view all that is present on the web on his/her mobile screen. Though the HTML5 technology is easier to understand than its native counterpart, it is recommended that app developers who are beginners should not use HTML5 methodology.

Hybrid mobile apps, on the other hand, are built extracting technology from both the native and the HTML5 tools. Therefore, while it encompasses the good of these apps, it also embraces the worst qualities of both the native and HTML5 applications. Hybrid mobile applications are generally built using the JavaScript & HTML5 programming languages to be used for only in platforms that support native features.

Which Mobile App to Choose?
If reports from app development companies are anything to go by, HTML5 mobile apps are easiest to build & support, thereby being available for use in the widest range of mobile devices. However, the HTML5 tools are often not accepted by app developers as security & offline storage are two of the most prominent limitations of this methodology. The easy to use native database is not present in the HTML5 encryption. With users having to type their credentials each time an app launched from a desktop and sent to the background, the HTML5 experience becomes slow. In spite of the latest inventions, the native approach still remains an app developer’s favorite way of mobile app development.

Copper Mobile is one of the leading mobile app companies with clients such as Verizon, Cienna, and Cisco. The firm has team of highly experienced iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and iPhone app developer .