Are Html5 Apps A Better Choice Than Native Apps?

By Author: Yancy Marry
Total Articles: 184
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With the advent of HTML5 mobile apps, other forms of mobile applications were completely shunned, owing to the former’s compatibility with the major operating systems and the ease of creation with developers using the same scripting languages of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript for building the improved HTML5 apps. But reports in the media have brought to light the limitations of HTML5 apps, thus giving birth to a hope that native mobile apps may make a comeback very soon.

1. In a conference held towards the end of last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that using only the HTML5 technology is one of the biggest mistakes that Facebook has committed as far as the social networking site’s mobile strategy is concerned. Is Zuckerberg’s words reflection of the sentiment that is now prevalent in the mobile world? Let us make a comparative study of native mobile apps and HTML5 applications.

2. User experience – According to recently concluded research reports, native mobile apps provide better user experience, especially when advanced device features such as camera, accelerometer, microphone, and GPS are used. ...
... For example, Apple recently launched its new range of iAd mobile advertising products, which can be accessed only with the installation of native apps in the Apple devices.

3. Requirements of developers – During the process of mobile application development, the software designers have a particular requirement in mind. In most cases, it is the need of catering to the mobile interests of the existing user base and acquiring the attention of new customers. Research reports have shown that native apps are more successful in user retention as opposed to HTML5 apps. The data collected in these reports point to the fact that mobile users spend as much time using native apps as they spend watching the television on any given day.

4. Internet connectivity – A native mobile application can be installed directly in a device after which their features can be accessed despite no internet connectivity. On the other hand, an HTML5 app has to be downloaded and installed by the user every time an update is announced.

5. Total cost – The reason why HTML5 mobile apps have won the attention of software developers worldwide is because of the fact that they are cost effective. A single software can now be installed in different operating systems and run successfully. In comparison, a different native mobile application has to be built for each OS platform, thereby increasing the total expenses.

HTML5 was the buzzword in the mobile app industry last year. Though the concept has caught due to the advent of cross platform application development, HTML5 apps clearly show limitations when compared to their native counterparts. For instance, the implementation of a HTML5 application varies from one browser to another, and sometimes also from one OS platform to another. This makes it difficult for several users, primarily the non tech audience, to successfully use all the functionalities of HTML5 applications. Again, the speed of these apps significantly reduces when the internet connection is intermittent. Moreover, HTML5 mobile apps also do not have the Digital Rights Management (DRM) that native apps show and are thus not very good for supporting background processing and multimedia services.

Contrary to the belief that many mobile users share that HTML5 and native are the only mobile apps available for use, hybrid apps make for a good alternative choice. Usage between HTML5 and native apps, however, is dependent on features desired.

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