Choosing the Right Technology Platform for Mobile Application Development
Radya Digital (also known as Radya Labs) has played an active role in developing mobile applications for more than the last 12 years. During this period, we have interacted with various organizations, hearing their needs, complaints, and obstacles they face. The question that often arises is, how best to develop a mobile application? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Do you need to use native, hybrid applications, or just mobile web?
In this article, we will explain the various technology options available for mobile app development. However, keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and technology selection should be based on specific needs, goals, and constraints.
Native Apps: Best User Experience
Native applications are built specifically for a particular operating system. For example, iOS applications (iPhone, iPad) are built using Objective C or Swift and Android applications are built using Java or Kotlin. This application works with each operating system device in a way that allows it to work faster and more flexibly.
This technology enables an excellent user experience and is maximally integrated with the device. Native applications can access hardware such as GPS and cameras. Apart from that, this application has the ability to quickly access several services on the device such as microphone, accelerometer, or push notifications. One example of an application that uses native applications is Waze, Twitter, and Pokemon Go.
Pokémon Go efficiently accesses the functionality of the GPS system to map location, the camera for augmented reality, and the accelerometer to measure acceleration. Pokémon Go can also take advantage of push notifications, which are designed to bring users back to the game over time.
However, native application development is usually more expensive and requires regular maintenance. In addition, using native applications requires longer development time than other options, so the time to market will be slower.
Mobile Web Application: Ease of Access Via Web Browser
For those who prioritize ease of access from various devices over high user experience, mobile web can be the right solution. Mobile web is a type of web application that is designed to be accessible via various devices via a web browser without being tied to one particular platform.
Mobile web is a web application that can be accessed like a regular website on a desktop, but has been optimized specifically for use on mobile devices. The main technology used today is HTML5, with support from various frameworks such as jQuery Mobile, Sencha Touch, and others.
The main advantage of mobile web development is lower costs compared to native application development, depending on the degree of complexity of the desired features. However, keep in mind that using the mobile web may compromise access to various hardware features, device-specific features, or offline capabilities. The advantage is that product launch times are faster because you don't need to develop separate applications for different operating systems.
If a company or organization has a need to develop products quickly, while still operating on multiple platforms, and at a more affordable cost, without paying too much attention to the user experience, then mobile web could be an option worth considering.
Hybrid Applications: The Middle Way Between Native and Mobile Web
When developing mobile applications, we are often faced with a choice between native and web. One popular middle ground is to use a hybrid approach. Hybrid apps allow developers to leverage web technologies, such as HTML5, sandwiched between native wrappers. This is necessary to overcome the limitations of mobile web applications which cannot access hardware directly. With this wrapper concept, this limitation can be overcome.
Some frameworks that can be used for hybrid application development include Appcelerator Titanium and Apache Cordova (formerly known as Phonegap). Hybrid applications have the advantage of being able to run on a variety of operating systems, but often their appearance will be uniform, with no noticeable differences when running on different devices. This consistency can have its advantages, but it doesn't always mean that users will get the best experience. Each platform has its own design language, such as Apple with Flat Design and Google with Material Design. Even though both are non-skeuomorphic designs, they have their own characteristics to provide the best experience according to the operating system of the device used.
A hybrid approach offers the ability to support multiple platforms, something that cannot be achieved with native applications. However, it is important to remember that hybrid app development costs are often higher than mobile web app solutions.
Differences between Native Applications, Mobile Web Applications, and Hybrid Applications
We already know the three main approaches used in developing mobile applications, namely native applications, mobile web applications, and hybrid applications. To understand the basic differences between the three, here is a comparison table outlining the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of each approach.
Comparison table of Native, Hybrid and Mobile Web applications
Flutter: An Innovative Alternative to Mobile Application Development
For developers who want a UX design similar to native apps, seamless functionality, easy implementation, and almost the same speed as native apps, Flutter is the answer. Some of the leading applications developed using Flutter include: Google Classroom, Google Pay, eBay, PUBG Mobile, and many more.
Flutter is an open source technology from Google that allows users to develop Android and iOS applications using a single source code (single codebase). Although it is often called a framework, Flutter is actually a complete SDK (software development kit) that provides everything needed to develop cross-platform mobile applications.
Unlike hybrid applications, Flutter is a cross-platform application. Even though both have the ability to share code, cross-platform applications cannot run on the web, while hybrid applications can.
Flutter is considered a cost-effective development approach. Even though it's not as cheap as a hybrid application, it is more affordable than creating a native application and the results still guarantee good performance.
Bumame App 2.0, an application developed by Bumame and Radya Digital using Flutter
Choosing the Right Technology
Technology selection should be based on your needs, budget and business goals. Native apps provide the best experience, but at a higher cost. Mobile web applications are suitable for cross-platform access on a limited budget. Hybrid apps are a middle choice, while technologies like Flutter require specialized understanding.
So, in choosing technology, consider your goals and do not hesitate to consult. Technology is a tool to achieve your goals, so make sure you choose the most suitable one.
Radya Digital is ready to help you choose technology that suits your needs. We offer application development services for various platforms. For further consultation in making applications, please contact our team at this link.
Source:
Pilihan Teknologi untuk Mengembangkan Aplikasi Mobile (medium.com/blackdesk)
Definition Native App (techtarget.com)
What’s the Difference Between Web Apps, Native Apps, and Hybrid Apps? (aws.amazon.com)
Native vs Hybrid vs Cross-Platform — What To Choose? (medium.flutterdevs.com)
Native vs Hybrid vs Cross-Platform: The Three-Way Crossroads (synodus.com)