What Do Mobile Apps Have Different Types?

21/12/2021

Contributed by: Tripadvisor author

Alongside the wide variety of smartphones, mobile phones, and tablets, the number of time people spend using mobile devices may outstrip laptop and desktop computers. This is why browsers and apps for mobile devices are the type of app that receives the highest number of internet users.

With the number of people who use phones, mobile apps don't control their devices. Games, watching movies or listening to music, working in the office, and updating the news are possible to find apps that can satisfy our requirements. When you're making use of mobile apps, have you wondered about how we develop? How do we operate? Are we operating under a taxonomy restriction, simply "app mobile"? How can you tell what kind of mobile apps they are? Let's get the answers to these questions in the following article!

There are three main kinds of mobile applications they are classified by the technology they use to program them:

Native apps are designed to run on a specific operating system or platform.
Web apps are mobile-friendly sites that function on any device or operating system because they're made available through mobile browsers.
The hybrid app is a combination of web and native applications that are packaged in native applications, which gives it the option of having its icon or downloading from the app store.

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1. Native Apps

Native apps are designed specifically for operating systems (OS) mobile devices. Therefore, you can use native Android mobile apps and native iOS apps in addition to all different mobile platforms. Because they're made for only one platform, they cannot mix and match; for instance, you want to use a Blackberry application using an Android phone or install an iOS application on a Windows phone.

The technology used: Native apps are coded with various programming languages. Some examples are Java, Kotlin, Python, Swift, Objective-C, C++, and React.

Introduction to native apps and CSS styling with natives, Source: Youtube, Native CSS

Pros: Due to their sole focus, native apps benefit from being more efficient and more stable when it comes to their performance. In general, they're more effective using their resources over other mobile applications. Native apps make use of the native interface of the device, providing users with an enhanced user experience.

Since native apps communicate with the device's hardware directly, they can have access to a variety of features on the device, including Bluetooth phones, phonebook contacts, cameras, roll NFC, and many other features.

Cons: The issue with native applications lies in that when you begin developing the apps, you will have to duplicate efforts on various platforms. The code you develop for one platform can't be reused on a different platform. This can increase the cost in addition to the time required to maintain and upgrade the codebase for every version.

When there's an update for the application, the user is required to download the updated file and install it again. This means that native apps take up a significant amount of space in your device's storage.

2. Web Apps

Web applications behave similarly to native apps. However, they are accessible through an internet browser on your smartphone. They're not standalone applications in the sense of needing installing and downloading software onto your device. They're responsive websites that adjust their design to match the user's gadget. When you see an option that allows you to "install" a web app typically, it simply saves the URL of the website on your device.

WHAT IS WEB APP | Websites Vs Web Applications, Source: Youtube, Tech Might

One type of web app is called the progressive web application (PWA), which is, in essence, a native app running within the browser. For a more in-depth discussion of PWAs, check out the article: What are Progressive Web Apps and Are they worth it?

Technologies used: Web applications are developed with HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, and similar programming languages for web-based work.

Pros: Since it's web-based, there's no need to tailor it to an OS or platform. This reduces development costs.

Additionally, there's no need to download. They won't occupy space on your device as native apps do, making maintenance more accessible. Make the update available on the internet. Users don't have to install the upgrade in the store for apps.

Cons: However, this is equally essential Web apps are dependent on the internet browser installed by the gadget. One browser may offer features that are not available in other browsers, resulting in users having different experiences.

As shells for websites, they're not able to completely operate offline. Even if they're in offline mode, your device will require an internet connection to back up the data in your phone, offer the latest data, or refresh the screen.

3. Hybrid Apps

Then there are hybrid apps. They are web-based apps that look and feel similar to native applications. They may include a home screen icon and responsive design, speedy performance, or even functioning in offline mode. However, they're web-based apps designed to look natural.

The technology used in hybrid apps uses a mix of native APIs and web technologies. They are developed using Ionic and Objective-C, Swift, HTML5, and many more.

What is a hybrid application? And why should my business care? Source: Youtube, Apteligent

Pros: It is much more efficient and cost-effective than creating a native app. This means that the hybrid app could be the most viable product to test the viability of creating a native app. They are also fast to load and are suitable for use in areas with slower internet connections and offer users a consistent experience. Furthermore, because they utilize one code base, there's far less code to keep.

Cons: Hybrid apps may not have the power and speed characteristic of native apps.

4. Types of Mobile Apps: How to Choose Suitable One

If you're currently working on an app, you must decide what kind of app to create. Some elements are best for the type of app you're developing. However, they do not apply to other kinds of apps.

When you review the various decision-making factors, you must ask yourself: What is the most crucial aspect that will affect your decision now? The answer will determine the type of decision you should be focusing on right now.

5. Decision Factor: I Need an App ASAP!

If you must create an app developed in the shortest amount of time, it is essential to build web-based applications. Not only will a single codebase significantly accelerate the development process, however, but it will also make sure that your users have access to the required tools to use the mobile browser.

small business needs mobile app asap Small business needs mobile app ASAP, Source: Proreviewsapp

If money and time aren't at your disposal, you should consider a web application or a hybrid application. The hybrid app offers you the chance to try out the market using a viable product accessible to users in a matter of months. If you're successful, you may choose to create a fully-fledged native version later.

6. Conclusion

The final decision of what kind of mobile app you'll create isn't an all-in-one decision. It is possible to build a different type in the future, based on the needs of your users.

Once you have finally established it, be sure to keep track of the key metrics that affect your company's development.

https://proreviewsapp.com/5-ways-to-promote-mobile-apps-effectively

Hope this article is useful for you who want to learn more about different types of mobile apps, thanks for reading.

Source: https://proreviewsapp.com