Apps: What to Know about Hybrid, Native, Web, PWAs

Remember when phones had black and white displays and did only the most basic of things? Now we have phones with color displays that can do an incredibly wide range of tasks. From watching movies to playing music to finding information, we are able to get essentially anything done on our phones. What was once the realm of science fiction has become reality almost overnight. 

Practically everyone has a smartphone, from the youth all the way to the elderly. Getting things done more efficiently is now a matter of taps away. This can include:

• Listening to music
• Playing games
• Purchasing groceries
• Reading the news
• Searching for information
• Watching movies

Since technology is becoming more accessible and evolves constantly, the app industry is actively keeping up. New apps are coming out with the overall experience of the user at the forefront.

Apps Vary Depending On Needs and Use

Various apps are developed daily to meet a wide range of needs. Businesses have to pay close attention to technology as apps evolve so that they can give customers a better experience. Gartner recently released a report which showed customer service organizations at a whopping 80% probably abandoning Native mobile apps. Instead, they would move towards messaging platforms so that the customer experience would be enriched.  

Here is a closer look into the top kinds of apps available today:

Hybrid Apps

These are able to function on Android, iOS and any other OS. CSS, HTML and Javascript are used to write these apps. They are built on one platform then made available for both the App Store under Apple and the Google Play store. Since the code is shareable, it's essentially more cost-efficient than a native app. 

Native Apps

Native mobile apps are built with the programming language and the functionalities of a particular Operating System (OS). So iOS apps can only be used on the iPhone or other Apple products. In the same vein, Android apps can't work anywhere other than Android phones and other devices. The programming language is then also meant specifically for a particular OS.

iOS apps use Objective-C and Xcode the most; Android apps largely use Java and Eclipse.

Native apps are able to give a smooth UX (user experience) and high performance since the native device UI is incorporated into app building.

Progressive Web Apps

PWAs are essentially website extensions that can be saved and used as if it were an app. Web browser APIs come into play for a native-like experience. It's a webpage that can mimic an app once added to computer systems or devices. It runs well no matter what OS and device is at hand.

Web Apps

Mobile web apps are generally accessed from mobile browsers. They don't require installation and, consequently, don't take a lot of storage. They adapt to varying mobile screen sizes and devices (phones, tablets) with no issue. It's possible to confuse its functionality and responsiveness with native apps. However, web apps require the internet to be active for it to work. Native apps, on the other hand, don't.

Conclusion

With the advancement of smartphones and mobile devices, apps are keeping up as much as they can. Apps vary largely depending on use and needs. The main ones include mobile web apps, PWAs, hybrid and native apps. 

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