subject: Mobile Apps Capture Technology Market [print this page] The mobile apps today are booming like anything.IDC predicts that global downloads will reach 76.9 billion in 2014 and will be worth $35 billion. Because of this many companies are inclining towards making use of mobile user interface. There are other options available which will enable you to take advantage of the mobile revolution which may be better suited to the company's goals, strategies, target customers and mainly budget. We have put together an overview of the pros and cons of native mobile apps, web apps and mobile optimised websites to help you decide the best way forward for you.
Native Mobile Apps
Native mobile apps are equipped with mobile ui design, operating system and machine firmware. It needs to be adapted and adjusted for use on different devices (GIA)
Pros
Native apps dont require internet connectivity to function this gives users anytime, anywhere access.
Native apps can offer increased functionality by tapping into the smart phone handset features. The app can access the user's camera or phonebook or make use of GPS location technology, the accelerometer or server side push notifications then the native application route can be reached.
This is a powerful platform to get your apps found provided you have optimised your application for maximum visibility.
Native mobile apps promote better user engagement with longer user sessions; this is probably due to the richer user interface provided although this may be set to change with new developments in HTML5.
Surveys show that most affluent respondents are more likely to say they had downloaded a native app.
Cons
oCost - a native app is specific to the mobile handset it is run on, since it uses the features of that specific handset. This means if you are developing across OS, Android and Blackberry operating systems the development costs can be quite high as each device uses different coding.
oMaintenance and complex updating which need additional installation.
Mobile Optimised Website
The design for mobile is according to the website needs.
Pros
A mobile optimised website is a simple transfer of the information and content (or part of it) of your website to enable mobile user accessibility.
Mobile optimised websites offer smaller companies the opportunity to take advantage of the increase in mobile search.
User experience is greatly improved as web page logic is optimised for viewing on a mobile device.
If your website is built in flash then it will not be viewable at all by Apple device users - a mobile optimised website will increase your company's visibility for Apple users.
Cons
If your website is built in Flash then it will require more work for that website to be viewable on Apple devices.
A mobile optimised website as with HTML5 web apps relies on internet connectivity to function.
