Mobile App Devt: Bridging gap between native, hybrid approaches
By Oluwafemi Akerele
We live in a connected world, and more and more people use their mobile devices for most of their everyday tasks.
For almost all digital products, websites, or desktop software, a mobile application across mobile operating systems brings the experience closer home for users. Global data from research.com shows that about 50% of web traffic comes from mobile users, which continues to grow. The current data and its trends highlight a significant opportunity for developers and businesses, while also offering various platforms for mobile application development.
Mobile app development primarily targets two major operating systems: Android and iOS, each built on distinct frameworks. This distinction has led to the emergence of dedicated native development platforms for each OS. However, the introduction of hybrid and cross-platform development frameworks has revolutionised the field, enabling developers to build applications that run seamlessly on both platforms with a single codebase.
Let’s break down all three mobile app development options.
Native app development
Nothing is better than using an original platform for its apps; at least, that is the idea behind native app development. Native app development, as its name implies, refers to building mobile apps for specific operating systems using the operating system’s native programming language. Businesses targeting the Android community typically design their native apps in Kotlin, Java, Scala, and C++, while those catering to Apple (iOS) users typically use Objective-C or Swift as their primary programming language. Essentially, businesses that want to develop apps for both Android and iOS users will have to build their apps separately to meet the demands of both native platforms.
Why businesses and developers opt for native app development
Access to native features: Because native app development uses the languages best suited to the native OS, it is simple to integrate with native features on the platforms. Apps built using native mobile app platforms quickly achieve native features like GPS, microphone access, camera access, and more. Continues online…
More complex apps: Native app builders interface directly with the native OS, allowing developers and businesses to build complex and well-made apps without sacrificing performance or efficiency.
Great performance and user experience: Native apps perform well because they work directly on the native OS; there are no conversions or imitations of a native shell. They also have an excellent user interface and experience, as they are custom-built for the platforms they work on.
App security: Native app development provides users with an extra layer of security with data encryption, financial information protection, and fraud detection capabilities.
Offline functionality: This is one unique feature native app platforms provide. Native apps operate very well without an Internet connection, which is something end users can appreciate. It enables businesses to cater to app users in remote areas or areas with limited internet connectivity.
Common drawbacks to native app devt
High cost: Building a native app for iOS and Android is quite costly, as one has to build two separate apps, each requiring a different programming language and skills.
Non-reusable code: Cross-platform development addresses this drawback. Codes used on one OS cannot be reused for another.
Hybrid app development
Hybrid app development combines native and web solutions, and it involves building mobile apps using web technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Once the app is built using any of these technologies, it is embedded in a native shell that allows it to be deployed on any native platform. This eliminates the need to make separate codes for different native platforms, but it comes with its own drawbacks, including slower performance compared with native apps.
A hybrid platform has two major components: a native viewer and backend code. The native viewer displays the backend’s functions.
Some popular examples of mobile apps built with the hybrid app development technique include Discord, X(Formerly Twitter), Evernote and The My BMW App.
Why businesses and developers opt for hybrid app development?
Quick deployment: When developing apps across multiple platforms, hybrid app development takes less time. Your business does not have to make two different apps for both platforms. It is a huge plus for businesses looking to have a first release on the market quickly.
Easy maintenance: The major app development process for hybrid apps uses web technology, so they are easier to maintain than native apps and cross-platform apps with more complex coding.
Cross-platform capabilities: The key aim of hybrid app development is to build functional apps across multiple mobile OSs.
Cost-effective: Since you only need one code base, you do not need to spend on two different native apps for Android and iOS, making it more cost-effective and labour-efficient.
Common drawbacks to hybrid development
Limited access to native features: Since hybrid app development relies more on web technologies, its access to native app features is limited.
Security risks: Hybrid apps are more exposed to security concerns since they use web-based technology.
Performance concerns: Hybrid apps work well enough but are often not as smooth as native apps. This is usually because some hybrid apps combine both native and non-native components, resulting in complex codes that slow down overall performance.
No offline functionality.
Cross-platform app development
Considered a bridge between Native and hybrid app development, many often confuse cross-platform app development for hybrid app development, but they both function differently. Developers create cross-platform apps using a single codebase that operates on several operating systems such as Windows, iOS, and Android. They use frameworks like Xamarin, React Native, and Flutter.
Unlike hybrid web technology options, cross-platform app development relies on separate frameworks that provide developers with the tools for “write once, run anywhere” coding. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter do not use web technologies but rely on native components (React Native) or custom rendering engines (Flutter). While write once and run everywhere is ideal, cross-platform frameworks still require platform-specific tweaks. For example, React Native often requires some native code for platform-specific features (e.g., iOS and Android). Popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Uber Eats were built using the cross-platform framework .
Why businesses and developers opt for cross-platform app development
Quicker development and cost-effectiveness: Like hybrid app development, building models and deploying cross-platform apps takes less time. Since the code for cross-platform apps is reusable, the framework allows the apps to function smoothly across different operating systems, cutting costs in the process.
Improved user experience: A significant concern among users of hybrid apps is that their user experience falls short of that of native apps. This is a drawback; cross-platform development improves upon offering modern features and tools that help build apps closer to native apps in user experience. This user experience is available across multiple platforms.
Large developer communities: Because cross-platform development is functional and accepted, there are large communities that provide support when developers hit a stumbling block. Many resources are also available that make adoption easier for small businesses without extensive technical know-how.
Simplified maintenance: Because the codebase is the same across all platforms, it’s easier to make modifications and update apps with cross-platform solutions.
Common Drawbacks to cross platform development:
Possible performance limitations: Cross-platform app development closes the gap between native app development and its hybrid counterpart, but there are still performance issues, especially with more complex apps.
Difficulty with integrations: Cross-platform mobile development lacks access to features exclusive to native platforms, which can pose challenges for developers in optimizing cross-platform applications when integrating them within native environments.
Unstable offline functionality: This largely depends on the cross-platform framework you use.
When choosing a mobile app development platform for your business, consider the following factors: your app’s complexity, your general client or customer base, time frame, your developer resource, offline functionality and app security.
Many businesses often opt for cross-platform app development frameworks because they provide the best of both worlds at a reasonable cost, and this inevitably means developers have to invest time in cross-platform technologies too. Native app development has some outstanding features and appeals more to complex projects and larger corporations. Still, if you are a small business looking forward to scaling gradually, cross-platform frameworks will provide the best value for money. If you are a developer looking for a mobile app platform to master, then cross-platform development might just be your next venture.