The advantages of native applications over the mobile web

Both of them mobile websites and native apps accessed through portable devices. That’s where the similarity stops. Apps are downloaded and installed on iPhones, Android phones, and tablets, while browser-based HTML pages on a mobile website are optimized for a smaller screen. Businesses have two great options for building a good mobile presence, but there’s no denying that each has its own set of unique benefits. You may consider investing in native mobile apps if your end goals and / or situation resemble the following:

Offering a specific user experience

Customer-oriented solutions deliver powerful experiences. They foster commitment and generate results. Native mobile apps provide the flexibility to create specific user experiences. Apps can unlock one or more of the advanced features of a smartphone or tablet, such as camera, GPS, voice memos, gestures, accelerometer, or scan feature, or work better for those using Evernote or similar devices on a regular basis. If you want to tailor an experience to the personal tastes of each user, a native application is a better option compared to a mobile website.

Help complex calculations and reports

An Android or iOS app is always a good idea when you need to display complex calculations, reports, or charts. If the software will need to perform complex algorithmic calculations or follow a certain flow, then an application can deliver the information more intuitively. For example, stock price charts, investment banking research reports, and diagnostic data are more easily accessible through a native application.

In this regard, the apps work well for e-commerce businesses. E-commerce companies are increasingly using them for SMS integration to encourage social sharing. The mobile app’s capabilities allow users to share via Facebook, SMS, or email. Users can also take full advantage of time- and location-based reminders, as well as interactive pop-ups.

Better interactivity or games

The closed environment of native applications makes it a preferable choice for games than mobile websites. Being fast and refined, the applications also lend themselves well to high-performance games. The high responsiveness associated with a native application is one of the reasons Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg replaced the mobile web with a native application in 2012. Applications do not depend on the Internet and network speed to present information at your fingertips. This responsiveness fosters greater usability, a major reason why some companies prefer them to mobile sites.

Games that need more advanced performance features often use native development, while the API adaptability of hybrid and web applications makes them well suited for games that do not require a high level of performance. Although mobile websites are slowly catching up on speed bets, native apps are currently winning the competition for responsiveness, which is essential to deliver a pleasant gaming and interactive experience.

Eliminating the need for a connection

While HTML5 offers in-browser caching, native apps are a natural choice when you want to provide offline access to content or perform tasks with wireless or network connectivity. Android or iOS apps can also be configured to sync with back-end sources periodically. This is beneficial for users on the go as they do not need an internet connection every time they update. It also keeps data costs low.

So will mobile websites make native apps obsolete? Due to the current state of the internet, browser technologies, and computer hardware, we don’t see mobile websites making native applications obsolete for quite some time. It’s a safe bet that native apps will stick around for at least the next seven years. “There’s an app for that” is here to stay!