The rapid mobile applications development

Modern mobile devices have great capacity and capabilities due to permanent development of hardware and software resources. Mobile devices run on different software platforms. The most popular platforms are Google Android, Apple iOS, Windows Phone.

The development of those mobile applications extend the capabilities of smartphones, requires projects to be performed separately for each operating system in different programming languages, using different software development kits. It makes the time-consuming process of creating an application even more longstanding and complex. Moreover, multi-platform application support requires vast resources that are proportional to the number of supported systems.

There are several approaches to resources optimizing required for the development. For example, you can start with creating an application only for one single platform. If you want to have the cake and eat it, then there is another option - the creation of a hybrid application using a special tool such as Adobe PhoneGap framework.

The PhoneGap framework, as well as other similar tools, allows to use familiar technologies, which are commonly used in web-site development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript and also provides tools for usage of your cell phone resources and knowledge about it such as network information, battery power, camera, GPS and so on. As far as all modern devices are able to work with those technologies, applications created this way can be compiled for all popular/common mobile platform. Such applications use native component – browser, which allows visiting websites.

Each version of development has its pros and cons.

Briefly about the benefits of hybrid technology in comparison with native applications, being developed separately for each platform:

• faster application development;
• simultaneous development under all current platforms (cross-platform);
• an increasing number of professionals are familiar with the technologies used in the development;
• design flexibility, limited just by capacity;
• as a consequence of the first items, it’s less resource-intensive and more low-budget option of development.

Native applications also have their pros:

• such applications are more productive, they work quicker than hybrid apps;
• they are more responsive;
• they take a cue from platform features and can use standard interface elements and behavior of the platform, for which they are being developed;
• they are independent of the frameworks and the possibilities provided by them, because they use phone resources directly;
• great possibility of the application development and increasing of its functionality.

Hybrid apps can be selected for the fast start - rapid application development for all platforms. You can use it on the first step if you need to estimate demand, functionality and to get a feedback before native application development.

Then you can improve existing app or make a native application using received data. If an application is server-side, the database is used, then this part may be saved and used partly or fully during the transition to the native version of the application.

Hybrid technology is a solution in the absence of resources for native development. You can also use it to create simple applications. As for complex, resource-intensive applications, that use a lot of animation and interface of the particular platform, it is better to choose a native development.

Each method of mobile application development is appropriate in different cases, and each has its own pros and cons. To choose the best way we recommend you to follow described above features and advices of qualified professionals.

Marina Sennikova

CTO, whatAsoft