Development

Types of Mobile Apps : Choosing the best approach

Types of Mobile Apps : Choosing the best approach

Have you wondered what the different type of mobile app we make is? You have come across terms like Native, Hybrid, Web Apps, Cross-platform Apps. In this blog, we discuss the differences between the types and how each of these differs in functionality, budget, experience, time, and performance, so you can arrive at an informed decision when you decide to make an app.

TYPES OF MOBILE APPS

NATIVE APPS

What are Native Apps?

Native Apps are built to run a specific platform on their language and SDKs(Software development Kits). The two leading platforms are Android and iOS platforms. So the app has to be built separately on each platform of your choosing. This means, clients can choose which platform they want to run their app on multiple platforms; it will require hiring two dev teams to handle the app’s development on both platforms. The primary purpose of creating such apps is to ensure the best performance for a specific mobile operating system.

Features

  • Built on specific platforms- It tends to be very fast, Powerful performance, and makes full use of the mobile OS system and features.
  • Highly level of functionality – Developers can incorporate best-in-class user interface modules which account for fast, powerful performance, consistency, and user experience.
  • More comprehensive Access to APIs – Users also benefit from broader access to Native application programming interfaces (APIs) and limitless use of all apps from the particular device.
  • Efficient Running of an app – Switching over from one app to another is effortless.
  • Best in class user experience – Much more interactive and intuitive. Things run much smoother as far as user input and output.
  • Interact with device utilities – They can easily tap into phone features like camera, microphone, compass, accelerometer, swipe gestures more easily. They have extensive APIs to work with pretty much any part of the hardware.
  • Language –
      • iOS : Swift/ Objective –C              Types of Mobile Apps - IOS - Languages
      • Android: Java or Kotlin Languages Types of Mobile Apps - Android - Languages

What are the cons of Native Apps?

  • It can be expensive, longer to build, harder to maintain.
  • No multiplatform support: Require hiring two dev teams if you want to create a codebase of each platform.

What are tools (IDE) used in Native Apps?

  • Android
    • Android Studio
    • IntelliJ IDEA.

Types of Mobile Apps - Android- Tools

  • iOS :
    • App Code
    • XCode
    • Atom

Types of Mobile Apps - IOS- Tools

WEB APPS  

What is WEB App?

Web apps are apps build using standard web technologies like HTML/CSS/JavaScript and run on a web server. They run on common web browsers like safari and chrome. Since it’s made like a regular website or web app, they are not found on app stores like google or apple store. For a web app to operate, it needs a Web server, application server, and database.

Features of WEB Apps

  • Easy to build (HTML/CSS/JS) and maintain.
  • Progressive web apps (PWAs) can load like regular web pages but can offer the functionality of working offline and device hardware access.
  • They don’t need to be installed on the device.
  • Allows multiple users to access the same version of the app.
  • A Single codebase is used for all platforms – Desktops, laptops, and mobile.
  • Very Cheap – By far the cheapest option among the entire app builds.

What are the cons of WEB Apps?

  • Needs a browser to run, type in URL for the app to run, poor user experience
  • Slower than Native Apps – As Native Apps are created for that specific device
  • Less interactive and less intuitive
  • No icon on mobile desktop
  • Unable to submit to app stores; turn your web app into a hybrid app to be submitted to stores.
  • Cannot interact with device utilities, like no API to access the camera features, location, etc.

What language is used in WEB apps?

Build using standard web technologies like HTML/CSS/JavaScript.

Types of Mobile Apps - WebApps- Languages

HYBRID APPS

What are they called Hybrid Apps?

These are a combination of Native and Web Apps. They embed a website inside a native app, using a hybrid framework. It is a cheaper alternative to Native and uses standard web technologies like HTML/CSS/JavaScript. So it runs using a Native container, generally Web View, usually through a framework. It perceives itself as a Native app on the surface. This allows development using web technologies while also retaining certain advantages of native apps.

Features of Hybrid Apps

  • Easy to build – HTML/CSS/JavaScript.
  • Cheaper alternative than Native apps.
  • Single app for all platforms – One codebase for iOS and Android.
  • No browser is needed; they can publish to app stores.
  • You can usually access the device utilities using an API. They can access features like cameras and geolocation storage, many that depend on the framework you use. But most of them do allow you to use them.
  • Faster to develop than native apps. Single code base, more accessible languages.

What are the cons of Hybrid Apps?

  • Slower than native apps.
  • Less interactive than native apps.
  • Sluggish performance and suboptimal user experience Lack found in some hybrid apps.
  • Limited access to OS features
  • No interactions with other Native Apps

What are tools (IDE) used in Hybrid Apps?

  • Iconic
  • Apache Cordova
  • Visual studio

Types of Mobile Apps - Hybrid- Tools

CROSS-PLATFORM APPS

What are they called Cross-Platform Apps?

It closely resembles a Hybrid App. Cross-platform apps like Hybrid App use a single code system that can be used to run the app on both Android and iOS. It has a faster development due to a single code base and cost-effectiveness. It is essentially a Native app built using Javascript. Like hybrid, it also has limited access to device and OS features, but it shows more improvement, unlike a hybrid, depending on the framework chosen.

Features of Cross-Platform Apps

  • Essentially a Native app built using JavaScript.
  • Shorter development time.
  • Single update across all platforms.
  • It compiles into actual Native components.
  • UI is rendered using real native views.

What are the cons of Cross-Platform Apps?

  • Performance falls short of Native apps and hybrid.
  • Limited access to OS features
  • Poor interaction with other Native apps

What are tools (IDE) used in Cross-Platform Apps?

  • React Native
  • Xamarin
  • Flutter

Types of Mobile Apps - Crossplatform- Tools

What language is used in Cross-Platform apps?

  • Javascript

CONCLUSION

Performance

Native – Built on specific platforms- It tends to be very fast, Powerful performance – Developers can incorporate best-in-class user interface modules which account for fast, powerful performance, consistency, and user experience.  Hybrid and Cross-platform have limited access to device and OS features. Native app beats all types and king of performance.

Budget

Budget Plays a crucial role in choosing the type of app development. If there are limited funds, Native apps, generally more expensive to develop, will be out of scope. You can, however, focus on a single platform for development (Android or apple). Hybrid and cross-platform are lower costs to develop apps, and web apps being the least expensive. It will all come down to client needs and their target users and features need to access and level of performance etc.

Time to Market

Generally, getting apps out to market is not a huge factor. But there may be cases in which this might play a vital role, and pre-planning and app development comes into the aspect. Native apps do take longer to get them out there compared to the other types of app development.

UI/UX

UI/UX experience depends on whether a user will continue to use the app. If there is a poor experience, the user might abandon utilizing the app. Native apps provide the best UI/UX experience of them all. It will all come down to budget; there are always hybrid and cross-platform(perform better than hybrid) options that do provide a decent UI/UX experience. Web apps generally do not have good UI/UX.

Functionality

Native apps allow you to make full use of the mobile OS system and features and every functionality of the phones. Native has no limitations in this matter. Cross platforms do have better access but might require implementing some native codes to access certain functionality.

OTHER BLOGS

Here are some of the topics that might interest you:

  1. A Guide To a Successful Mobile App Development
  2. Tools used to create UI Designs (Wireframes, Mockups, and Prototype)

Types of Mobile Apps : Choosing the best approach Read More »

A Guide To a Successful Mobile App Development

A Guide To a Successful Mobile App Development

Have you ever wondered how to develop a mobile app and what process and steps go into developing an App? The mobile app development process will involve a level of pre-planning to ensure the final product is delivered on time and with the best quality. We want the client to know the amount of care we take to ensure that the product is built successfully up to your specification. This process gives you a brief rundown of the steps involved in the building of App. The client will constantly be in the loop during the entire building, testing, and deployment phase. With that said, here’s a look at the app development lifecycle and the objectives

STAGES OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT

  1. Strategy
  2. Analysis and Planning
  3. UI/UX Design
  4. Development
  5. Testing
  6. Support

STRATEGY

Process
Step 1: Strategy

We will go through an initial brief with a client to identify the objectives and app concepts to provide a great final product during this process. During the first week of the mobile app development, UI/UX designer, and engineering, the marketing team called in to ensure the final product is bound for success. This phase can shrink or grow with need based on the client type. An individual starting an app or agency wanting an app will differ from an agency as they might have their marketing team and legal department that wants to make sure it is on the right track. We have our team ready to help ensure the App is a success.

Our next step will be to research the competition, where we do an in-depth analysis of comparable apps in the market, the strategy, their design. Whatever the competition has done, we need to do it better. Only then can an app be successful. If this is a novel idea, we want to do it right the first time to make sure we hit the ground up running and not looking back. It is crucial for us that the client succeeds in his venture; only then we as a company can grow successfully.

Once we get all our notes, points, and recommendations, we present the client to finalize the steps to get to the successful final product, from recommending, technologies, designs, marketing for development. We want to hit the home run the first time, but realistically, it might not be the case, as there will be changes with the designs. It is important, as this allows us to learn about clients’ needs and the ever-changing market in mobile app designs. We continually revisit this with the client during the design and prototype phase.

This step is important and ensures the product development is on the right track. Once all the specifications are finalized with the client. We iron out all the features, components used in the App, and formal cost estimates to build an app.

ANALYSIS AND PLANNING

Process-Analysis and Planning
Step 2: Analysis and Planning

During the second stage of the mobile app development, The team will start getting to work and create a plan of action on how the product will evolve. We use this roadmap to outline the implementation of all the app functionality. We use an agile development process that lets the client know all the crucial details of what our team works on every week and what goes in each stage of development, thus allowing for a more transparent process. This effective communication allows for more exchange of information and being in the loop during the entire development process. The team will create delivery milestones to ensure that the product is on schedule.

UI/UX DESIGN

Process -UI/UX Design
Step 3: UI/UX Design

In this phase, we start to create concepts of the App, gather feedback, and team designs the build based on the client specifications. At this stage, The team creates wireframes, mockups, and prototypes of the App using design tools to experience the feel of the final product(What it will look like).

The main steps in the stages are

  1. Wireframe
  2. Mockups
  3. Prototype
  4. User Testing

1.      Wireframe

Mobile App Development - WireframeMobile App Development - Wireframe2

A wireframe is a blueprint or schematic of the App. It is essential, black, white renderings to convey the concept of the product. These are generally quick to create, and the schematic captures the transition from various pages, screen designs, or and flow between multiple functionalities. An app can have many wireframe pages to show each layout. There is the absence of visual elements like colors and logos on this stage. The client will get to see this wireframe experience the Layout, Navigation, and functionality of App. Wireframes go through Information, Navigation Design, and Interface Design.

2.      Mockups

Mobile App Development - Mockup

After the wireframe, we start to add colors, fonts, icons, and navigation elements. There will be more than one mockups, and the client can decide on the type of mockup they prefer and feedback to make critical changes. These are pretty static and easily make changes at any point in time.

3.      Prototype

The Prototype demonstrates how a product will function—usability testing on the product’s design and navigation flow will help to maximize development efficiency. The Prototype is not fully functional, but the elements are interactive, and Prototyping helps visualize how the final App will function and ensure core concepts are validated.

4.      User Testing

At this stage, the users interact with the Prototype to uncover new solutions or determine whether the existing solution is successful. The product team identifies the problems from the previous design stages and makes the required changes. We can understand the challenges users face when they use the product in the context of their life. We try to get as much feedback as possible for the errors to be detected early and revised. At the end of this stage, you will have a full working Wireframe, Mockups, and interactive Prototype for all the screens in the app and signal end of the frontend—the designs presented to stakeholders, clients for a more detailed visual critique. Once the final design is confirmed, It is handed over to developers to incorporate the backend.

DEVELOPMENT

A Guide To a Successful Mobile App Development
Step 4: App Development

In this phase of the mobile app development, we start going through development sprints. The agile methodology breaks the development stages into periods focusing on each App’s functionality. The Developers also focus on security for the App if the App requires saving any sensitive information like Usernames, passwords. We will also set up App to be able to pull information from APIs, depending on App. If the App requires location information, it will require pull information from google maps. We create an MVP (A minimum viable product) with enough features and validate a product idea early in the product development cycle. The MVP will help our product team receive user feedback as quickly as possible to iterate and improve the product. Agile methodology is built on validating and iterating products based on user input. If you want to learn more about types of apps, click here

TESTING

Process - Testing
Step 5: Testing

Testing usually happens early on during the mobile app development cycle to ensure the bugs will be fixed early on. The application will be tested for usability, compatibility, security, interface checks, stress, and performance tests. Validate app quality through series of testing criteria.

  • Create Test Scripts to ensure the App is running smoothly and bug-free.
  • Functionality Test to ensure the App is running smoothly with seamless transition.
  • Security Tests to prevent potential vulnerability from hacks.
  • Usability Test to make sure App performs as intended.

SUPPORT

The App is launched on the platform the client prefers (apple or google store). The most important thing is to address any bugs or teething issues that may arise. As the application is being used, there will be a need to incorporate future revisions from users’ feedback. So the App will require an update with the release of new devices and operating systems, which will need to be optimized.

CONCLUSION

Now you understand how to build a successful mobile application and the steps we take to ensure the product is a success. It is very important for the client to always be in the loop and understand the process; this ensures transparency throughout the journey of development and makes it more exciting. Let us know in the comments if you liked this blog or would love to know more about other topics.

OTHER BLOGS

Here are some of the topics that might interest you:

  1. Tools used to create UI Designs (Wireframes, Mockups, and Prototype)
  2. Types of mobile apps – Choosing-the-best-approach

A Guide To a Successful Mobile App Development Read More »