According to the most recent data, mobile device users spend about 90% of their time on applications and just around 10% on web surfing. With the increasing popularity of mobile devices in general and apps in particular, nearly everyone wants to create one as soon as feasible. This hybrid development has grown in popularity as a result of its benefits, which are principally connected to cost efficiency and speedier time-to-market. However, releasing your software rapidly is no assurance that users will want to use it, and here is where an alternative method, such as native app development, maybe more prudent.
Native mobile apps - perks overview
Once you get passed the fundamentals, native programming has a lot of advantages that are worth considering. Hybrid technologies have achieved significant advances in the areas of optimization, security, and user experience in recent years, and are continually attempting to bridge the gap between native and hybrid methods in these areas. A well-built React Native or Flutter application will not differ much from a native one; yet, native apps give superior benchmarks out of the box in several areas:
Performance Because native apps are designed for a single platform, they run substantially better.
User Experience They are more intuitive and engaging for the same reason, resulting in a better overall user experience. Although the look and feel of UI components are similar in native and hybrid applications, there are some differences, such as visual interactions and gesture controls that are seamlessly integrated into native apps and match the style of the operating system with which a user is familiar.
Learning curve Once a user learns to use their device, they don't want to do it again with every new app they install, native app development results in an app that is more embedded in the feel of the particular platform
Security Native applications provide the best in class security, which is why they are still commonly used by finance apps.
Is it necessary for your app to be accessible on both Android and iOS at the start?
In the business sector, it is often assumed that a company's app must be immediately available on both iOS and Android.
Of course, being present on both platforms has advantages, and if you need your app to be available on both platforms in the shortest amount of time, you might consider employing hybrid technologies such as React Native or Flutter instead of native ones.
However, if you believe that native technologies meet your product's objectives, consider if you truly need your software to be offered on both platforms at the same time.
Nobody is perfect, and software development is a continuous process. Be aware that, no matter how well prepared you are, your application will require continual revisions; features will change in response to user wants and preferences, and it will also need to be upgraded and adapted to the always-changing technical environment. Starting with one platform allows you to avoid making the same mistakes in functionality, technology, and business assumptions on a second platform.
The platform question: which platform should you begin with?
The first decision in native programming is clearly deciding whether to design the app for iOS or Android. iOS has a 70-80% market share in Europe and Asia, whereas the US market is split at 50-50. You don't have to choose between the two and may design your software for both, but here is where the price and time limits come into play. While the entire product will benefit from the advantages outlined above as a result of being produced natively, it will take more time and work and will most likely require distinct developers or teams for iOS and Android. So, if you're going after a market dominated by iOS, it might be best to focus on that first and leave the Android version for later.
Native mobile platforms - the overview
Apple ecosystem - iOS
If you choose iOS, the initial decision is whether to use Objective-C or Swift. Objective-C has been around since the 1980s and has been used by Apple since the mid-1990s; it still has its purposes and has been tried and proven throughout the years. The reality is, that everyone has moved on from it because Swift has it beat. Apple designed it particularly to be quicker (2.6 times faster, according to Apple), safer, less complicated, and easier to maintain.
Google ecosystem - Android
For Android, the language options are relatively similar: Java or Kotlin, with one language being much older and the other having some fresh advances. However, while Kotlin has gained popularity and was recently selected as the official language for Android by Google, it is still significantly less popular than Java and will likely stay so for the foreseeable future. Java is well established for a reason: it is a superb multi-purpose language. Kotlin, on the other hand, introduces a number of new capabilities. It blends object-oriented and functional programming, uses less code, and compiles quickly. Java, on the other hand, has a far larger community, is much more widely used, and supports virtually every server, device, and operating system. Even Android was created in Java, thus while Kotlin is the better language for developing Android apps, staying with Java is totally logical.
User experience vs time-to-market
If you want to create a test or demo app, hybrid is the way to go. That being said, native has numerous benefits, particularly when it comes to user experience, so if you know what you want and are seeking for quality, it will most certainly provide.
Platforms and market dynamics are crucial elements to consider, and while many people are put off by the fact that you normally require distinct teams for Android and iOS, you may not even need an Android version of your app if you're targeting an iOS-dominated market. Furthermore, the tools are continually being upgraded by two tech behemoths, Apple and Google, which will have an additional influence on the speed and convenience of native development in the future.
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