The word “application” or “app“ for short is now known to every user of mobile phone. They include not only social networks and games. An application is a piece of software that works as a single program on a computer, mobile device, or through a browser. Today, there are three main types of apps:
• desktop applications.
• mobile.
• web applications.
Companies that think about developing a mobile application can choose one of three options:
1. Native;
2. Web;
3. Hybrid.
Native applications
This type of apps is created for a specific platform and directly installed on the user’s device (occupying a certain amount of memory). With them, companies can make an application according to individual requests, so that the user is comfortable using it, in addition to the website or another channel, which he has become accustomed to using. Among the advantages of native applications is that location designation allows companies to customize their loyalty programs or promotions. Consumers can receive notifications when they are located near physical stores, or have the opportunity to receive a regional discount. Data of actions (or inaction) of the user can be easily collected and analyzed, thus facilitating the assessment of the effectiveness of the entire app or its individual functions. But they can also have disadvantages. First, they are more expensive to design. They must be approved by each application store, and the process of drawing attention to it users can be difficult.
Web applications
They work through a web browser on the user’s device. These applications are essentially individualized websites. In fact, they are not on the smartphone. They can be compared to cloud storage. Web-based apps are easier to maintain and can run on a platform with any operating system. And this is an undeniable advantage. What is not good about them is that web applications do not have access to the device and it limits many functions.
Hybrid applications
They are something average between native and web apps. They are also installed on the user’s phone and can be found in the app stores. The difference is that they must be placed within the native application and are created to work through Web View, and thus they can access information on the user’s device for great features. They possess the greatest functionality and depersonalization for the user. Hybrids are a good option for developers who create visually rich applications, such as games.
The number of used smartphones on planet Earth is gradually approaching two billion. Mobile apps are installed on each of them. Some of them can help us to go shopping, follow the news, learn foreign languages or even to earn money. In the next article we will tell you about the most interesting and unusual apps for your phone.