World Native
Comparing the pros and cons of native mobile applications and Web
The difference between the capabilities of web-based and native mobile apps is rapidly closing. Before on a mobile app that you need to know the facts. Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) 's Luo Lie, the low-down on each.
Rapid advances in HTML5, the new more mobile friendly version of the Web language, and the hard work of the standards body World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard interfaces for mobile devices to create Web apps that can – or will be able to – many of the things that can make native apps.
Earlier this year released a groundbreaking study titled Native GIA or web application? that companies surveyed had created both web applications and mobile applications. Who better to guide us through the pros and cons of each platform than the author of the report, Lie Luo?
Q & A with Lie Luo, head of telecoms, technology and media practice, Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA)
1) What is a mobile application? And what is the difference between a native and a web app?
A mobile application software written for mobile devices with a specific role performing such a game, calendar, music, etc.
GIA defines one as a native app that is designed to run on an operating system device machine and system firmware, and typically adapted for different devices. A web app, or browser application, is one in which all or some parts of the software downloaded the website each time it runs. It can usually be accessed from any Web-capable mobile devices.
2) What is the technical difference between the two?
For example, developed a native application for iPhone will be run on its own IOS platform, or Symbian for many Nokia phones, and more. A web app, is usually encoded in a language such as browser-rendered HTML with JavaScript.
An interesting point to note is that while architectural differences are likely to persist between a native and web applications for some time, the user experiences that both interfaces are increasingly blurred, since most native apps online Web connectivity and Web Apps offering offline modes that can be opened without a network. As a result, some of these apps now referred to as hybrid apps.
3) As the first mobile phone – the native app or web app?
Certainly the native app. Recall that pre-installed programs (which ie apps) such as address book, calendar and calculator appeared on the cell phone lot for the availability of Web connectivity. The most memorable example was when Nokia the classic arcade game Snake in 1998, which was a huge hit around the world.
4) What was the smartphone that changed everything?
I try to use the term 'smartphone' to avoid, because it can mean different things to different people. However, in terms of mobile apps, the most significant event that the whole industry was changed when Apple introduced the App Store in 2008 shortly after the opening of the IOS software development kit (SDK) for third party developers. The iPhone superior user interface and integrated billing via iTunes led to an explosion in the downloads via its platform, and moved permanently to the gravity of the distribution away from the mobile app "Walled gardens" of mobile providers in the app-store environments of the handset manufacturers.
Another answer to your question is that the modern smartphone is becoming more worn and is considered as a Swiss army knife, that is, it has become a common platform for running specific applications, and tools. Just a couple of years ago cell phones were still sold as pre-defined packages of usability and features, especially where manufacturers supply their differentiated form factor alone.
5) When did third-party developers really getting interested in a) the native app b) Web app? What were their motives? How are these patterns evolve?
For native apps, the arrival of the Apple App Store was the game-changer. Mobile web apps, however, notable developer interest arose only in the last year or so after the successful implementation of HTML5 Google-based apps. Of course mobile websites existed long before, such as WAP portals, but not count them GIA as a web app from a user experience standpoint.
In terms of motives, if you ask most native application developers why they choose to develop for a native OS they are likely to say that it is because of the superior user interface and business opportunities offered by eg the iPhone App Store. However, more and more developers and publishers begin to evaluate the web interface because of their greater capacity to expand audiences and conduct faster version updates.
6) What is the market share today between native Web v v both? How is this expected change over the next five years?
Unofficial statistics from various sources suggest that there should be around 400,000 active native apps between suppliers and operators to store fronts. Reliable estimates for the total mobile Web apps are harder to find. However, many believe it is much lower: for example, a mere 4880 apps are listed on the Web Apple's App Store to date.
Our mobile publisher Native studies or web application? confirms that feeling, if 44 percent of respondents only a native application, compared to 22 percent that offer a web application, or 35 percent offer both. However, when we asked them about the future plans, the percentage of those who have a web app or both of the same, while many of the native people app app only that their strategy choice remains to be seen and can change over time.
7) If Web apps are becoming a larger market share, why do most people have never heard of a web app? Why are there so few app stores and directories focus on Web apps?
I think that Web apps are less known largely due to a relative lack of commercial interest from vendors in promoting their use. For example, handset manufacturers are increasingly competing on the popularity their operating systems based on the number and diversity of native apps available for their specific devices. Moreover, the manufacturers usually a 30 percent cut from every app sold through their native app stores.
In contrast, Web apps are typically designed for open-platform device and distributed usually free. The content is delivered via Web apps, but can of course be independently billed by such subscription.
What do better than native apps web applications? How long will this still the case?
When we asked publishers that offer both application interfaces to compare the two, twice as many publishers a higher level of acceptance, usage volume and the involvement of users (ie the duration of use per session) to see native apps. In particular, 30 percent of these publishers actually saw more than 100 percent use of the volume and involvement with native apps compared to web applications. Our study also found that Native apps provide a higher click-through rate (CTR) of the ad-serving publishers, though experiences vary by company and category of content.
While we expect native apps to their lead in user adoption and engagement in the near future to maintain, it is important to the large differences in publishers' experience to recognize and, in many cases the difference in adoption is driven by the difference in usability between the same native enterprise and Web app interfaces. Many developers say that the relatively poor user experience offered by the Web apps are currently available due to a lack of access to their own device features such as GPS, camera, calendar and a accelerometer, but that will soon change.
9) What web apps do better than native apps? How long will this still the case?
Currently, Web apps advantages lie primarily with application developers and publishers. Direct control of the distribution of application and cost benefits are usually the main reasons for launching a web application. Provided more than half of our respondents indicated that Web apps are cheaper and faster to develop and maintain, while 23 percent say cost savings of more than 100 percent compared to native apps and 40 percent said that developing a web app will even weeks faster. Apart man-hours, it helps that skilled Web developers more easily available than the experts in indigenous languages like Objective-C iPhone.
Another fundamental advantage is that Web apps that run on common browsers is available on most Web-enabled smartphones, so device-specific adaptation is much easier from a developer standpoint. Therefore the cost advantage increases the rate of hardware fragmentation increases. Another big advantage, as mentioned earlier, is providing updates for a web app is much more convenient.
Since these architectural advantages, we expect them to continue to pursue the case in the future. There is a misconception that Web apps can not access the device features, but the W3C is leading a joint effort between the browser vendors, handset manufacturers and operators to introducing such features through the browser application programming interface (API) s. In fact, the GPS API is already publicly available and incorporated into many new browsers handsets. I would not be surprised if in 1-2 years we will Augmented Reality (AR) Web apps that off-camera, accelerometer and GPS will use.
For consumers, Web apps are traditionally represented a cost disadvantage especially when roaming data between countries. With the availability of off-line mode and much more regulated roaming charges, at least in Europe, that problem should disappear over time, such as news apps.
10) How many companies decide to do both? Can you give examples of companies that do both?
It has a lot to do with the fact that we're still very early in the era of mobile marketing, let alone cross-media broadcasting and advertising. As such, many companies are testing the waters with both interfaces and wait to see how the overall industry and user behavior evolve.
Google is a good example of a company which has strategic interests in both approaches. First, the launching and testing of innovative applications such as Google Goggles first in Android, an open-source OS platform, on the other it also ensures that all of its consumer-based apps like Gmail, Maps and Voice can be accessed by all users of iPhone to Nokia Blackberry using Web of additional native apps.
There are also numerous other examples of online business like eBay, eBuddy, Twitter and Facebook, as well as bricks-and-mortar companies like FedEx and Continental Airlines. Usually only large companies with larger budgets may develop afford both application interfaces to offer.
11) What types of organizations tend to choose or are best suited for the indigenous, Web or both options?
Our study shows that games, social networking, lifestyle and entertainment, technology and gadgets, and travel categories and local apps, tend the native approach is preferred.
Web applications are dominated by news and weather publishers, or only support a Web application or both offer. We know this because many large publishers with origins in both print and broadcast media have shown a strong interest in our study results. Other categories, such as communication, financial services, retail and shops, where iterative design and user analytics are more relevant, the preferred approach to the web.
No special category of the organization that chooses to start both native and Web Apps – the most important consideration is: can we afford?
12) Which of the organization tend to choose native, Web or both options: a) pay, b) ad-funded, c) new channel on the market (eg retailers, banks) d) seeding business with free demos, proof of concept; e) pure marketing, ie creating a brand novelty app or game to give away for free? (Would you say these are the five main types of app?)
I agree with your classification, but would also add 'subscribe' to the mix. More than 40 percent of our respondents as an important offer subscriptions to publisher monetization model. As mentioned earlier media companies are particularly interested in our study. Generally, large media publishers prefer to offer a web application as an add-on to their existing subscribers, because they are easier to integrate with their standard web content without the individual native apps to adjust. As mentioned earlier, direct billing and version updates for the subscription-based content easier if you start using the Web browser.
On the other hand, we recognize that native apps will probably remain the preferred interface especially for heavier apps that prefer to run from the internal memory of the device and Pay-per-download apps with the integrated billing options on Native App Stores.
About whether web or native apps to help fund an ad or simply facilitating a service or brand, we see no rule-of-thumb – several companies have achieved success through very different approaches. One thing that can be generalized, however, is that Web apps are definitely picking up steam in both developer and consumer adoption, so it's a channel that should not be forgotten. In fact I would argue the first interface for brands to consider prior to full-blown native development.
13) Which application is more secure?
Native apps are sure to enjoy an architectural advantage in safety, if they do not need to connect to the network as often as Web apps, and in some cases completely skip the process.
14) What is the future? Any closing comments?
So far we have mainly discussing the choice between native and web applications for mobile devices. It is important to recognize that we are concentrating more on the way to a multi-screen world where brands want their users to a variety of media touch points. In that light is the same debate will run on tablet devices and now Web-connected TVs, thanks to the extension of IOS and Android platforms.
Personally I think web apps will take place at a greater spirit divide both publishers and consumers, as hardware complexity grows and the desire for immediacy still dominates modern media consumption.
Author: Luo Lie, head of the telecoms, technology and media practice at Global Intelligence Alliance.
This article and others of GIA Telecommunications, Technology Media & practice can be found on Global Intelligence Alliance Insights and Analysis under Articles
About the Author
Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group. GIA was formed in 1995 when a team of market intelligence specialists, management consultants, industry analysts and technology experts came together to build a powerful suite of customized solutions ranging from outsourced market monitoring services and software, to strategic analysis and advisory.
Please Global Intelligence Alliance for more strategic market intelligence.
What caused the Europeans to explore the world and the rest stay back in native world?
It really is a wet and gloomy place, Europe, but more specifically Great Britain.
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