Web Apps vs. Mobile Apps: Which Is the Future?

By Patrick Emmons, Director of Professional Services, Adage Technologies.

So far in 2011 mobile Web and native applications have been popular, with each offering its own strengths and reasons for use. But what does the future hold for each? Will the popularity of HTML5 kill the native app, or will the smoother and more streamlined interface of a native app keep them at the top of the food chain?

As applications become increasingly popular for a variety of purposes, here are some things to consider in the mobile Web versus native app argument:

HTML5: According to a recent study by ABI Research, more than 2.1 billion mobile devices will have HTML5 browsers by 2016, making a strong case for the future being with Web apps written in HTML5. Web apps written in HTML5 allow for cross-platform capabilities. HTML5 also has a geolocation API that enables mobile Web apps to access the device's GPS, which will provide valuable data to the applications while also letting users stream audio and video without plug ins.

Another benefit of using an HTML5-based Web app is that is has the ability to cache data on a mobile device to make greater use of the device's built-in processing power. This speeds the app's performance, and it also enables Web developers to build apps that offer similar responsiveness as platform-native mobile apps.  To date, HTML5-optimized apps such as TweetDeck and Scribd have been very successful.

4G: Thanks to 4G wireless becoming the norm on most smartphones, Internet lag times are decreasing. And depending on your wireless carrier and data plan, the data speeds you will experience with 4G may be faster than many DSL and cable modem connections.

What does that mean for apps? Both mobile and Web apps will be able to exploit the speed and capacity of the 4G networks. But Web apps currently suffer more from slower connections than native apps since they require constant contact with a Web server to perform many interactive tasks. With 4G, mobile Web apps will be able to retrieve content from the network faster and more reliably than in the past, almost matching the performance of native apps.

Dual- and Quad-Core Processors: Although both native applications and mobile Web applications will see gains due to improved processors, mobile Web apps will gain the most due to the processing necessary to render HTML in a browser.  A native app has a defined UI that is part of the application; in contrast, a mobile Web app sends the UI from the server in the form of HTML5 code.  Improved processors will shrink this responsiveness gap between native and Web apps.

W3C Standards: It took quite a few years for all of the desktop browsers to finally have strong adherence to the W3C Web standards. For years Netscape and Internet Explorer had some serious differences, making it necessary to test your Web apps on both.  But as the browsers matured, the adherence to the W3C standard has become much more significant.

In the same way, Android and iOS (iPhone) both use the same technology to render HTML on their browsers, but Blackberry and the Windows Phone didn't.  Now with the BlackBerry 6.0 and 7.0 and with Windows Mango, all of the four major mobile platforms will have a strong adherence to the standard.  Why is this relevant?  Having to test on multiple browsers or creating different versions of a Web app for specific browsers significantly increases the total cost of ownership of the app.

Whether or not you decide to go mobile Web app or native app will ultimately come down to your audience and cost. If your app requires a complex UI or some very specific on-device functionality, a native app may be a better route. If you are looking to develop a quality cross-platform application that still needs to perform well, then a mobile Web app is the better choice.

What is certain, however, is that the future of mobile Web apps is looking bright, and the popularity and power of HTML5 could definitely give mobile apps serious competition. Only having to create one version of each app will save costs and leave additional dollars for businesses to put into their marketing and promotional efforts.

Adage Technologies was formed in 2001 with a specific focus on driving business value through web technology. Today, Adage offers a wide variety of business technology solutions, including custom software, content management, and mobile applications. The company specializes in providing solutions for across a variety of industries, including healthcare/medical, entertainment, and insurance.  To learn more, visit www.adagetechnologies.com.