Native or Hybrid: which App Development approach is to choose?
Native Apps
Native apps are built specifically for a particular platform, such as iOS or Android. They are developed using the platform's native programming language and tools, such as Swift or Objective-C for iOS and Java or Kotlin for Android.
Advantages
- ⦁ High performance: Native apps are developed specifically for a particular platform and device, so they can take full advantage of the device's hardware and software capabilities, resulting in faster and smoother performance.
- ⦁ Better user experience: Native apps are designed specifically for a particular platform and device, so they can provide a more polished and intuitive user experience.
- ⦁ Access to device features: Native apps can access all of the device's hardware and software features, such as the camera, microphone, and GPS, making them more versatile than web apps.
- ⦁ Better security: Native apps are less vulnerable to security breaches than hybrid apps since they are developed using platform-specific languages and tools.
- ⦁ Offline functionality: Native apps can work offline and store data locally, making them more reliable than web apps.
Disadvantages
AR relies on several technologies, including hardware and software. Visual input is the most common AR modality, so here's how it works:
- ⦁ Higher development costs: Native apps require more development time and specialized developers, making them more expensive to develop than hybrid apps.
- ⦁ Longer development time: Native apps require more development time than hybrid apps since they need to be developed separately for each platform.
- ⦁ Compatibility issues: Native apps may not work well on all devices and platforms, especially if they rely on device-specific features.
- ⦁ Longer app store approval process: Native apps need to go through a longer app store approval process than web or hybrid apps.
- ⦁ Maintenance costs: Native apps require frequent updates and maintenance to keep up with changes in the platform and device, making them more expensive to maintain than web or hybrid apps. Some of the popular native apps include Instagram (iOS and Android), Twitter (iOS and Android), Snapchat (iOS and Android) and Uber (iOS and Android)
Hybrid Apps
Hybrid apps, on the other hand, are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They are essentially web apps that are wrapped in a native container, allowing them to be installed and run on a mobile device like a native app.
Advantages
- ⦁ Cross-platform compatibility Hybrid apps can be deployed to multiple platforms with a single codebase, making them more cost-effective and efficient than native apps.
- ⦁ Easier development: Hybrid apps are developed using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are more widely known and easier to learn than platform-specific languages like Swift or Java.
- ⦁ Faster development: Hybrid apps can be developed more quickly than native apps since changes can be made to a single codebase.
- ⦁ Lower costs: Hybrid apps are generally less expensive to develop than native apps since they require less development time and fewer developers.
- ⦁ Access to device features: Hybrid apps can access some device features like the camera, microphone, and GPS, making them more versatile than web apps.
Disadvantages
- ⦁ Performance issues: Hybrid apps can have slower performance and less polished design than native apps.
- ⦁ Limited access to device features: Hybrid apps may have limited access to some device features, depending on the capabilities of the web technologies used.
- ⦁ Security concerns: Hybrid apps may be more vulnerable to security breaches than native apps.
- ⦁ Compatibility issues: Hybrid apps may not work well on all devices and platforms, especially if they rely on device-specific features.
- ⦁ User experience issues: Hybrid apps may have a less polished user experience than native apps, especially if they are not optimized for the particular platform and device.
Which Approach is to Choose?
To build a native or hybrid app depends on a number of factors, including your budget, timeline, and the features you need to include in your app. On the basis of the advantages and disadvantages mentioned above in our post one can decide as per the requirement. Moreover, if you need a fast and responsive app with the both hardware and software capabilities of the platform, and you have the budget and time to build separate apps for each platform, then native is the way to go. On the other hand, if you need to develop your app quickly and at a lower cost, and you can sacrifice some performance and access to certain device features, then hybrid may be the better option for you. Ultimately, the decision of whether to build a native or hybrid app depends on your specific needs and goals. It's important to consider all of the factors involved and choose the option that best fits your project.
The Future of Augmented Reality
In a nutshell, one of the prominent advantages of hybrid apps is that they can be developed more quickly and at a lower cost than native apps. As they are built using web technologies, same codebase for both iOS and Android, saving time and money. Hybrid apps also have the advantage of being able to access device features such as the camera and GPS which is done by the usage of plugins that allow the app to communicate with the device's hardware. However, hybrid apps can be less responsive because they are essentially web apps running in a native container, they don't have access to the full range of hardware and software capabilities that native apps do.