In 1993, when IBM launched the world’s first mobile app with SIMON (a touchscreen smartphone), no one had imagined that mobile apps would acquire the shape of what we see today in the 21st century. Source
The journey of mobile app development has gone through a massive transformation since its inception. However, with the rise of native and cross-platform development, the entire mobile app landscape seems changing now.
Initially, most apps were launched separately for each mobile OS platform. It means, if you were to launch your app for Android, iPhone, Blackberry, or Windows, then for each platform you have to develop a separate native app. But in the present scenario, merely writing a single code, you can launch the same app for all platforms.
However, native apps still haven’t lost their prominence despite the rapid growth in cross-platform development. From developers to businesses, every user group is leveraging the advantages of both native as well as cross-platform apps.
But again the question arises, why is mobile app development evolving and taking a new shape: shifting from native to cross-platform development?
In this post, we have tried to uncover the reasons by analyzing the evolution of mobile app development, especially focusing on native to cross-platform.
Understanding The Era of Native Apps: The Early Days of Mobile Apps
The inception of mobile apps came during the 90s. However, in this age, mobile apps were not powerful with features. But later in the 2000s, in the early days of smartphones, native apps reigned supreme. Only the top mobile app development company in USA would hold proven expertise in building such apps. These apps were built specifically for a particular operating system, like iOS for iPhones or Android for various phone brands. It focused on a single platform allowing users to enjoy mobile experience in several ways:
1. Unmatched Speed and User Experience
Native apps felt smooth and responsive. Because they were coded in the language the operating system understood best, they didn’t require any translation or interpretation. It resulted in faster loading times and a seamless user experience that felt like an extension of the phone itself.
2. Unlocking the Power of Your Device
These apps could directly access the features and hardware built into your phone. They could use the camera for photos and videos, the GPS for location-based services, or the microphone for voice commands. So, this deep integration made them powerful tools for tasks that web apps simply couldn’t handle.
3. Custom App Development
Native mobile apps adhered to the design guidelines of their respective platforms. Android and iOS, both leading platforms, set their specific UI/UX and development guidelines for launching mobile apps. It means they looked and felt familiar to users, with intuitive menus and gestures that matched what they were already accustomed to. As a result, such consistency and clarification about mobile app development made them easy for developers to learn and use.
The Flip Side of the Coin: Limitations of Native Apps
While native apps offered a powerful start to the mobile revolution, they came with inherent limitations that gave birth to the development of alternative solutions. Here’s a closer look at the challenges that arose:
The Time and Cost Dilemma
Building separate apps for different platforms meant double (or even triple) the development effort. Each platform had its own programming languages, tools, and complexities. It required dedicated custom mobile app development teams or developers skilled in multiple languages. So, it led to significantly higher development costs and longer timelines compared to a single, unified codebase.
The Maintenance Maze
Keeping multiple native apps up-to-date with bug fixes, new features, and security patches became a complex and resource-intensive task. Each platform update whether it is Android or iOS might require changes to the app code, which contributed to a constant game of catch-up for developers. Besides this, during ongoing maintenance the burden sometimes strains resources and slows down the innovation process.
Limited Reach, Restricted Audience
Targeting specific platforms meant potentially missing out on a large portion of the mobile user base. If you developed an app only for iOS, you wouldn’t reach Android users, and vice versa. This limited the potential reach and user base for your app, especially if you aimed for a global audience.
The Rise of Cross-Platform Solutions: Reaching a Wider World
As the limitations of native app development became evident, a new wave of solutions emerged: cross-platform development frameworks. These frameworks aimed to bridge the gap between performance and reach by allowing developers to create apps that could run on multiple platforms with a single codebase. As a result, cross-platform app development started expanding its legs in the mobile app development industry due to its several key benefits:
1. Faster Development Cycle
Cross-platform frameworks enabled mobile app developers to write a significant portion of the code once and then reuse it across different platforms. It eliminated the need to build separate codebases from scratch, which significantly speed up the development process. Developers could focus on core functionalities and user experience rather than rewriting code for each platform.
2. Reaching a Broader Audience
By targeting multiple platforms with a single codebase, cross-platform development allowed apps to reach a wider user base. Businesses could avoid the limitations of native app distribution and expand their market reach without additional development efforts for each platform. So, this development approach opened doors to a global audience, regardless of the mobile operating system they used.
3. Reduced Development Costs
The code reusability facilitated by cross-platform frameworks led to a reduction in app development costs. Mobile app development companies no longer need to invest in Hire dedicated app developers or resources for each platform. As a result, app development became more accessible and cost-effective, particularly for startups and small businesses.
Choosing between Native and cross-platform development approach
So, seeing all the sides of native and cross-platforms, it seems evident cross-platform apps take an edge over native apps. However, this doesn’t mean native apps fall behind in terms of advantages. Here is the comparison table that gives a clear idea of choosing between native and cross-platform development approaches.
| Factors | Native Apps | Cross-Platform Apps |
| Development Language | Platform-specific (e.g., Swift, Java/Kotlin) | Generally one language (e.g., JavaScript, Dart) |
| Performance | Optimized for specific platform | May have performance overhead due to abstraction |
| User Experience | Native look and feel, seamless integration | Can achieve native-like experience with frameworks |
| Access to Device Features | Full access to device features | Access to most device features, some limitations |
| Development Time | Longer development time | Shorter development time with code reusability |
| Maintenance | Requires separate maintenance for each platform | Single codebase for multiple platforms, easier maintenance |
| Market Reach | Limited to specific platform | Widened market reach with support for multiple platforms |
| Cost | Higher development cost | Lower development cost due to shared codebase |
| Community Support | Strong platform-specific developer communities | Growing community support for cross-platform frameworks |
| Learning Curve | Platform-specific skills required | Learning curve depends on chosen framework |
Final Thoughts: What is the future?
The future of mobile app development is likely to be an exciting blend of these emerging trends. We can expect a more dynamic app development landscape where developers can choose the most suitable approach based on project requirements, with a constant push for improved performance, wider reach, and a user-centric focus. The ultimate goal? To create mobile applications that seamlessly integrate into consumer’s lives and empower them to do more with evolving needs.
Also check – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence In Mobile App Development
