Mobile Development

Native vs Cross-Platform Applications

One of the most important tasks when developing mobile applications is to choose a suitable platform. Which is better: native or cross-platform solutions? Here we’ll try to briefly describe both of them and if you need any further information, feel free to contact us.

Native apps are the apps that are specifically designed for a certain OS and smoothly operate on the devices with that OS. Such apps can easily use all the device functions (camera, microphone, accelerometer, etc.) and herewith they need fewer resources (battery, memory, etc.). Depending on their purpose, apps can require or not an Internet connection.

Cross-platform development involves the use of special utilities (frameworks) for creating JavaScript-based applications. The whole app structure and logics is created with the help of such tools in JavaScript (React Native, PhoneGap, Titanium, etc.) and then it is wrapped with the native starting element, allowing you to create the projects with the same logics for multiple operating systems at once.

Android, iOS or Something New?

The most common platforms, for which the mobile apps are developed, include Android and iOS – gadgets, running on these operating systems, are the most widely spread. The users of such devices are particularly fond of a variety of applications for entertainment, household, sport, development, or business purposes.

Development of the mobile apps for Android, for example, will give you access to a wide audience of mobile users, so you should pay a particular attention to this platform.

At the same time, development of the mobile apps for iPhone is also important, because the users of these devices are usually with incomes above the average and higher, which is a huge advantage for the business.

And Here Comes Something New

In 2015 React Native was introduced. It was nothing new at first glance, just JavaScript, with the help of which you could create “native” user interface elements both for iOS and Android. Some frameworks have already had such a feature for many years.

But that was just at first glance and all the elegance was hidden in details. Assembling of an interface with the help of “cubes” and “adaptive” design approach, borrowed from the web, made it possible to create an interesting thing. When using React, the interface is developed semantically like in the web. Instead of handling the interface elements of iOS or Android, the designer creates the interface of the logical components such as “screen”, “header”, “list”, “button”, etc.

This approach is very convenient: first, the interface is quickly made of universal blocks, and then it is finalized for each specific platform only in those places, where it is really necessary. It is remarkably similar to the adaptive web development when the “rubber” interface is made first and then, using special frameworks, it is finalized for a certain phone, tablet or some other device screen.

Creation of the cross-platform applications is one of our priority areas of activity therefore we can ensure qualitative, stable, and efficient solutions for you business. If you need a high-technology app, feel free to contact us and we will provide you with the highest-quality product, which will open new horizons for your business, significantly increase your company profits, and enhance the number of potential clients.