Web vs Native apps in 2013 and beyond

The debate will continue for years. Both have their roles. I prefer the Web on all devices. So for me, my favorite all-time apps is the Web browser. 

Native apps vs Web apps depends upon the the website, the company, internal programming talent, user-base, maintenance costs, etc. It's silly to promote only one type over the other for all situations, but I think the Web is the better choice if limited to one type.

October 2013 - Medium.com - "Native Mobile Apps are the New Flash":https://medium.com/design-ux/1fc0e57907b5 - _A great stopgap measure while the web caught up_

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The vast majority of web apps no longer need a native counterpart.

Native mobile apps are a temporary solution. We’re just over 4 years into the Appstore era and this has already become apparent. Open web technologies are catching up to the point that the vast majority of web apps no longer need a native counterpart.

Don’t try to tell me native apps are faster or allude to them having a “better experience.” That simply is no longer true. "Sencha":http://blog.programmableweb.com/2012/12/20/sencha-remakes-facebook-html5-app-using-api/ proved this last year. For a more detailed look just how far mobile web capabilities have come, see Benjamin De Cock’s excellent "Building iOS Web Apps in 2013.":http://notes.deaxon.com/building-ios-web-apps-in-2013/

As it stands now, there is little reason most mobile apps to exist. Content-based sites do not need downloadable apps. I’m talking about NYTimes, WSJ, Wikipedia, Buzzfeed, TMZ, etc. These native apps add literally nothing of value to their web-based user experience. Even many more complex apps do not need native functionality. Many RSS readers, GTD apps, eCommerce apps and search apps add little more than a homescreen button.

As "Thomas Baekdal points out,":http://www.baekdal.com/opinion/unique-features-in-ipad-apps-is-like-the-web-in-2004/ mobile apps are stuck in 2004. Much of the functionality that has become standard on the web — automatic updates, social sharing, scrolling — has been completely stripped out and ignored.

*Today, there are only two pieces of functionality that necessitate a native app: camera access and push notifications.*

_I originally published this on "my site":http://jim-silverman.com/blog/native-apps-are-the-new-flash/ February 15, 2013. Back then people thought I was insane._
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 #design - #mobile - #apps - #web - #html5 - #css3 - #javascript - #jquery