In Australia, it’s estimated that a staggering 87% of the population will own a smartphone by 2026. Unsurprisingly, mobile application development has become a cornerstone of digital transformation strategies for organisations worldwide. In today’s hyper-connected landscape, mobile apps are essential digital tools that enable businesses to engage with users seamlessly, deliver personalised experiences, and unlock new revenue streams.
What is Mobile Application Development?
Mobile application development involves designing, building, and deploying software applications that run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. These apps can be tailored to the specific operating systems of iOS or Android, run as browser-based applications or operate as hybrid/cross-platform solutions. The choice of mobile development approach significantly impacts the app’s functionality, performance, and user experience.
3 Mobile App Development Approaches
Organisations can choose from three development approaches when building mobile applications: native, progressive web apps (PWAs), and hybrid/cross-platform.
Native Development
Native apps are built specifically for a single operating system using platform-specific programming languages such as Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android. These apps offer exceptional performance and access to device-specific features, ensuring a fully optimised user experience. However, if you wish to deploy your app in iOS and Android, each platform requires separate development efforts in traditional code, increasing time and cost.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
PWAs harness the capabilities of the web to deliver mobile experiences that feel like native apps without requiring installation. Built with web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, PWAs offer features like offline functionality and push notifications. They can be a good solution for businesses aiming to provide universal access while maintaining a native-like experience.
Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps combine the best of both worlds, offering cross-platform compatibility while maintaining access to device features. These apps use a single code base to run on multiple platforms. Developing once and deploying across multiple platforms delivers significant savings in development time and resources and reduces time to market.
Not all cross-platform frameworks are equal
Hybrid mobile development is not without its hurdles. Many cross-platform frameworks rely on combinations of traditional programming languages under the hood, such as Dart, JavaScript and React, C# and .NET, and HTML and CSS. Complex frameworks can introduce compatibility issues, leading to inconsistent device performance. Debugging can also be more challenging, and hybrid apps may struggle with accessing advanced device functionalities, which can compromise user experience.
Thankfully, not all cross-platform frameworks are the same. Platforms like OutSystems stand out by streamlining cross-platform development through a low-code approach. With OutSystems, IT leaders can build high-performance, scalable mobile applications faster while maintaining security, flexibility, and exceptional user experiences. Its AI-driven tools and integration capabilities help organisations overcome the common pitfalls of hybrid frameworks, empowering teams to deliver innovation without compromise.
The way forward
Mobile applications remain the most popular way for people and businesses to connect to the internet. In the year ahead, adopting the right mobile tools and development approach is crucial for businesses aiming to lead in a mobile-first world.
