A mobile app, also known as a mobile application or just an app, is an internet software or program designed to run on an electronic device like a smart phone, pocket PC or a wireless mobile phone. In simple terms, an app is software that can be downloaded to the user’s phone to perform certain tasks. For instance, there are paid mobile apps that let you play games and use applications for free. There are also free apps that only provide access to certain services or information. But what are the different types of mobile apps?
There are three basic categories of mobile apps. These are web-based, native and hybrid. Web-based mobile apps are those that run directly on the user’s browser. Although these have many advantages, they are quite slow and some web browsers do not support all the features. A good example of a web-based mobile app is the Safari.
Native mobile apps are those that are designed with the hardware of a specific mobile device in mind. They are often based on the operating system of the device and are much faster than their web-based counterparts. Examples of native mobile apps are: Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry.
Hybrid mobile apps are made by third parties using technologies that work well on various mobile devices. Examples of these technologies are Java, Cocoa, and JavaScript/Flash. This type of mobile app development is useful for companies who want to develop multiple applications at once because they can easily update the different devices within the company without having to spend time learning how to make mobile applications for every different device.
Web-based mobile apps are not mobile applications themselves but rather programs that are hosted on a web server and can be accessed through mobile devices. Examples of popular web-based apps include: WordPress, Blogger, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress Express, Type Pad, Safari Books, calculator, Microsoft Office, calculator and more. These types of web-based mobile apps are best suited to businesses that provide services on their mobile devices or via a mobile website. Businesses will have more opportunities to target clients if they can efficiently market their products and services on the go. Other advantages of web-based mobile apps include ease of use and portability.
The third most popular types of mobile applications are those that are based on multimedia. Examples of popular types of multimedia apps include: Android Market, Flipboard, Viber, Tango, iBooks, BlackBerry’s BBM, and more. Popular mobile applications such as Android Market help users search and check the latest apps and games available on the market. Tango, on the other hand, allows users to play augmented reality games using only a mobile phone or tablet. Entertainment apps such as iBooks and Flipboard are useful for business owners who want to make customers’ lives easier.
Web-based apps and mobile apps have made it easier for users to access important information from anywhere they are. Since they run independently of mobile devices, web apps are often much more flexible, feature-rich, and well supported than native apps. This means that web apps are usually faster, easier to use, and more reliable than native apps on certain types of mobile devices.
Although there are several differences between web and native apps, there are also some key similarities. Both types of apps can make it easier for users to access the information they need, no matter where they’re going. Both types of apps can save users a lot of time, energy, and money, especially if the user has a mobile operating system support that works with the device. And both types of apps can increase productivity, especially on the go. In short, consumers can get more value for their money when they purchase mobile apps and use web-based apps instead of using native apps on certain mobile devices.