Native Apps: What are Native Apps & Their Different Advantages

 

Native App

When businesses decide to invest in mobile app development, they are bombarded with terms they may have never heard before. One of the more popular terms they will pick up is—Native app. But what is it? And will it be the right choice for your business? Read on to find out.

What is a Native app?

A Native app is developed for a specific mobile operating system and is installed directly onto the device. Native apps can be accessed via icons on the device’s home screen. Since native apps are developed for the specific platform, they can benefit from access to device features such as the GPS, camera, compass, contact list, and so on. Simply put, native apps are built according to the guidelines of the mobile device’s operating system.

Native apps are usually able to work very fast as they harness the power of the device processor. Native apps, in some smartphones, can control the device as well as incorporate standard operating-system gestures or app-defined gestures. Moreover, native apps have access to the mobile device’s notification system.

Native app languages

Native apps are written in the language that the mobile operating system will accept. In the case of the iOS platform, Native apps are written in Objective-C or Swift. For Android, Native apps are written in Java or Kotlin, and for Windows, the language is usually C#.

Native app advantages

1. Native app performance

App performance is crucial for a pleasant user experience. By its very design, Native apps are faster and reliable than other app types. The structure, contents, and visual elements of Native apps are already available on the mobile device, this makes for a smooth experience as everything is instantly loaded. Think of Native apps this way, it is like downloading a website’s content to your phone in one go and then being able to access that content instantly regardless of your phone’s connectivity. So when it comes to performance, few can deny that Native apps are able to provide superior and high-quality performance.

2. Native app user experience

Many experts consider user experience to be the key to an app’s success. For many users, a negative user experience will prevent them from using the app again in a hurry or they may switch to a competitor’s app. Users expect a great experience using an app. Users often prefer that the app’s visual cues, interactions, and controls should be seamlessly integrated with the device platform. This is where Native apps are at an advantage. Native apps are created using the mobile device’s operating system in mind and using the guidelines in them, so native apps can provide a smooth, integrated user experience.

3. Native app security is better

Security is a necessity when it comes to apps and smartphones. A single security breach could leave unprecedented amounts of data vulnerable and accessible to hackers. With Native apps, everything is coded into the app’s infrastructure, as well as being encrypted. A Native app can have an embedded certificate. Native apps are developed using the official API, which is tested extensively. Native apps have longer update release cycles, so it is expected that the updates will have more secure, reliable, and well-tested software.

4. Speed

Native apps are well-known to have the best speed among all app types. Since Native apps are written in the language best supported by the platform, they run faster and more seamlessly than other apps.

5. Stability

It is unlikely that Google and Apple will drop support from their flagship products, Android and iOS, respectively. So Native apps redeveloped on these operating systems will be fully supported by these tech giants. This entails that Native apps will benefit from the stability of development and maintenance.

6. Interactivity and intuitiveness

As Native apps are built to be integrated into the mobile device’s operating system, they enhance the user experience by increasing the interactivity of the app. The app is much more intuitive as well because it works seamlessly with the specific platform’s UI standards.

7. Offline connectivity

Native apps can be accessed at any time and users can use them even when their device is offline. The app will usually show the previously loaded data.

Native app disadvantages

1. Different codebase

A Native app is developed for a specific mobile device platform, so the codebase they create for the app cannot be shared. An Android Native app will not work on an iOS device and vice versa. So developers have to create different codebases for every platform.

2. Development cost and time

Native apps take more time to develop as the app is built to be compatible with multiple operating systems. This entails a higher development cost as well. The need for different codebases may mean the need for different development teams as well. Since the app has a different codebase for different platforms, maintenance costs also increase. Overall, it takes much longer to develop a Native app.

The Bottom Line

There are many advantages to Native apps. And while the initial development costs may be high, Native apps help businesses save money in the long term by offering a great user experience and high-quality performance.

Sources:

●        https://www.app-press.com/blog/web-app-vs-native-app

●        https://www.mobiloud.com/blog/native-web-or-hybrid-apps#5

●        https://www.nngroup.com/articles/mobile-native-apps/

●        https://www.technocrat.com.au/blog/comparison-native-apps-vs-web-apps

●        https://clearbridgemobile.com/benefits-of-native-mobile-app-development/

●        https://uxplanet.org/native-vs-hybrid-mobile-apps-heres-how-to-choose-192ecbf04da8

●        https://www.netguru.com/blog/why-native-app-development 

Low Coding: Features & Benefits of Low Code Platforms

 

What is Low Coding?

Imagine being able to develop an application software without writing reams of any coding language. Once upon a time, this would have been impossible. Today, it is. And it is called low-coding. Read on to find out more about low coding.

What is low coding?

Low code is an approach to software development that entails the use of very little or no code to build processes and applications. To do this, a low code platform utilizes visual interfaces along with drag-and-drop features and simple logic. These tools are intuitive and require practically zero knowledge of coding or software development.

A low code platform allows both professional developers and non-professional developers, also called ‘citizen developers’ to create apps. The apps created on a low code platform have differing levels of complexity to meet the requirements of businesses for the automation of processes, business development, and the acceleration of digital transformation.

What are the features of low code platforms?

1. Visual modelling tools

Fuelled by visual modelling tools, low code platforms have built-in modules that reflect details in ways that both professional developers and non-technical users can understand.

2. Drag-and-drop interface

One of the most important and useful features of a low code platform is the drag-and-drop interface. It allows for a quick and easy app development process.

3. Out-of-the box (OOTB) functionality

Most major low code systems offer out-of-the-box functionality that negates the need for the building of key components from scratch. Some modern low code platforms include modules for sales processes management or service management, and so on.

4. Reusability

A key aspect of low code platforms is the use of pre-configured app components and functionality. These components contain common essential functions required for several apps. So these can be easily reused to develop other solutions more quickly.

5. Scalability

A significant feature of low code platforms is scalability of these platforms. The apps created using low code platforms should allow businesses to increase the number of users as the business expands. When the number of users of an application is huge, providing access to them on the basis of job roles can prove to be a tricky and difficult task. Low code platforms make this task easy. It allows developers to control what end users do at all levels. It allows users to be designated as end-users, specialist users, or administrators, and so on, as well as assigns roles and permissions to them based on their role or position in the organisation. Low code platforms enable IT teams to scale and react to urgent business requirements quickly and in real-time.

6. Security

It is imperative for businesses to build their applications on platforms that are secure with features that make the apps safer. Even if an app is extremely user-friendly with attractive aesthetics and supreme functionality, none of it will matter if the app is unsafe and unreliable. Platforms should have the required security framework certifications in place. This is where low code platforms have an advantage. They come with built-in security features which make them a safe and reliable solution for the internal processes in industries dealing with sensitive data such as healthcare and financial services.

7. Multi-device deployment

When building an app, making it multi-channel and multi-device compatible, is a boon for both users and developers. With a low code platform, developers have to create an app just once, which will then be accessible on any device and operating system. This is another significant advantage of using a low code platform to build software applications.

Benefits of using low code platforms

1. Create a purpose-built solution

Often, businesses employ the use of off-the-shelf solutions intended for mass-market use. These solutions may come with many features that are unnecessary and that fail to meet the exact requirements of a business. With a low code platform, businesses can create custom apps that meet the requirements of a business.

2. Simplified and well-organised operations

Low code platforms allow businesses to consolidate their data in an online database that then serves as a foundation for different apps to automate, organise, and simplify data management. For example, to analyse the sales of a business, rather than opening excel sheets, users can build dashboards that show attractive graphs based on current data.

3. Quicker launching of apps

Today, the success of businesses depends a lot on being quick in meeting user or customer demands. Low code platforms have a ‘test and learn’ approach where the developers can easily test and quickly launch the apps. Developers can then continue to improve the apps as needed. This results in the quick launching of apps as well as continuous innovation.

4. Reduced backlogs

For IT teams, low code is a boon as the apps can be created by business professionals on low code platforms, leaving the IT team to concentrate on work that only they can complete. This results in a reduced backlog of work for the IT department of businesses.

5. Lower costs

Low coding lessens the need for specialised IT talent to build apps. Rather it allows businesses to utilise existing resources that may not be a part of the IT department at all to build their apps. This results in lowered overhead costs.

6. Monitoring and analysis

Apps that are built using a low code platform can monitor and analyse processes and workflows to gauge their effectiveness. Moreover, they can also monitor and analyse the effectiveness and performance of other apps.

The bottom line

Developing solutions using low code platforms can be a game-changer for businesses. It allows businesses to streamline business processes, accelerate app development, and scale exponentially to achieve business targets and requirements. Low code allows businesses to expedite their digital transformation at digital speed.

Sources:

1. https://www.mendix.com/low-code-guide/
2. https://www.creatio.com/page/low-code
3. https://kissflow.com/low-code/low-code-overview/
4. https://www.caspio.com/platform-overview/low-code/
5. https://www.zoho.com/blog/creator/everything-you-need-to-know-about-low-code-development-platforms.html