Choose Your Mobile Development Path

We know consumers spend more time on their apps than on the mobile web. This is borne out by the statistic that says users on an average spend 72 minutes per day on mobile web while they spend 94 minutes a day on apps. The question confronting you the user, is, both hold intrinsic value, but which is the right development path for you? Let us now compare the three mobile development paths, mobile web, hybrid native, and pure native on each attribute one by one.

1. Affordability and Availability of developers

For a mobile web browser, there are millions of web developers out there. As for hybrid native apps, it is easy for web developers to build them.

2. Distribution (App store)

Hybrid native apps can be distributed through app stores but updated independently. Pure native apps, on the other hand, are only updated through app stores.

3. Native device API access

This of course, wouldn’t apply to web browsers. For a native container, camera, location, services, etc. are rendered using JavaScript APIs. This also includes writing native plugins to extend to other capabilities. Pure native apps can access all the device functionality using the native programming language.

4. Cross-platform capability

This is where a browser-based app scores. It will always give you the greatest portability. Native apps save time and money. You write your code once and deploy it across platforms.

5. Monetization

Browser-based apps lose out here. Hybrid native apps, in addition to advertising, allow paid downloads and in-app purchasing. For pure native apps, in-app purchases have already outpaced paid downloads.

Now, let’s look at the advantages and downsides of each of these

Mobile Web

è Low development and complexity

è Search engine discoverable

è Leverages existing web tools and workflows

D  No access to device capabilities or app store distribution

D  No push messaging

  

Hybrid Native

è Low development cost and complexity

è Access to many device capabilities and app store distribution

è Leverage existing web tools and workflows, push messaging support

è Excellent for content-centric apps

D  No access to advanced APIs like OpenGL or multi-threading

Pure Native

è Complete access to device capabilities and app store distribution

è Create graphics-intensive apps like 3D games

è Push messaging support

D  Most time-consuming and expensive

The Amazing Journey of Android

The Android egg hatched on October 22nd, 2008. Initially, many features that we couldn’t live without today were missing- an on-screen keyboard, multi-touch capability, and paid apps for instance- but the foundation was in place. This article looks at the evolution of Android app development and its improvements over the years from Cupcake to Kitkat.

Android 1.5 Cupcake

Android 1.5 Cupcake featured video recording and upload to Youtube, APIs for creating home screen widgets, support for an on-screen soft keyboard and Android virtual devices (AVDs).

Android 1.6 Donut

Android 1.6 Donut bought new user features: Quick search box, new interface for camera and galleries, battery usage indicator and Google Play updates. Text-to-speech engine was introduced along with expanded support for screen densities and resolutions.

Android 2.0/2.1 Eclairs

The new features in Eclairs were multiple accounts that could be added to a device for email and contact synchronization, including Exchange accounts. Search functionality for all saved SMS and MMS messages. Other upgrades included Android virtual keyboard, refreshed UI with actionable browse and calendar updates.

Android 2.2 Froyo

The main feature of Android 2.2 Froyo was the just-in-time compiler which boosted the speed of the applications over three times. Other features include automatic app updates for both application developers and users, FM Radio and OpenGL improvements.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Support for Gyroscope, rotation vector, linear acceleration, gravity, and barometer sensors were the major additions in this update for gaming applications. New UI and keyboard interface was introduced. Other features included near-field communications, front-faced camera support, app manager, copy & paste, better audio for apps, and extra large screen support.

Android 3.0 Honeycomb

New UI designed from the ground-up for tablets. System bar for global status and notifications was introduced. Customizable home screens with recent apps, for easy visual multi-tasking interface was introduced. Improved text selection, with copy and paste with new updates for standard phone apps.

Android 4.0 Icecream Sandwich

Icecream Sandwich was the step into the next gen for Android. It had a much refined and evolved UI, Home screen folders and favourites tray, resizable widgets, New lock screen actions, quick responses for incoming calls, Swipe to dismiss notifications, tasks, and browser tabs.

Android 4.1 Jellybean

Gesture mode for blind, transfer over Android beam, and text traversal in accessibility were some of the feature updates in Jellybean. More improvements were in store for browser, calendar, camera and gallery. Faster, smoother, more responsive with refined UI was another feature.

Android 4.4 Kitkat


4.4 was in a league of its own with its Cloud system, lightweight RAM, Pallet colour, remarkable CPU management, good multi cores and screen orientation. It also came in for much praise for reducing battery consumption.

Mobile App Vs Responsive Design

At a time when mobile apps have begun to take the lead over other forms of engagement, we pause to ask the critical question. Do native mobile apps really score over responsive ones? Choosing one of the two depends on what your requirements are and which market you are targeting. To pick one from the two, we believe you should ask yourself the following questions first.

1. Will your native mobile app take advantage of Smartphone functionality?

Do you need to use the GPS, camera, scan feature, or other phone functions? If you intend to provide unique content or functionality not available on the mobile web, then an app is likely the way to go. First round: Advantage mobile app.


2. Is Personalization Important?

One of the great features in a mobile app is the ability to craft personalized experiences for the device with fewer limitations. As a native mobile app is always tied directly to a user’s device, it creates more opportunities to target user experience.

3. Do you have a complex design and UI?

At a certain level of complexity, HTML5 (responsive web) may not help you meet your goals. While HTML5 can indeed deliver customized user experiences, it is native apps that tend to provide the most tailored UX.

4. Do you have a limited budget?

Generally speaking, responsive design is less costly since it’s quicker to develop and deploy than native applications and typically requires fewer dedicated ideas to bring an idea to the market. It only needs one code base to ensure it works across all devices. So here, it’s advantage responsive design.

5. Are you trying to monetize content and encourage purchasing?

If you have a product that has potential for ongoing micro-purchases, then a native application is preferable. A shopping cart on your website can help, but the in-app purchasing system is so simple and is tied into all the rest of a user’s purchases on the platform.

6. Is SEO an important consideration?

If part of your strategy is to increase visibility among search engines and drive traffic to your site, then stick to responsive mobile. Since apps are closed environments, they can’t be crawled by search engines and won’t impact your organic search ranking. Responsive design scores here.

7. Do you plan to make frequent updates?


Native applications could make frequent updates rather difficult. First, application updates need to go through the same lengthy approval process in the App store. If you expect to have frequent design updates, a responsive design may be the best and simplest way to ensure your users access the most recent version.

How Mobile is changing the Way we Shop?

Shopping has evolved dramatically over the past few years. It used to involve newspaper ads, clipping coupons and driving from store to store to compare deals. Now social media and mobile innovations allow shoppers to post photos of their purchases, ask their friends for recommendations, read reviews for their phone and compare prices without ever leaving the store aisle. We look at how retailers can use mobile to improve consumers’ overall shopping experience.

Social media is increasingly influencing shopping habits with 3 out of 4 customers admitting to having used FaceBook to choose a shopping destination or restaurant. A majority of customers also hold online conversations with brands to seek a better experience in the future. So, how do businesses use mobile to provide that extra value to the consumer?

1. Store-Specific Apps

Retailers with their own apps can follow shoppers to create lists, find relevant coupons and deals, and even load these deals directly onto loyalty cards. Some businesses have taken doesn't even further by allowing users to start shopping on one device and pick it up later from another.

2. Help Shoppers Find Items

Some apps offer in-store location features that can help customers find a specific product without flagging down a salesperson. This is very useful as users like to be guided to the product without third-party intervention.

3. Compare/Contrast

When it comes to making a purchase decision, shoppers are always looking for easier ways to read reviews check prices and compare multiple products. For example, Best Buy puts QR codes on all of their products to help with this, allowing customers to simply scan the codes for additional product info and compare up to 4 Best Buy products at a time.

4. Ease the Checkout Process

While in-store mobile payments are still in their infancy, the appeal of speeding up the checkout process is undeniable.  Sloppy checkout processes are foremost among the reasons for customer frustration and easing it would go a long way in ensuring satisfaction.

5. Remind Them to Come Back

Every store wants repeat business and an app is the perfect way to get customers back. Apps can send alerts about new items, notify customers when their prescriptions need to be refilled, or promote limited-time sales.

6. Give Them the Whole Picture


Retailers can use apps to ensure a positive brand experience even after customers leave the store. Offering ‘how-to’ videos and suggestions based on customers’ past purchases would be a good idea.  For example, a customer who just bought an iPod might be interested in a speaker. 

The Growth Of HTML5 – What Lies Beneath?

The growing momentum of HTML5 with mobile developers and the rapid growth of HTML5 enabled mobile browsers and support across the industry (good examples being CoreMob and Ringmark) have immensely helped the growth of HTML5. It is predicted that 80% of all mobile apps will use HTML5 by 2015. With thousands of web HTML developers wanting to go mobile, HTML5 is expected to play a very important role in the efforts of mobile developers to scale to the next level of performance.

What HTML5 offers Developers?

Developers can now directly influence the direction that mobile web is taking and the capabilities of browsers. By coding with HTML5, developers can work more efficiently, hand projects off more easily and reach a broader range of platforms including the rapidly growing mobile segment.

Being non-native and built into browsers is another added advantage since it makes HTML5 more adaptable. This also does away with the need to incorporate third party plugins as they have been included in the build itself.

With HTML5, the developer is faster and more responsive, with only one team and one code base whereas the same work would take at least 3 more teams consuming more resources and more time in the process.

CoreMob

The goal of the core mobile web platform community group is to accelerate the adoption of the mobile web as a compelling platform for the development of modern mobile web applications. CoreMob defines feature sets for each mobile browser level. CoreMob includes W3C, FaceBook, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Opera, Samsung, Netflix, Verizon, Vodafone, AT&T, ZTE and SONY.

Ringmark


Ringmark is a web based test suite that measures how well a mobile browser supports the capabilities that modern mobile web apps require. Ringmark tests are based on FaceBook’s best understanding of latest mobile browser feature levels. As Coremob’s recommendations solidify, these will be reflected in Ringmarks’s testing suite.

Native Apps Vs Mobile Web

As the world becomes more and more mobile-friendly, businesses have begun to recognize the benefits of developing apps and mobile-friendly website for their customers. But there are a lot of issues that a business must consider when it decides on delivering its website to the mobile user. It may look like a majority of businesses now are opting for native apps, but you must decide if that is the right decision for your business.  

In this article, we look at the pros and consider of adopting a native and a mobile app.

First of all, native apps are apps downloaded for mobile devices with a specific platform and mind. They can be downloaded and installed directly onto devices from the App Store and Google’s Play.

Advantages of Native apps:

·         Much more popular with consumers.

·         Better User experience than any other mobile optimization solution.

·         It works with all Smartphone tools like cameras and GPS.

·         Included in app stores which make it easier for users to discover the app whether they were seeking it or not.

·         They do not require an internet connection to operate and the app stays on the mobile devices once installed.

·         It is generally faster than using mobile web.

Disadvantages

·         It takes more time and is more expensive to develop than web apps.

·         Requires app store review and approval along with every update.

·         It is open Source-specific, and cannot reuse code from one device to another.

·         Needs additional marketing strategy since it faces high competition from other apps.

·         Takes longer to download and install and requires lots of memory and storage on the device.

·         On the other hand, mobile web apps are less expensive to develop, and require lesser time as well.

So, to decide between native apps and mobile web, you should ask yourself the following questions:

1.       How important is speed and performance?

2.       Do you want to include any device-specific features?

3.       Is an internet connection required?

4.       Will you need to support multiple mobile platforms and devices? If yes, how many?

5.       What’s your budget and timeline?

5 Best Mobile Payment Options

Not very long ago, you could walk into a store and expect to pay at the cash counter. But now, at most stores, you only need to find a salesperson nearby with a Smartphone and a card reader — or simply pay through your Smartphone app.

Technology has made it easier than ever to integrate mobile payments into a business. From standalone card-readers to application programming interfaces (APIs), mobile payments have come a long way.
In this article, we look at 5 most prominent mobile payment modules available in the market today.

PayPal

This legacy payment-processing company has been revamping its APIs and software-development kits (SDKs). Last year, it announced it had incorporated the technology to scan credit card information with a phone camera. PayPal has got its payment system integrated with Uber, so Uber customers can now pay through their PayPal accounts.

Braintree

If that’s not good enough, companies can try Braintree, which targets the developer market. It uses a simple API that is accessible through Python, PHP, and Node.js. Hip services such as Airbnb depend on Braintree to accept payments within their own apps. With one-touch payment option available for consumers thanks to the Venmo acquisition, Braintree could be a good choice.

Stripe

Stripe is one to watch out for in the near future. Stripe claims thousands of mobile apps use Stripe’s native 
mobile libraries to add payment components. Stripe works with 130 currencies and raised $80 million in January last year.

PaySimple

This is one for small or medium-sized business. PaySimple supports credit card processing with a free card reader that plugs into iOS devices. Credit card transactions come at a charge of 29 cents and a 2.39 percent fee (slightly lower than PayPal).

Forte Payment Systems


Companies needn’t pay anything to use Forte’s developer program. The company’s future prospects look exciting with new APIs on the anvil. The company charges $99 for its card-reading device iDynamo into which you can slide your iPhone. And the fact that the company has never sought venture capital means it should stay true to its vision, without going back on investors’ demands.