Pascoes will develop an app in whichever option that best suits your purpose - native, web, or hybrid app. When developing a mobile platform we consider a number of questions to ensure you're getting the perfect fit for your idea. Do you want to be in the app stores? Do you need to access device specific features, like camera roll? Will it be used multiple times a day? Are you focused on content or want to make a task easier?

Native apps are developed to run on individual devices, which are downloaded from the appropriate app store, such as the Apple App Store for Apple products, the Google Play store for Android devices, and the Windows App Store for Windows devices. Each mobile app development platform has its own “native” programming language that is device specific, for example Java (for Android), Objective-C (for iOS) or Visual C++ (for Windows Mobile).

App customers have to download apps onto their different devices and have them installed, which allows you more control or profit potential. This means that your native app needs to be developed separately for each app marketplace, and approved by each store before being included. Unfortunately, the app approval can be a lengthy and detailed process. We can help walk you through this process, or guide you as to what your best approach may be depending on the outcome you seek.

Native apps can interface with a device’s native features, information and hardware (such as the camera or accelerometer functions). However, you are also restricted as the user has to install version updates for them to be accessible, which can’t be controlled. Hence, different users may be running different versions, causing things to be out of sync.

Web based apps are run from the internet browser of any device. Usually developed in HTML5, web apps are responsive websites that can work the same as other kinds of apps across any device.

This means the one site works for every device and is accessible via their URL. This saves time if you’ve got constraints or target deadlines, as it doesn’t need to be approved prior to launch. However, this option is harder to profit from (aside from internal advertising, e-commerce capacities or subscription fees) as the app doesn’t need to be downloaded from a store.

Budget may see this option chosen over native apps, because it doesn’t require the costly development of various app versions. The performance of web apps also depends on their user’s access to the internet – native apps can often perform faster than web apps.

Apple store approval processes also give users quality and safety assurance. Those users, who are more data conscious, may prefer using web apps, though, as they are more easily trialled. Likewise, you don’t have the comparative aspects and promotion of a store, where users are able to contrast different apps to best suit their needs. In this quite competitive environment, you need to find ways to promote your web app to receive the same profile as you obtain through an app store.

Hybrid apps (like native apps) run across all devices. Written with web technologies (HTML5, CSS and JavaScript), hybrid apps run in a native container, using a device’s browser engine (but not the browser itself) to render HTML and process JavaScript locally. A web-to-native abstraction layer gives access to device capabilities not accessible in web apps, like push notifications, to run tasks in the background, and have access to phone data.

Hybrid applications combine elements of both native apps and web apps. For hybrid mobile apps, the code for primary user interaction is the same on all platforms and simple changes are made only in that one code.

Consequently, hybrid allows you to get the benefit of the initial cash influx from the sale of an app. It also allows you to control updates more easily to ensure all users get the same experience. Hybrids also allow access to a limited amount of the device’s native features or user details, like orientation or media.

If the app is designed like a web page, then a hybrid approach works best. However, if apps are graphic heavy, like a video game (with rendering or fastest execution required), it may need an intricate native code instead.

The UX (User Experience) is how the app feels to use, the UI (User Interface) is how the product is laid out. Both of these must be taken into consideration when designing apps. An app must be easy to use and steps should flow on logically. At the same time the user should enjoy the overall function of your app.

Our design and development team will ensure not only that the vision for your app is achieved but that you also have a product that your customers find easy and enjoyable to use.