IOS / Android: app development, all-native or PhoneGap?

Question

In the company I'm working on, I'm part of a team that will need to focus on developing mobile applications (iOS and Android).

We strive to implement our first commercial application for both iOS and Android, and from the first meetings in which the team discusses why this is the best development approach if the native languages ​​and development environments are for targeting platforms or HTML5 via PhoneGap.

We already know about the technical differences between the two worlds, but one aspect that we are discussing about is appearance.

Also note that the only network functions the application will have are related to HTTP requests.

In fact, the application we are talking about requires a custom user interface, for example, with a specific button and list view. To be more precise, we are talking not only about colors, but also about circular buttons.

This type of canvas allows some of us to think that HTML5 / PhoneGap can be a faster and more flexible solution due to the obvious design ability you have in hand, combined with the speed of development and targeting 2 applications with 1 code base.

Can someone tell me which approach (between all-native and HTML5 / PhoneGap) might be preferable when a custom look is required?

Answer 1

In fact, I prefer to write applications in my native language, and I can tell you why. First of all, it’s not very difficult to write an application that connects to a web server and does something. I am not very familiar with PhoneGap or all kinds of software that allows you to develop mobile applications with HTML5, CSS and Javascript, but I do not think that this type of development will allow you to use all the libraries and everything that you can do with Android or Iphone . I think the best way to develop an application for Android or Iphone is to use your own tools / languages, because there is a reason why Google / Apple decides to use this type of development (Java / Objective C). But, of course, when you work in a company, you must take into account the time spent on the application and the money that will cost to create it.

Answer 2

There is no simple answer to this question, depending on who you are talking to, you will get a different answer. I am in the same position as you, where I was hired to create a custom application, we are still in the process of deciding whether to go HTML5 or Native. I have made some cool applications for testing in both HTML5 and native, and it’s hard for me to declare a true winner.

I would say that it is probably easier to make the application more customizable using HTML5, but I personally find it more enjoyable to develop and code the application initially, but this is just my opinion. I would say create a quick mock app in both HTML5 and Native, and then decide which one you prefer. This is what I did

Answer 3

I agree with Android Droid ....

It would be nice to create an application in native based on your description. In iOS, there are many libraries that can be used for development, so your application will be at its maximum. But, if you think that time and money are wasting, hmmm ...

Answer 4

In my opinion, choosing between Native and Phonegap should be a matter of requirements. If you want to kill more birds with one stone, and then go with Phonegap, especially with its recent acquisition of adobe, it has become even more reliable with companies like Linked in creating their mobile applications in HTML5. Also, most of the built-in library functions are supported on all major platforms, the only one with shadow support that I can think of is NFC, which in any case is used only by very few native developers. So there is no better approach, all approaches are good, but requirements should be a decisive factor.

Answer 5

I went through these ...

There will always be a better choice for creating your own application (Rich UI, Better Perfromance) than using a telephone plug.