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PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

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Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#181

Post by andix »

layer8 wrote: post #74
andix wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I looked into alternatives (it’s been a while) there was no manufacturer that provided updates to latest Android without any delays for longer than 2 years. And manufacturers constantly broke their promise to keep delivering updates as long as possible. I usually buy 2 year old high end iPhones. So this is very relevant for me. Also from an ecological perspective, smartphones should last at least 5 years.

Smartphones are now required by the EU to provide updates for five years. Samsung even promises seven years now.

I guess only security updates are mandated. With an iPhone you always get the newest version of iOS and many/most new features, not just some patches.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#182

Post by andix »

paulddraper wrote: post #169
smallerfish wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They started this on a recent gen, maybe 7. Certainly 8.

It hasn't been 7 years yet for either the Pixel 7 or the 8, but I suppose Google never cancels things.

Exactly, there were a lot of similar promises like that before. And then the excuses started. Old phones got the promised updates months after the Android release. Sometimes even after already the next Android version was released.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#184

Post by andix »

smallerfish wrote: post #165
paulddraper wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lol. My Pixel is newer than that, and I haven't gotten a single update in 2.5 years.

They started this on a recent gen, maybe 7. Certainly 8.

Can you see the problem? People have Android phones from big manufacturers and not getting updates. If this will change in the future that's great. But now people have phones that don't get updates.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#185

Post by fiddlerwoaroof »

alerighi wrote: post #159
fiddlerwoaroof wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I for one would much rather have native mobile apps that use platform-appropriate controls rather than web apps that use whatever some designer came up with. We’ve already lost this battle on computers because of electron, but iOS is nice precisely because there isn’t an easy way to just ship web technology “apps”.

The fact that an app is in the store doesn't mean that uses platform appropriate controls. In fact a lot of applications nowadays are just web app packaged with tools like Ionic, or cross platform applications built with React Native or Flutter that doesn't use "platform-appropriate controls". If most applications are embedding a web browser, or at least part of a web browser (in case of RN), why not just have applic…

React Native renders down to native iOS component classes, though: there are definitely too many generic UIViews for my taste, but it’s pretty different from electron that just constructs UIs from divs like a web app.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#186

Post by brodock »

chrisandchris wrote: post #119
moooo99 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it though? A large portion of apps on the mobile app stores are already built using cross-platform technologies like React Native, Ionic or Flutter. In some instances it is very easy to tell, in other it's not. You can create quality experiences using cross-platform, you can create awful experiences using native tooling. In many instances, I'd rather have the not totally native app that exists than the absolutely…

I understand your point, but it somewhat says that making awesome native apps is not even an option anymore. I use Things (a todo app) daily. It was #1 of Design in the AppStore maybe already 5 years ago. I think it's a perfect example for a beautifully made native app. I really feel how the native behaviour workes so much smoother. I would love for creators to somehow strive more for beautifully made apps instead of…

No one wants to invest time and effort to develop for a platform that has a horrible review process. You have to invest multiple people's months worth of work without knowing if that particular snapshot of your app will offend the reviwer.

The lack of native apps is the App Store reviews process fault.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#187

Post by threeseed »

andix wrote: post #175
threeseed wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no loop hole. Apple is able to charge a per-sale license fee for using their SDKs same as Epic, Microsoft etc. There isn't a single court or government in the world who has disagreed with this.

I think you're completely missing the point. The problem is not access to the SDK, the problem is that Apple is locking down their platform to competitors. They can't sell apps or content without giving a commission to the "gate keeper" Apple. Epic is not one of the biggest device manufacturers. And Microsoft is definitively not locking out third party developers from Windows. Everyone can just sell Windows applicati…

> They can't sell apps or content without giving a commission to the "gate keeper" Apple

Again. There isn't a single court or government that has said this is not permitted.

Including the EU.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#188

Post by postalrat »

mrcwinn wrote: post #25

PWAs will never be as good as native, definitionally. There is always API drift. There is always runtime cost. Nothing inside a system can ever have parity with its parent container. If it could, it would be the system itself. People's experience with hardware and physical objects matters. If you accept that, you should always want to be closer to the metal at the cost of convenience or portability.

In theory you are right but in practice you are absolutely wrong.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#189

Post by Razengan »

(Repeating a previous comment on another post)

Browsers should only display documents, not apps. That's what operating systems are for.

Just give native apps what made the web popular in the first place:

• Ability to instantly launch any app just by typing its "name"

• No need to download or install anything

• Ability to revisit any part of an app just by copy/pasting some text and sharing it with anyone.

That's what ultimately matters to end users.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#190

Post by stale2002 »

threeseed wrote: post #108
stale2002 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No thats not the intent of the newly passed digital markets act which will come into effect soon. But I am happy to come back to you when the EU takes action though! Anti-trust laws are perfectly legal. We can make and enforce laws that force Apple to change, just like laws exist in all parts of the world.

You have invented that intent. Because it is not in the act nor have there been any public statements about it.

The intent was for people to be able to freely sideload apps.

Also, it is in the law. There was a specific part where it said that gatekeepers cannot sidestep the law via contractual terms, or something similar to that.

But once again, I am more that happy to come back to you when the EU regulators take action against Apple, to force them to comply.

Will you admit that you are wrong if action is taken by the EU regulators against Apple?

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