Live data from Hacker News

PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

app.campsite.co

61–70 of 268 posts

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#61
post #52
post #32

PWAs will only replace native apps when the operating systems support them properly. Let's see how the European Union moves forward with the Digital Markets Act. Let's see if a regulation like that can tame Apple, or if Apple keeps finding loop holes to not fully comply in the intended way (to liberate the European market from oligopolist gate keeping companies). If it works there might be a further revision that for…

If your free app will get popular with new rules then your free app will cost a lot for a developer. For example 2.5M installs/updates a year will cost you Total monthly fees $ 67,935 https://developer.apple.com/support/fee-calculator-for-apps-...

Ok, so charge each user $1? Problem solved.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#62
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your free app will get popular with new rules then your free app will cost a lot for a developer. For example 2.5M installs/updates a year will cost you Total monthly fees $ 67,935 https://developer.apple.com/support/fee-calculator-for-apps-...

Ok, so charge each user $1? Problem solved.

Ok, you can give me $1 for replying to my comment.

Thanks

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#63

“There are no silent pushes, so we can only update the app icon badge with a displayed push. Ideally, if you clear your notifications elsewhere, we automatically remove the badge on your phone. This isn’t possible with PWAs via push.” Damn, is Apple doing these slight annoyances on purpose to degrade the user experience?

[deleted]

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#64
post #23

As an iOS user, I'm glad.

As an iOS user you would also prefer only Apple accepted websites in browser?

Like not allowing Flash or Java applets or Silverlight (lol)?

Yes, I'm happy with that. But if at any point I become unhappy, I'll buy a different phone.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#65
I expect PWA to remain noticeably limited relative to native, and probably with a noticeable gradient between Google and Apple. But I also expect PWA to steamroll all conventional app development nonetheless: PWA optionally bundled with some native components for filing the gaps, as in Tauri. Progressive will just grow another stage beyond manifest and serviceworker: manifest and serviceworker running in a customized variant of the browser installed through the app store.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#66
post #34

In my opinion, it is always the same "cross-platform" discussion. If you hire an iOS/Android mobile dev to write a native iOS/Android app, it means that you hire someone specialized in apps for mobiles . The whole point of a cross-platform framework is the hope that it won't need the specialization: "any web dev can now write a mobile app". But every cross-platform framework has the same problem: platforms are differ…

I believe PWAs have a place in highly “templatable” things like restaurant pages and online shops. Those I can see adding to my home screen. Anything more complex than those is questionable.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#67
post #33

Maybe we should be pushing for fewer PWAs overall. I personally will not use any web-based app when I can use a native app (with a few exceptions). PWAs just add unnecessary bloat, and the current HTML/CSS/JS stack that the web uses was designed for delivering text documents, not apps, so that inherently limits the experience.

Let me tell you a secret: a LOT of native apps are built on web technologies. Those apps are just shells with some web views.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#68
post #45
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.

I don't understand why you got downvoted for this. Cross-platform is never as good as native, but in some situations it is cheaper. And there is a need for "cheaper but not as good" (we don't all drive a Porsche, do we?).

There are constant complaints about electron apps being bad and people wanting native apps, except in the case of PWAs. I can't keep all the complaining straight lol

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#69
I think developers need to clearly put blame on Apple for PWA not working. In apps you're not allowed to mention apple's shady behaviour when it comes to fees, but on the web you can.

Since 2016 I've had the option for users to enable push notifications, with a big red disclaimer if the user is using iOS that it does not work on an iPhone. Still, I got so so many requests from user saying they had tried with Chrome(or whatever other browser) instead, and it's still not working, not understanding that all browsers on iOS is limited in the same way because of apple.

If there are any more problems with web push on iOS I'll clearly tell the user that Apple doesn't allow the user to use it, and that they will have to ask apple to enable it, and give them contact information. If the user bought the phone expecting web push to work then they can probably return it and buy an Android phone instead if the seller can't fix web push.

Re: PWAs wont replace native iOS apps

#70
post #65

I expect PWA to remain noticeably limited relative to native, and probably with a noticeable gradient between Google and Apple. But I also expect PWA to steamroll all conventional app development nonetheless: PWA optionally bundled with some native components for filing the gaps, as in Tauri. Progressive will just grow another stage beyond manifest and serviceworker: manifest and serviceworker running in a customized…

> a customized variant of the browser installed through the app store

On iOS, apps can only run a single app instance. Which means that, if you want to run multiple PWAs in parallel, you’d need a separate browser app per PWA.

Post reply on HN