Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

As a consumer I can relate to this. I subscribe to many monthly magazines including GQ and Esquire. I enjoy the publication as it is meant to be viewed, ads and all. Of course, now they're piled up and so I want to switch to digital. Sounds like a great solution.

GQ has a digital app or I can use iOS news stand. This was not a great experience as each issue took at least 20 minutes to download a gig of content. Of course, once the content is there the experience is rich and fantastic.

Based off my experiences, I really think a mobile web experience is best for reading magazines. Only the page I'm interested in would load and I shouldn't have to take up a whole gig of precious space to read an issue.

Just my two cents.

Re: Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

#5

Post by johnpjoseph » Thu, Sep 24, 2015, 10:23 PM UTC

Interesting that a smallish magazine is moving away from native mobile back to web while not too long ago I saw that some large retail company discontinued their mobile web site and require use of their native app (flipkart I think).

I don't think expecting a new audience just because you have an app is reasonable. I'd be interested in seeing how many new users they generate with just the mobile web site - I suspect that ultra loyal existing readers may take the time to bookmark their site and come back, but would be very surprised if their overall usage doesn't decline.

Re: Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

#6

Post by sehr » Thu, Sep 24, 2015, 10:26 PM UTC

ourmandave wrote: post #3

I was hoping it would say what their dev stack is.

On the front end they use Polymer

https://youtu.be/fD2As5RmM8Q?t=966

Re: Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

#7

Post by mark_l_watson » Thu, Sep 24, 2015, 10:31 PM UTC

+1 for the article

As a web vs. app proponent I love this. I do have a few apps installed on my Note 4 but I prefer getting Twitter, FB, etc. as a web site.

Web standards like HTML5 are wonderful so let's use them and make the web awesome.

My brother and one friend each have a few hundred apps installed on their phones. I am sometimes surprised that their phones still function with so much cruft installed, never mind the privacy considerations.

Re: Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

#8

Post by rokhayakebe » Thu, Sep 24, 2015, 10:34 PM UTC

I suspect the reason many think they prefer apps is the one-click launch and the automated bookmark created on your screen.

If a mobile browser behaved like an appstore (Search for website, See results, Click to Install, i.e. bookmark), you would have the same behavior, downloads, and most people would not be able to tell whether they are using an app, web app, or website.

Re: Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

#9

Post by idibidiart » Thu, Sep 24, 2015, 10:42 PM UTC

The web is a great publishing medium for magazines and news outlets. Apps are for doing stuff beyond passive browsing.

Re: Goodbye, Native Mobile Apps

#10

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Sep 24, 2015, 10:47 PM UTC

rokhayakebe wrote: post #8

I suspect the reason many think they prefer apps is the one-click launch and the automated bookmark created on your screen. If a mobile browser behaved like an appstore (Search for website, See results, Click to Install, i.e. bookmark), you would have the same behavior, downloads, and most people would not be able to tell whether they are using an app, web app, or website.

[deleted]