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PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

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Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#2
I like this post. I'd like it if we could get studies/posts on:

1) A/B testing of users' responses and revenue outcomes on native vs wrapper implementations of apps

2) Webkit performance metrics in wrapped apps on different platforms (e.g., exactly how slow is the app on the 4S, why, and can this be mitigated?)

3) good approaches to interfaces that don't confuse or put off the user but are simple enough to run smoothly in Webkit

I'd love it if anyone could point me to enlightening information on these topics.

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#3
This person successfully managed to trade a bunch of irritating issues for a different set of irritating issues: that generally makes one feel happier, as working around new and thereby relatively exciting irritating issues as a vacation from the worn and tired ones we are now so sick of it makes us want to die, is all many of us can hope for in life.

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#5
Great post. Having dabbled in mobile dev (and spent lots of time in web development), I always want to leverage my existing skills rather than learn new languages/dev techniques if possible. Still, a hammer - no matter how useful - is not always the right tool for the job...

For all of the attention to user interface design, I find iPhone development one of the least intuitive environments going. Objective C isn't bad, but wiring up GUIs ends up being a headache. It seems to make sense if you understand what is going on behind the scenes and look at it from the perspective of dragging / dropping / connecting widgets rather than taking corresponding steps by writing code, but I have not been working with XCode for years and don't see it that way. Most other visual development environment that I has felt somehow more intuitive (some VB, other small third party UI design tools).

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#6
Same experience with phonegap + sencha touch. My personnal conclusion is that : if you're doing "business" app (aka : where data matters much more than UI responsiveness) AND you want to release the app both for Android and iOS : go Phonegap.

Otherwise, and until the majority of smartphone become as powerful as the iphone4S, stay native. With ARC, developping on iOS with Obj C has become pretty much like developping with any other language (if not better).

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#7
post #6

Same experience with phonegap + sencha touch. My personnal conclusion is that : if you're doing "business" app (aka : where data matters much more than UI responsiveness) AND you want to release the app both for Android and iOS : go Phonegap. Otherwise, and until the majority of smartphone become as powerful as the iphone4S, stay native. With ARC, developping on iOS with Obj C has become pretty much like developping…

What if you've already developed a (simple) Android app for consumers, and you want to enter the iOS sphere as well, but you don't have an iOS dev on the (completely bootstrapped) team? Would it be worth investing one team member's time to learn iOS development, or outsource the creation and simultaneously learn to maintain/extend the code, or to simply go with PhoneGap despite the performance drawbacks?

It's not a question that can be answered without additional context, but thoughts on various approaches for this situation would be helpful and appreciated.

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#8
post #5

Great post. Having dabbled in mobile dev (and spent lots of time in web development), I always want to leverage my existing skills rather than learn new languages/dev techniques if possible. Still, a hammer - no matter how useful - is not always the right tool for the job... For all of the attention to user interface design, I find iPhone development one of the least intuitive environments going. Objective C isn't ba…

In that case, skip IB and build your views in code.

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#9

Another point: You have to pay to have you app reviewed on the AppStore, and it may be refused. If it is accepted, Apple will take 30% of your incomes. And your app will remain slow if it is connected to a database online.

What about the exposure it gives you app, and (potentially) much more sales (it has hundreds of millions of users with credit card, and buying stuff is just one click)?

Re: PhoneGap vs. Native: Some Thoughts on Going Native

#10
We're going through the same thing right now. Built up a mobile app based on HTML/JS/CSS and bundled it inside PhoneGap and got close to done really quick... but it just doesn't feel right. So PhoneGap will be more of a StopGap until we can put more resources into a native app.
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