Types of mobile applications
Nowadays, mobile applications are an essential part of people’s lives. Numerous mobile apps help to optimize work, entertain, communicate, and perform a variety of tasks. With regard to the targeted markets, applications for Windows-, iOS-, or Android-powered mobile devices can be built. Sometimes it is reasonable to target just one particular platform, but sometimes all platforms are worth consideration. In this context, the following types of mobile applications are differentiated.
Native applications
These applications are designed exclusively for a certain OS with the help of a particular technology stack. Diverse languages, IDEs, frameworks, and tools are leveraged with regard to the targeted OS.
The distinctive characteristics of native mobile apps:
- Installation from a corresponding app store;
- Solid security;
- High performance;
- Better interaction and intuitiveness;
- Awesome user experience;
- The ability to operate offline;
- Access to all available features of mobile devices.
The only weakness of native apps is rather high development prices. If there is a need to target users of Android and iOS devices, two different native apps will cost you a penny, but the result will please you and the end users.
Web Applications
Such apps can be defined as websites that users access using mobile browsers on their devices. In general, developers make active use of JS, CSS, and HTML5 to create such apps.
The distinctive characteristics of web mobile apps:
- No need for installation, storage space, or update;
- Easy adoption to different screen sizes;
- Cross-platform support;
- Inability to work in an offline mode;
- A limited number of functionalities compared to native apps;
- Limited access to in-built features of mobile devices;
- Security risks.
Hybrid applications
As you might guess, hybrid apps bring together the best features of the two previously described types of applications. They are also built using web technologies but can be installed on mobile devices through usual app stores in the same way as native apps.
The distinctive characteristics of hybrid applications:
- Smooth work across mobile devices powered by various operating systems;
- Distribution across app stores;
- Ability to work offline;
- Faster and cheaper development compared to the creation of several native apps;
- Inability to take full advantage of OS capabilities;
- Lower performance.
To arrive at the decision about which type of mobile application to choose, identify your key business objectives and determine your financial capacity. Again, leading mobile app development companies can consult you on this and give valuable advice at any time.
Top Mobile App Development Companies by Expertise:
Platforms & Frameworks
iPhone
Android
Wearable
React Native
The most popular categories of mobile applications
Modern mobile applications are developed with the aim to handle the most diverse tasks and needs. The top-notch mobile app development companies deliver stunning mobile applications of diverse kinds. Below there are popular categories of mobile apps:
- Entertainment (dating apps, mobile games, mobile music apps, photo processing apps, etc.);
- Travel (ticket and hotel booking apps, car rental, guide service, interactive city map, etc.);
- Business (eCommerce solutions, management apps, planning apps, CRM apps, etc.);
- Social applications (social networks, globally branded networks, etc.);
- Food (order and delivery apps, map of restaurants, apps with recipes, etc.);
- Welfare (fitness apps, meditation apps, nutrition apps, weight loss apps, etc.);
- Education (online dictionaries, training programs, online courses, online libraries, etc.);
- Finances (digital banking apps, investment management apps, wealth management apps, crowdfunding apps, etc.);
- Healthcare (mental health apps, women's health apps, telemedicine apps, symptom checkers, etc.).
Things to consider before developing a mobile app:
- Idea validation;
- Targeted platform(s);
- A set of compulsory features;
- A set of nice-to-have features;
- A monetization model;
- State regulations with which your application may have to comply.
The way SuperbСompanies identifies the best mobile app development companies
To prepare for you a trustworthy list of the top mobile app development companies and keep it updated, the SuperbCompanies team carries out comprehensive research and rigorously studies mobile app development firms. They are assessed against a number of criteria that you can find below:
- Experience;
- Complexity of developed projects;
- Feedback from former and current customers on the professionalism and quality of provided services;
- Employees’ reviews on working conditions and team environment;
- The level of customer service;
- Team size;
- Thought leadership;
- Achievements, certificates, and awards;
- Scope of provided services, and many more.
Such a comprehensive study lets us handpick market leaders.
