why cross-platform mobile development solutions have emerged as one of the most popular software development trends
Nowadays, many companies are facing the challenge of needing to build mobile apps for multiple platforms, specifically for both Android and iOS. This is why cross-platform mobile development solutions have emerged as one of the most popular software development trends.
According to Statista, there were 3.48 million mobile apps available on the Google Play Store and 2.3 million apps on the App Store in the first quarter of 2023 with Android and iOS now accounting for 99% of the worldwide mobile operating system market.
Cross-platform mobile development: definition and solutions
Multiplatform mobile development is an approach that allows you to build a single mobile application that runs smoothly on several operating systems. In cross-platform apps, some or even all of the source code can be shared. This means that developers can create and deploy mobile assets that work on both Android and iOS without having to recode them for each individual platform.
Different approaches to mobile app development
There are four main ways to create an application for both Android and iOS.
1. Separate native apps for each operating system
When creating native apps, developers build an application for a particular operating system and rely on tools and programming languages designed specifically for one platform: Kotlin or Java for Android, Objective-C or Swift for iOS.
These tools and languages give you access to the features and capabilities of a given OS and allow you to craft responsive apps with intuitive interfaces. But if you want to reach both Android and iOS audiences, you will have to create separate applications, and that takes a lot of time and effort.
2. Progressive web apps (PWAs)
Progressive web apps combine the features of mobile apps with solutions used in web development. Roughly speaking, they offer a mix of a website and a mobile application. Developers build PWAs using web technologies, such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and WebAssembly.
Web applications do not require separate bundling or distribution and can be published online. They are accessible via the browser on your computer, smartphone, and tablet, and don't need to be installed via Google Play or the App Store.
The drawback here is that a user cannot utilize all of their device's functionality, for example, contacts, calendars, the phone, and other assets, which results in a limited user experience. In terms of app performance, native apps have the lead.
3. Cross-platform apps
As mentioned earlier, multiplatform apps are designed to run identically on different mobile platforms. Cross-platform frameworks allow you to write shareable and reusable code for the purpose of developing these apps.
This approach has several benefits, such as efficiency with respect to both time and cost. We'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of cross-platform mobile development in a later section.
4. Hybrid apps
When browsing websites and forums, you may notice that some people use the terms "cross-platform mobile development" and "hybrid mobile development" interchangeably. Doing so, however, is not entirely accurate.
When it comes to cross-platform apps, mobile engineers can write code once and then reuse it on different platforms. Hybrid app development, on the other hand, is an approach that combines native and web technologies. It requires you to embed code written in a web development language like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript into a native app. You can do this with the help of frameworks, such as Ionic Capacitor and Apache Cordova, using additional plugins to get access to the native functionalities of platforms.
Native or cross-platform app development: a longstanding debate
The debate around native and cross-platform development remains unresolved in the tech community. Both of these technologies are in constant evolution and come with their own benefits and limitations.
Some experts still prefer native mobile development over multiplatform solutions, identifying the stronger performance and better user experience of native apps as some of the most important benefits.
However, many modern businesses need to reduce the time to market and the cost of per platform development while still aiming to have a presence both on Android and iOS.
Maybe mini-app technology can offer some fresh perspectives for cross-platform development. Mini-apps are lightweight applications built on a front-end tech stack, like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They use a simplified programming model and an efficient runtime environment to deliver a consistent user experience across various mainstream platforms. Thanks to their unified development framework, developers can deploy the same codebase on different platforms.
Another cool thing about mini-apps is that they can access device features like cameras and GPS, bringing them closer to the capabilities of native apps. They offer a better user experience than HTML5 apps. Not just that, mini-apps also support hot updates, enabling quick and responsive changes to meet rapidly evolving market demands.
As a novel solution for cross-platform mobile app development, the unique tech architecture of mini-apps shines in tackling the complexities and costs associated with developing apps for multiple platforms. For developers aiming for efficient development and broad compatibility, mini-programs represent an intriguing path worth exploring."
Benefits of cross-platform development
There are plenty of reasons businesses choose this approach over other options.
1. Reusable code
With cross-platform programming, mobile engineers don't need to write new code for every operating system. Using a single codebase allows developers to cut down on time spent doing repetitive tasks, such as API calls, data storage, data serialization, and analytics implementation.
2. Time savings
Due to code reusability, cross-platform applications require less code, and when it comes to coding, less code is more. Time saved is because you do not have to write as much code. Additionally, with fewer lines of code, there are fewer places for bugs to emerge, resulting in less time spent testing and maintaining your code.
3. Effective resource management
Building separate applications is expensive. Having a single codebase helps you effectively manage your resources. Both your Android and your iOS development teams can learn how to write and use shared code.
4. Attractive opportunities for developers
Many mobile engineers view modern cross-platform technologies as desirable elements in a product's tech stack. Developers may get bored at work due to repetitive and routine tasks, such as JSON parsing. However, new technologies and tasks can bring back their excitement, motivation, and joy for work tasks. This means that having a modern tech stack can actually simplify the hiring process for your mobile team.