Comprehensive Guide to Native Mobile App Development

Have a mobile app idea? Want to create a mobile app that offers robust performance with an intuitive user interface?

Then native mobile app development is the right choice for you.

In fact, according to Statista, worldwide mobile app users are estimated to reach 7.49 billion by 2025. This growth of native apps is rapid. But, what is a native mobile application?

A native mobile application is an app built for a specific operating system of smartphones either iOS or Android. These native apps are created using a platform-specific programming language.

As a leading mobile application development company in Toronto, Canada, we mainly focus on native and custom app development. So we know what are the advantage and disadvantages of using a native mobile application. In this guide, we will list down all the points we know from our development experience.

Let’s get started.

4 Advantages of Native Mobile Application Development

Here are 4 advantages of native mobile apps.

1. High-end Performance of Your Mobile Application

   Native apps lead in the performance compared to any type of mobile application whether hybrid, PWA or cross-platform mobile application. As native mobile apps are built specifically for a particular operating system, these apps naturally have good flexibility and compatibility on the native platforms.

   This is possible because native apps directly communicate with the operating system. In addition, native apps don’t require multiple layers of processing, which ultimately helps to execution of functionality faster than other types of apps. So, the performance and processing speed of the application are fast.

2. Enhanced Security of Your Mobile Application Due to In-built Libraries

   Compared to cross-platform apps, native mobile apps are more secure. As these native apps use platform-specific tools, libraries, and APIs, it reduces your mobile application’s chances of security flaws. These libraries, tools, and APIs directly interact with the device’s internal resources. So, when there is minimum integration of third-party APIs or libraries, the security of your mobile application increase.

   For instance, creating an Android mobile application allow Android app developers to apply network security measures. Security measures like SSL traffic, adding network security configuration and use of EncryptedFile objects to securely share private data within the internal storage of the application. So, if you want to develop an application related to financial services, then go for native app development instead of cross-platform app development.

3. Scalability of Your Mobile Application

   Native apps are efficient enough to scale as your business grows. In native mobile apps, it is easy to add more functionalities and features as you need in the long run. And these features directly communicate with the device’s operating system and hardware effortlessly. In native apps, there is no multi-layer communication required.

   Whereas, in hybrid mobile applications, adding complex functionalities makes your app heavy and increases the loading time. This happens because hybrid apps are developed using web technologies. And scalability of hybrid apps becomes difficult because developers need to scale them for multiple operating systems.

   As native mobile apps are built on focusing on a single operation either iOS or Android, you don’t need to worry about the compatibility of features that you will add. In native mobile apps, you have the benefit of adding platform-specific features to your mobile application.

   But, in cross-platform mobile applications, it is not possible as you need to take care that each feature works well on both iOS and Android platforms. Once you update your mobile application, you need to upload the latest version of your application to Google Play Store and Apple App Store if created for both platforms.

4. Customize Your Mobile Application as Needed

   In native mobile applications, you have the option to customize your mobile application easily without facing any major problems. Performing platform-specific customization is easy because of OS tools that make it possible.

   Additionally, you get full control over the programming of your application as you are not bound to use ready-made code templates and third-party dependencies. In native apps, you are able to utilize the maximum hardware resources of the mobile devices which allows programmers to develop native mobile apps with high-level customization.

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   These four are the advantages of native mobile apps. When you develop a native app, you get the benefits of scalability, customization, performance enhancement, and security. But, there are two limitations of native apps as well. Let’s now see the disadvantages of native mobile applications.

2 Disadvantages of Native Mobile Application Development

1. It Takes More Time to a Develop Native Application Compared to a
   Hybrid or Cross-platform Application

   As native are built specifically for Android or iOS devices, the mobile app development process could be time-consuming. Because mobile app developers need to spend dedicated time developing native Android apps and native iOS apps separately. Herein, separate mobile app developers work on building Android and iOS mobile applications.

   It is not possible to copy or run the same code of Android into iOS. Developers need to write code from scratch for the same application. So, the timeline to develop a mobile app increases.

2. Cost of App Development

   When you go with the native app development, you need to understand that you need a little higher budget compared to the hybrid application. Reason? When you develop a hybrid application, you are indirectly compromising the benefits of native functionalities. Whereas in the native app development, you are not compromising the core features like security, data protection, and other functions for your end-users.

   For example, if you want to create a native Android app, the basic cost of creating a native mobile app ranges between $5,000 to $10,000 for each platform i.e. Android or iOS.

   Whereas, in cross-platform mobile development, the cost ranges from $5,000 but it is accessible to both platforms. To get a detailed understanding of mobile app development costs, here’s the complete guide on app development costs.

   Though if you don’t want to go for native mobile app development, then hybrid mobile apps become another choice for you. Let’s find out what hybrid apps are and the difference between a native and a hybrid mobile app.

When we are discussing a native application, you must understand the basic concepts of the hybrid applications as well. Then and then only you will be able to compare and understand the importance of native applications. So, let us give you a quick overview of the difference between a native application and a hybrid application.

What is the Difference Between Native vs Hybrid Apps?

Before we move forward, you need to know what a hybrid app is. This way, you will be able to connect and understand more about the differences between native and hybrid apps.

The reason is that it is a combination of native applications and web applications. We have just discussed native applications, but talking about web apps, these are websites that act the same as any app. However, web apps cannot be installed on a device. You need a browser to access web apps.

Hybrid apps use technologies, such as Apache Cordova, Xamarin, React Native, and Sencha Touch. Also, hybrid apps use a single code base to work on multiple platforms. This was a brief introduction to a hybrid app. Now, you will be able to relate more to the differences between hybrid vs native apps. So, without any delay, let’s find out those differences one by one:

Now, as you have got the basic difference between native and hybrid mobile apps, you should also know when to the alternative native mobile applications. Knowing the reason helps you when to choose the particular app development method.

Alternatives of Native Mobile App Development

If you are looking for options rather than native mobile application development, check the following section where we have described the details about alternatives.

1. Hybrid Mobile App Development

   Hybrid mobile development is the alternative to native mobile app development. Hybrid mobile apps work on both mobile app platforms. Hybrid app development helps you to run your single application on both Android and iOS devices. The hybrid mobile apps are created with a single-code base.

   When to Develop a Hybrid Mobile App?

   • You want to test your mobile app idea for a wider audience on multiple platforms
   • You want to build a solution that is easily maintainable on multiple platforms

2. Progressive Web App Development

   Progressive web apps are a kind of mobile web app created with web programming languages like HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and Flutter or React-native. These web apps work similarly to native mobile apps and offer native features and functionalities like push notifications and facilitate offline access.

   When to Develop a PWA app?

   • You want to develop an application that works well even without internet connectivity
   • You want to develop a mobile app that consumes less data and offers native-like app performance

3 Essential Factors to Consider for Native Mobile App Development

The process of creating native mobile apps involves several essential aspects to consider. To help you build high-quality and bug-free native mobile applications, the following aspects are very crucial.

1. You Need Skilled Mobile App Developers

   To create a native mobile application, you need a team of mobile app professionals who are well-versed with the skills required to develop a native mobile application. If you want to create an Android mobile application, you need Android mobile app developers who have experience with Java and Kotlin programming languages. On the contrary, if you want to develop an iOS native app, you need iOS native app developers who are skilled in Swift and Objective-C language.

   These native app developers should also have an understanding of designing standards, databases, APIs, and development tools to create native mobile apps that perform well.

   For instance, Android developers should have an understanding of creating layouts of Android apps. It includes a traditional layout or Jetpack Compose. Your Android mobile app developers should have an understanding of the following things.

   • Android SDK
   • Understanding of XML
   • Android Studio
   • APIs
   • Material Design

   Whereas, if you hire iOS app developers to create iPhone applications, ensure they should have an understanding of the following things.

   • Complete understanding of Swift programming language
   • Complete knowledge of Apple’s Xcode IDE
   • Proper understanding of iOS design guidelines
   • Knowledge of spatial reasoning
   • Knowledge of Apple Human Interface Guidelines
   • Knowledge of storing data on Apple’s devices
   • Familiarity with the Architecture Patterns

2. Choosing Development Environment Depending on Mobile App Platform

   When you want are creating a mobile app from scratch for the Android or iOS platform, you need the right app development tools. Herein, you need to decide on a mobile app platform for which you want to create a mobile application. This way, you make it easy for app developers to set up a proper environment for native development.

   For instance, if you want to make an iOS application, then you need a device with macOS to develop an iPhone application. Whereas, making an Android mobile application is flexible as Androids apps can be created whether on Linux, macOS, or Windows platforms.

3. Ensuring Proper UI/UX of Your Mobile Application

4. One of the reasons why native mobile applications are famous is UI/UX. Your Android or iOS mobile application should have a proper and intuitive design. Make sure your native apps have a proper layout and every component is perfectly placed on the mobile app screen. While making Android or iOS mobile applications, mobile app developers need to follow design guidelines.

   For instance, Google has published proper guidelines for the Android UI/UX design of the application. Check the guide on design for Android applications. For the iOS application, Apple has prepared Human Interface Guidelines to create UI/UX of the iOS application.

Have questions regarding native app development? Read the following section on FAQs.

Let’s Develop Your Native Mobile Application for Your Business

In this blog, you got an idea about native mobile app development, the benefits of native mobile apps for your business, and its disadvantages as well. As you know now, developing a native mobile app can bring benefits to your business and becomes an additional advantage for your business.

If you have a fixed budget and want to develop a native Android or iOS application, then creating an MVP version of your idea is suitable. It fasts up the development cycle and reduces costs as you only add essential functionality to your mobile application.

Have a mobile application idea? Or want to create a native mobile application? To get started with your project development, let’s talk. Get a free consultation from our experienced mobile app developers.