While investing in building any Mobile Application, you face a barrage of terminologies. One of the critical decisions you take while investing in any Mobile Application depends upon several competing factors, including your budget and deadline. Hybrid Mobile Applications is one such type of Mobile Application that combines elements of both Native Apps and Web Apps. They are popular, as they allow developers to write code for a Mobile App for just one time, supporting multiple platforms.
Hybrid Mobile Applications are sometimes extensions of Web Apps wherein HTML content renders through a WebKit browser, embedded within the native application. These are best suited for cross-platform requirements whenever the same HTML content opens up from Mobile platforms such as Android, iOS, etc.
In this blog article, we’ve discussed the advantages, limitations, and consequences of Hybrid Applications for your testing phases.
Pros
The choice of Mobile Applications depends on the user expectations and needs of businesses. While Native and Web Apps have several benefits, Hybrid Mobile Applications have gained popularity. It is because of their adaptability across varying platforms. This concept focuses on developing a single Mobile Application that seamlessly works across various platforms. Also, Hybrid Apps make it slightly faster to reserve a spot in the App Store market.
This section highlights the core benefits of Hybrid Mobile App Development and how this Mobile App Development approach helps businesses to grow.
1. Feasible and Flexible
Due to the single development of Hybrid Mobile Applications, businesses need not spend separately on building varying apps for other platforms. Instead, Hybrid frameworks will allow developers to create a single version and write and maintain individual code bases for various platforms. This approach saves a fair amount of money for small companies that want to save big and attract more revenue.
2. Simple Backend: A Native Experience
Although Native Apps deliver an excellent user experience, a Hybrid App does provide the most of what native UX offers and keeps backend structure comfortable. You can choose comprehensive development frameworks to build a Hybrid App User experience that beautifully connects to node-specific features. This User experience remains seamless even while working on fixes and updates across all platforms. Users of Hybrid Apps experience a fluid native feel and no difference as they shift from one device platform to another.
3. High-Performance Speed
So far, Native apps have set a massive standard in terms of performance and speed. But when it comes to hybrid mobile app development, there is no question of speed at all. Practically, when comparing other Mobile App development options, Hybrid apps are much faster than responsive websites or web apps.
Since they don’t rely much on network communication, It is expected from a Hybrid app to dash on the device screen even when there is an ample amount of users. Twitter, a social media app that handles overwhelming amounts of traffic every second, is also an example of Hybrid app development epitomizing performance.
4. Eye Catching UI/UX designs
Attractive design and Engaging experience are two significant elements that drive more users to your application. With Hybrid Mobile App development, you can be sure your Mobile App offers flawless performance and superior UI experience to app users. Due to its un-compromised operations and look on each platform, Hybrid apps are more welcome to the app store than any other type of Mobile Applications. Users don’t face low performance or rendering time while using it on different operating systems. It makes it a desirable choice for businesses that look for maximum engagement on both iOS and Android devices.
5. Multi-Platform Support
Usually, Hybrid Mobile Applications have no limit to how much they can expand and support almost all platforms if they are popular. Its performance across various platforms depends on the framework used to build the apps. Expert Hybrid App Development companies can create great, interactive Hybrid Apps that work superiorly across leading mobile platforms. If the platform is widely recognized, there will not be any problem getting expected support for the newly introduced operating system and subsequent updates.
Cons
With all the pros discussed above, it’s essential to know all the factors that resist businesses from opting for the Hybrid approach. Below we have discussed some of the limitations of Hybrid mobile applications, and it’s implementation:
1. Limited functionality
Although Hybrid Mobile Apps are more flexible, as Mobile web browsers accumulate recent performance improvements and functionality, your developer won’t access specific hardware features like Augmented Reality.
2. Browser Required
Users will need to open a web browser to run the app, which requires more steps and a bookmark or URL. With an Android or Native iOS app, your software will always appear on users’ home screens.
3. User Management
Unless you ask the users to create an account and log in whenever they open your app, you’ll face challenges to collect performance metrics and usage to improve your application. On the other hand, adding a login screen every time users load the app could limit engagement and increase abandonment and bounce rates.
4. Discoverability
As discussed, getting users to find and interact with your application can be cumbersome without an online listing. Be creative with digital marketing and encourage users to bookmark your app or save it as an app shortcut on their phone.
Consequences
Implementation of the Hybrid approach leads to varying factors and impacts on testing phases. Below we have discussed all the consequences of the Hybrid approach:
1. Automated testing
Hybrid App testing is similar to pushing a Web App. For each test case, writing a script, and at first glance, the test phases seem to be simplified.
Complexity arises while the application contains native code as well, which is a frequent cause. Each test case has multiple test scripts, each of them drafted in the native language of the platform while conducting tests.
2. Manual testing
Manual tests for a Hybrid Mobile App also differ from the tests conducted on Native Mobile Applications. In contrast, the writing testing strategy, the effort, and type of tests need to be adapted to address the graphical aspects briefly.
The challenge with manual testing will be to validate that the UX is smooth. The choice between a Hybrid app and a Native app is purely technical and has an organizational and internal decision. It shouldn’t have any impact or limitation on the users.
Conclusion
Before deciding whether to develop a Hybrid App, an organization will have to consider a certain number of factors to launch any digital product that brings its future users satisfaction and the expected business results. Organizations have realized the importance of Hybrid Mobile applications and are making a swift transition for a brighter future.
In case you are looking forward to creating successful hybrid apps, Copper Mobile can be an ideal choice. Our experts are both creative and innovative in developing ideal Hybrid mobile apps for clients.
