What is a Mobile App?

Mobile applications have taken center stage for almost all businesses today. With the advent of smartphones – the use of mobile apps has risen drastically. Surprisingly, in 2019 alone, there were over 204 billion mobile app downloads. This figure is a 45% increase over the 2016 numbers. The statistics are going to increase as more and more people adopt smartphones.

Mobile devices have penetrated every aspect of your life. From checking emails to finding directions or simply ordering food- you can do everything using your mobile device. A wide variety of mobile apps available in the marketplace make this possible in your daily life. Today iOS by Apple and Android by Google are the two market-leading platforms used extensively by users.

Different from applications designed for desktop computers, mobile applications are not integrated software systems. Instead, each mobile app provides a standalone and isolated software with limited functionality.

For example, it could be a game, a calculator, or a mobile web browser. Today you can find all kinds of sophisticated apps, and they impact your day-to-day life in many ways.

You can find all these apps in an app store. An app store is an online marketplace for mobile apps. It also allows you to search for specific apps according to your requirements. It also offers a secure and safe app usage experience to its users by pre-defining policies and guidelines. In addition, it also helps app developers to interact directly with the users.

1 Native App

What are native apps? These kinds of apps are built for a single mobile operating system. That is why they are called native, meaning they are native to a particular platform or device. The majority of native apps built today are for systems like Android or iOS. IN simple terms, you can not install and use an Android app on an iPhone and vice versa.

Most native apps are popular because of their high performance and excellent user experience. After all, developers who develop these apps use native device UI. They have access to a broad range of APIs, which helps to accelerate the development work. You can only download a native application from app stores and install it directly into devices.

2 Web App

Web apps behave similarly to native mobile apps and work on mobile devices. However, there are a few fundamental differences between native apps and web apps.

Web apps use browsers to run. Moreover, they are usually written in CSS, HTML5, or JavaScript. Such apps will redirect you to the URL and then offer you the option to install the app. They require minimum device memory.

Since all of the databases of these apps are saved on the server, you can only use the application if they have an internet connection. This is the main disadvantage of web apps.

3 Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are built using web technologies like JavaScript, CSS, and HTML 5. Hence they are called hybrids? Hybrid apps basically behave like web apps disguised in a native wrapper – hence the name.

Hybrid apps are fast and easy to develop(as they follow an easy app development process), which is a major benefit. You also get a single codebase for all the platforms. This lowers your cost of maintenance and streamlines your updating process. As a developer, you can take advantage of many APIs for features such as geolocation or gyroscope. But hybrid applications might lack speed and performance.

1 Gaming Apps

It is the most popular category of mobile apps. You would be surprised to know how many users install games on their smartphones. Hence businesses invest an increasing amount of resources and time into creating gaming apps.

They create mobile versions of well-known stationary games because it is such a profitable market. In case of gaming apps mobile user interface is one of the crucial element you should address.

According to a study, mobile games alone account for 33% of all mobile app downloads. Some of the most successful mobile games include Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds, popular worldwide.

2 Educational Apps

This category of apps helps users gain new skills and knowledge. For example, Duolingo, a language learning app, has become very popular because it gives users flexibility in learning.

Educational game apps are also an excellent tool, especially for kids. Many educational apps gain popularity among teachers who use them to organize their teaching process.

3 Business Mobile App

Business apps engage a large chunk of the market today. Because this group of people is increasingly prone to using their smartphones to perform many complex tasks on the go.

Business apps can help them to book tickets, send emails, or track their work progress. Moreover, business apps are geared at boosting productivity and at the same time minimizing expenses – allowing users to complete a wide range of tasks. Some apps would allow you to buy new cartridges for office printers or even recruit a new office manager.

4 Entertainment App

You can use these apps to stream video content, search for events, or watch content online. Some good examples are social media apps like Facebook or Instagram. Moreover, video streaming apps such as Amazon Prime Video or Netflix have become incredibly popular with users.

5 Utility App

These are obvious that we rarely even realize that we are using them. In fact, utility apps usually have the shortest user session times. Meaning they use it only to get the job done and then move on. Some of the most popular types of utility applications are barcode scanners or healthcare apps.

6 Travel Mobile App

These apps are meant to make your travel easier. Travel apps could be a travel diary and guide that helps you discover everything you need to know about your visiting places. Most travelers today are digitally savvy who know how to use apps to their advantage. Can you imagine what traveling would be like without Google Maps, Uber, or Airbnb?

Listed below are few benefits of mobile apps for users:
1 Mobile app are faster than eCommerce websites or web apps.
2 You can personalize your app content based on your interest, location, region, etc.
3 Mobile apps allow users to take advantage of the features of the native device. You can connect with GPS, compass, gyroscope, etc., to provide a unique experience.
4 Productivity apps like emails, calendars, reminders, notes, etc., help you finish your tasks on the go.

Businesses across the world have realized the impact of mobile devices on their industry. Thus they have begun their transformation towards mobile apps. Moreover, mobile apps have also opened new dimensions. Several different mobile-only businesses like food delivery and ride aggregation have turned into reality. Here are a few of the benefits it brings to companies.

1 App provides a custom-tailored experience for their users.
2 Use social media integration to connect with consumers.
3 Apps provide quick notification to inform users about new product launches, festive discounts, and offers.

By 2023, it is expected mobile application revenue to cross $935 billion. It is one of the major reasons businesses are launching mobile apps.

As per the stats:
1) An average mobile app user has more than 100 apps installed on their device.
2) On an average, a smartphone user checks his device 63 times a day.
3) 87% of the users check their smartphone just one hour before sleep.
4) 86% of users check their mobile while talking to their family and friends.
5) 69% of the users check their device within 5 mins of waking up.
6) By the end of 2021, more than 7 billion people worldwide will be using mobile devices.
7) By 2022, the app downloads number will reach 258 billion in a year.
8) Mobile commerce is on the rise now it has 73% of the global ecommerce market share.

Conclusion

Hope this guide would help you understand what the mobile app development landscape looks like today. As this is an emerging field, businesses are investing more resources in mobile apps. As you might have noticed, mobile devices are already overruling desktop devices when it comes to the number and engagement of users.

Are you looking for an experienced mobile development team for your business or project? Get in touch with Marfiniti. The team specializes in mobile development, and their experts know all about the latest technologies to help you create an innovative mobile app. An app that would offer an outstanding user experience and generate value for your business.