iPhone Development: Native or Web?
There are two different types of applications for the iPhone: native applications written in Cocoa (Objective-C, a C variant), or web applications written in HTML/CSS/JS.
What's best? It depends on your project!
- Native iPhone apps are built in Cocoa, Web apps can be built using the more widely known HTML/CSS/JS.
- Most native applications just work without internet connection, whereas it is time consuming to make a web applications which works both offline and online. Does your app need to work offline?
- Native iPhone apps are released and sold through the Apple Store, and every iPhone owner knows the store. But these applications need to be tested and approved Apple; this process can take weeks if not months and apps can even be denied. Be careful if you have a deadline that can't be missed.
On the other hand, web apps are available as soon as they are uploaded to the server, they don't need to be downloaded from the app store. - Apple keeps a 30% commission off each sale. Web apps can't be sold, but can work as a subscription service. Would people download applications for each website they use? Probably not. A mobile optimised website is often better suited if it's not used on a regular basis.
- 3D and complex animations are difficult, if not impossible to implement in web apps.
- Notifications for native apps can be sent to your iPhone, to let you know you received an email for example. That's not possible with web apps.
- Web apps will work on most modern mobile phones. Native applications only work on the iPhone.
- If a website or web application already exists, it's a lot easier to redesign it for mobile phones. A native application would have to be build from scratch.
Remember, web applications can be added to the iPhone home screen like native applications; you don't have to use Safari to access the web app!