When using your mobile device which do you tend to go for: the mobile optimized web site or the native app? I never really thought many people used mobile browsers until listening to an older TWiT:AAA discussing browsers there was an overwhelming support for DolphinHD due to it's LastPass integration. I don't recall ever really finding myself browsing a ton of different sites that would necessitate using a browser just for LastPass integration.
I've always been a supporter of native apps because I've felt like it allows for the service to provide the best possible experience to the end user because they better leverage the hardware of the phone or tablet. I guess I wasn't alone in this thought because the social service Untappd released a native app this week and it seems to have gotten them a lot more attention despite having a mobile optimized website that wasn't all that bad.
So which do you like?
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Do you prefer native apps or using your mobile browser?
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frankspin's pick
Personally use them both.
The native apps are great for news, video streaming (Netflix & Hulu Plus), and games and don’t forget productivity apps like ever note and pages. These all offer an experience that I have found better in the apps than in the web in some case you can’t get these types of functions in the browser.
As for the browser its great for text heavy we pages, and just for bouncing around the web. With the browser you can go places you can’t with the apps and you have more freedom to bounce around. For example on the CNN app you always going to see CNN content. With the browser you can bounce between different places and sources by opening a new tab instead of launching a new app which in some cases closes the other app.
I think if flash was more robust on mobile browser or in the case of apple available then I think the browser would win. Maybe as HTML 5 gains traction and features the browser will win out but I don’t think it will be any time soon.
The native apps are great for news, video streaming (Netflix & Hulu Plus), and games and don’t forget productivity apps like ever note and pages. These all offer an experience that I have found better in the apps than in the web in some case you can’t get these types of functions in the browser.
As for the browser its great for text heavy we pages, and just for bouncing around the web. With the browser you can go places you can’t with the apps and you have more freedom to bounce around. For example on the CNN app you always going to see CNN content. With the browser you can bounce between different places and sources by opening a new tab instead of launching a new app which in some cases closes the other app.
I think if flash was more robust on mobile browser or in the case of apple available then I think the browser would win. Maybe as HTML 5 gains traction and features the browser will win out but I don’t think it will be any time soon.
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The only time I prefer the web versions is in cases where I don't want the service to have access to any of my Google account info (such as the address book). The only instance of that to date is facebook. I refuse to install facebook apps because I do not want to take any chances that they will skim my contacts.
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I like native apps better. To me, the mobile browser is too slow and it may take more clicks just to get around because the "app" on a mobile browser cannot map hardware buttons on the device (for Android). Also, if you haven't accessed the mobile browser in a while, going back to it may require a refresh of the page which, again, is slow.
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(For iOS)
Native
Pros - better performance, better "feel," takes advantage of hardware (screen size, etc...), uniform style, offline capabilities
Cons - requires more disk space, updates go through Apple (slower updates, requires approval)
Web app
Pros - can work on older devices, easily accessible, instant updating, requires minimal disk space
Cons - lesser performance, interactions with webpage elements (hard to explain but it has to do with the overall feel), requires constant data connection
Native
Pros - better performance, better "feel," takes advantage of hardware (screen size, etc...), uniform style, offline capabilities
Cons - requires more disk space, updates go through Apple (slower updates, requires approval)
Web app
Pros - can work on older devices, easily accessible, instant updating, requires minimal disk space
Cons - lesser performance, interactions with webpage elements (hard to explain but it has to do with the overall feel), requires constant data connection
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On a smartphone, I generally prefer native apps unless they do an excellent job with the mobile version of the website to make it appear like a native app. I don't like panning and zooming when browsing the web. Consistency also matters and generally native apps have a more consistent UI especially in IOS. Web browsing on a tablet particularly the iPad is better so not as much need for native apps. I am using an iPad now on gdgt in fact.
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I use iOS - so the answer might be different on other platforms.
I use them both, but have always preferred a native app given the choice for performance and functionality reasons. Also, for the less knowledgeable, installing native apps is certainly far easier than is the case with HTML5 apps.
Much of the benefit of an HTML5 app should be a smooth experience with externally linked content. However, I am often frustrated with external web sites that insist on forcing their "mobile" version on me when I'm using my iPad. Almost without exception, the "regular" version yields the better experience. This may not be the fault of HTML5 apps, but it is annoying enough to dampen my enthusiasm for them.
I use them both, but have always preferred a native app given the choice for performance and functionality reasons. Also, for the less knowledgeable, installing native apps is certainly far easier than is the case with HTML5 apps.
Much of the benefit of an HTML5 app should be a smooth experience with externally linked content. However, I am often frustrated with external web sites that insist on forcing their "mobile" version on me when I'm using my iPad. Almost without exception, the "regular" version yields the better experience. This may not be the fault of HTML5 apps, but it is annoying enough to dampen my enthusiasm for them.
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I typically use the native apps, except when they are so buggy that the browser experience is preferable. The most recent case of this for me was the Huffington Post app on Android. It has been so buggy that I deleted it and bookmakred a link to the mobile site instead.
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I prefer native apps, but I also like web apps for on the go since I use so many school computers. I actually prefer using Hotmail/Skydrive to the Google solution because it allows me to store my documents in the cloud, but use the native Office apps. There is just some stuff that that web apps can't do that Excel can.
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It depends on the site. I used to use IMDB.com in the browser all the time, their mobile site was fantastic. They updated their site, and ads tend to break the browsing experience now, so I downloaded the app, which works well, but the mobile site was much quicker, with less "chrome" to get in the way of what I was searching for.
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