The State of Cross-Platform App Development

Cross-platform app development has come a long way, but will it survive the evolving market of the future?

Toronto, ON – 02nd November, 2016: Cross-platform app development has many benefits related to cost-effectiveness and code efficiency. Its downfall lies in the difficulty in creating a single app that caters to all platforms without compromising performance, which is a challenge that development tools are attempting to meet. To summarize the current state of cross-platform app development, BluEnt has analyzed industry trends on the subject and shared our findings.

Overview

The current state of implementation of cross-platform native applications is far from perfect. The biggest challenge for mobile apps is designing a graphical user interface (GUI) that works for the vastly different UX & UI of iOS and Android.

Upcoming cross-platform app development tools are placing an increasing emphasis on the app creation process itself, as opposed to end-user functionality. This is making mobile app development a much more collaborative experience for designers, developers, and clients that allow a much more strategic approach that incorporate more business and artistic skill.

However, these tools have yet to solve all the problems of cross-platform app development, and some have lost faith in the practice altogether. As it stands, here are the arguments for and against it:

Pros of cross-platform mobile app development

• Efficient code: InfoQ estimates that 50%-80% of code can be reused across platforms, resulting in faster development. All developers need to do is develop one program that can be adapted for the various platforms the app will be available on instead of creating a new codebase for each. This also makes managing changes much simpler, as they can be synced across devices to ensure a consistent user experience.

• Reduced costs: Naturally, building one codebase is much more cost-effective than the alternative. It allows you to save time and resources through both the initial development as well as in any updates that occur in the long run.

• Expanded market reach: Cross platform mobile app development allows you to reach the markets of each platform rather than choosing one or the other.

Cons of cross-platform mobile app development

• Lack of platform-specific UX: Cross-platform app frameworks are not always able to take into account the many differences in iOS features and Android features. This can inhibit the stability as well as the visual interest of the app design on each individual platform.

• Ever-changing OS updates: Mobile operating systems evolve at a rapid rate as features are added, removed, and changed. Constantly keeping track of multiple platforms as opposed to just one can be a daunting task for developers and limit the speed and creativity of their designs.

• Slower performance: Cross-platform app development sometimes results in an excess of cross-compliance, which can cause the app to run slower for the end user.

BluEnt’s Response

BluEnt is committed to providing IT solutions that are tailored to each of our clients’ needs. We provide apps that work efficiently across a wide range of devices (mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktops), as well as apps specific to iOS and Android.

To meet upcoming demand, it is clear that BluEnt must continue to invest in both cross-platform and native app development. On one hand, the latter offers total platform compatibility, naturally smooth performance, and ease of creating media-rich content.

However, we have proven over years of experience that cross-platform app development techniques can deliver excellent performance in a cost-effective manner, particularly for B2B applications. Furthermore, its faster time to market and marketing appeal have resulted in widespread adoption that gives clients an advantage in such an app-saturated market. BluEnt will continue to work towards creating innovative solutions in both fields to respond to the diverse needs of our clients.

About Us:

Formed in 2003, BluEnt specializes in proving custom websites, mobile apps, e-commerce, and internet marketing services for companies running an online dependent business or looking to develop tools to efficiently automate and monitor active processes in their organization. With 11 growing offices situated around the world, BluEnt is respected globally for its consistent quality of services and timely delivery of projects. We use our experience across industries and software applications to help enterprises derive maximum value out of their resources and investments.