Recently I just started to learn Android Instant app. As far I research, it make me feel that it behaves like a Web App, which used to replace mobile websites.
This may be a dumb question, but I want to figure out whether Android Instant app is a Web App or not. And, any difference between both of them ?
Android Instant Apps allows Android users to run your apps instantly, without installation.
Web apps or Now most used as Progressive Web Apps are user experiences that have the reach of the web, and are: Reliable - Load instantly and never show the downasaur, even in uncertain network conditions
Differenrences between Webapp and AndroidInstantApp:
Web apps have lack integration with some smartphone features like contacts,Bluetooth, flashlight etc. AIAs always have.
Web apps can be crawled and discovered by search engines. While they don’t need to be developed as fully fledged apps, they still need to
be developed as web apps that meet Google’s standards.Whereas AIAs only need to be upgraded from the already existing
native mobile app.
You can also got more info here:- Android Instant Apps
Native Android apps, without the installation
Instant Apps are Native applications.
The description says:
Native Android apps, without the installation
An evolution in app sharing and discovery, Android Instant Apps allows
Android users to run your apps instantly, without installation.
Android users experience what they love about apps—fast and beautiful
user interfaces, high performance, and great capabilities—with just a
tap.
You can see the official documentations from here.
A android instace app can be run without internet and ... not a web app :)
Related
I am evaluating whether to build a native Android app vs. a progressive web app (PWA). PWAs seem to gain a lot of traction recently, and especially on Android with Chrome (+ Desktop) seem to support a lot of functionalities and access to device APIs.
What I can't find anything about:
Is it possible to integrate a PWA with Google Assistant the same way as a native app? Assume I want to build an Audio app, can I make it work with Google Assistant even in the form of a PWA? Not talking about just having the assistant open the app - it should be able to also handle request such as "play 50 cent on app_name" etc.
Besides the voice assistant integration, any other thoughts on why I should or should not build a PWA vs. a native Android app?
Thanks a lot in advance!!
Actions that can interact with web apps via voic ewill only be approved for games at the current time.
The Android Instant Apps is a new thing, and I just wanted to know if it can be integrated with the Hybrid app structure (HTML/JS with Cordova wrapper).
I'm not a native app developer so I'm not sure of this myself.
According to Googlers ,well main idea behind instant app is
To make the native app experience as convenient as surfing to a web
site. “Web pages are ephemeral,They appear, you use them, and never
think about them again.” Apps, have lots of friction and
often you only want an app to perform one action or to get a specific
piece of information.
Google's examples of Instant Apps included museum or resort apps with maps and schedules, along with apps that help you pay for parking. These are the kinds of rarely-used apps that are useful in the moment, though you wouldn't necessarily want to install them on your phone beforehand or keep them around afterward. Developers can, however, can provide "call to action" links that encourage users to download and install apps that they find particularly useful.
Instant Apps are a logical evolution of App Links, a Marshmallow-era feature that lets installed apps designate themselves as the default options for opening certain kinds of links. For instance, clicking a link to Pinterest might open up the Pinterest app rather than Pinterest's mobile site—Apple's "Universal Links" in iOS 9 provide similar functionality.
Google requires apps that use App Links to prove that they're associated with the sites they say they're associated with; the exact same sort of verification will be used for Instant Apps.
So if we analyze all the information provided by googlers Instant Apps for a start is only for native apps there is no scope for Hybrid Apps...
Hope this make sense...I am able to clear your doubt..we will know more when..the exact availability of instant apps for both end users and developers will gradually expand access to feature and bring it to users...
Technically, I don't see why not as Instant Apps end up compiling to what is just a regular APK (or set of APKs).
Will it work out-of-the-box? I doubt it, as there may be issues with tooling (which is via Android Studio) as well as runtime issues (Instant Apps have some restrictions on what they can do, see the FAQ).
Is it recommended? Probably not, as the point of Instant Apps is to provide a fast, native app experience. If the hybrid app ultimately loads HTML/JS then there is likely minimal advantage over simply loading an optimized mobile website.
I'm currently getting involved in an app project with a web site that will mirror its actions, the main goal is to confirm presence in clubs and bars and get discounts with it. (A little more than that, but not the scope of the question).
Despite my programming experience, I've never developed an app before, and at this time we already have the front-end of the website done, my question is if there is any advantage in developing the app from scratch, with an IDE or is it just time-wasting compared to using tools like those recommended in this article here.
What could be the drawbacks of just "converting" the website to an app?
TL;DR: Developing an app, is worth it to develop with an IDE or an online paid tool should do this job perfectly?
Both the options are viable.
Facebook, an extremely popular app just uses a WebView and renders the mobile version of their website (I am oversimplifying here). You still need a mobile version of the website though. The downside is, it will not look (or feel) as good as a native app.
On the other hand, a separate native app means more maintenance efforts.
Pick your poison.
I'd like to know if it's a way to write a mobile application which can purchase products through OpenCart website. Here are two possible methods I can think of. Please suggest which one is better or if there is another better way:
OMF - OpenCart mobile framework. I guest it's just a theme for the open cart website. Is it possible to run this inside PhoneGap ?
OpenCart Restful API. We can build the native UI in mobile application. But if there are any limitations?
I'll appreciate if anybody who have experience to build the open cart website for the mobile application advise. Thank you so much.
I shall answer because I was working on somewhat similar project before. Your suggested solutions first.
1] Using phonegap you develop hybrid mobile apps which run on webview on respected mobile platforms. And I don't recommend this method because what it does is renders the exact website DOM in mobile's webview and it will get rejected by Apple since they won't allow this due to native design guidelines consistency. So, unless you are only targeting Android users, forget this option.
2] Building native mobile app is preferable. However I should give you a heads-up that Opencart has prewritten APIs for Orders, customers, shipping, vouchers etc but not for products. You will have to manually write it.
I can't figure out what limitations you are referring. Obviously, in a mobile app the desktop version extensions won't work. the requirement mentioned in the first line of question can certainly be meet using API with native development.
I am on a research and our panel cannot quite understand that I am developing a mobile app using html5.
Does mobile app means a native app of a certain platform (ios / android)?
If the app can be accessed in a browser, does that mean this is not a mobile app? are there any articles/journals/researches that prove my claim that html5 applications nowadays are being considered as a mobile app today?
From my epx, native apps are basically apps written/developed on the specific device/platform
Eg: Native app for android would be using Java, while iOS would be Objective C,
while mobile-apps in this case are basically web-apps, which works cross platform.
HTML5 is unique in a sense that it is able to simulate certain functions or accessing device hardware without being developed in a native environment.
If you are accessing the app via a web-browser on you mobile phone, most-likely its a web-app.
Most sites will have different layouts for different platform, for example when using your Desktop or Laptop, you will have a different view compared to using your Mobile Phone.
Some points that I hope you find useful:
Can it be published on the App Store/Google Play?
Think it's safe to say, most people expect a mobile app to be found in them.
Note that, from personal experience, Apple has rejected apps that are just simple copies of webpages.
Common sentiment
It's not very useful if a journal says something that the general public does not agree. Ask around, ideally people that are the target segment/market of your app, see if they agree on the definition of an App.
Many popular Apps using HTML5
There are many Apps on the App Store/Google Play that uses HTML5 as it's main development language. Facebook is the most visible one, though they went back to native for UX/performance reasons. (See: http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/mark-zuckerberg-our-biggest-mistake-with-mobile-was-betting-too-much-on-html5/)
Phonegap
Is a quick way to get HTML5 apps "into" a native app. If you are already not using it.
All the best with your panel!
Mobile Apps Are not always native apps. Mobile apps can be Native, Mobile-Web or Hybrid. The Mobile-Web which is basically written in HTML5, CSS and Javascript.
Native Mobile Apps are Specific to a platform or Operating System written in most of the time a particular language examples are writing an android apps in JAVA and an IOS app in Objective C.
While Hybrid Apps are combinations of Both Native and web sometimes puree mobile-web but wrapped in a native shell. They simply runs on a native widget more like a Browser. For android its uses WebView