A native mobile app is a smartphone application that is coded in a specific programming language, such as Objective C for iOS and Java for Android operating systems. Native mobile apps provide fast performance and a high degree of reliability. They also have access to a phone's various devices, such as its camera and address book. In addition, users can use some apps without an Internet connection. However, this type of app is expensive to develop because it is tied to one type of operating system, forcing the company that creates the app to make duplicate versions that work on other platforms.
Most video games are native mobile apps.
Companies that are looking to promote themselves to the smartphone market have other options beyond native mobile apps:
Hybrid App: This type of application has cross-platform compatibility but can still access a phone’s hardware. It is developed using platforms such as Sencha, PhoneGap and Mosync.
Dedicated Web App: A website that is tailored to function on a mobile device. These are tailored to a specific platform and will not work on other smartphones or feature phones.
Generic Mobile App: A mobile website that will work with all mobile phones.
In the early stages of the smartphone market, most apps were tailored to the iPhone. However, the market share for Android phones grew, thus, the need for cross-platform functionality became an issue.
