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Upsides and Downsides of HTML5 for Mobile App Development

Mobile applications are a rage at the moment. Everything we do, say or even think about, there is an app that makes things better and much easier. Because of this current fad, we see more and more developers, frameworks and technologies emerging in the field of mobile app development. While software developers work and sweat around the best app architecture and API integration methods, this app development platform has undeniably inspired a multitude of cross-table arguments – HTML5 or no HTML5. Through this article we will cover some upsides and downsides of HTML5 for mobile application development.

Before diving deep into the expansive folds of HTML5 and its superlative cognitive ability, let’s consider some of its deep down rivals. Apple’s Mac, iPhone and iPad devices are considered the pinnacle creations of their respective gadget segments. Now Mac and iPhone applications are usually designed using high-end technologies, such as Objective C, Xcode, and iOS APIs, which are many times more complex than the humble HTML5. Similarly, Windows applications are developed using Visual Studio, C# for Windows, whereas droid apps are built on Java, Eclipse and other Android APIs. Evidently, the competition for HTML5 stands high, and now we should see where exactly it stands amid the likes of its Apple, Windows and Android counterparts.

For starters, HTML5 is a markup language and has various features that enable it to run and execute on devices that are usually designed to consume less power. It is ideal for laptops, smartphones, and tablets which power-friendly processors as compared to the ones have used by desktops. Hence, with the ever so growing popularity of mobile devices, HTML5 has become the preferred markup language for designing structure and presenting information on the Internet at present.

Upsides of HTML5 for mobile app development

  1. Ideal for cross-platform application development – for iOS, Android and Windows,

  2. Programming Ease – HTML5 is comparatively easier to learn and master.

  3. Rapid app development for different resolutions, aspect ratio and screen sizes.

  4. Advanced features like GPS, camera, sensors, gyrometers and accelerometers is available.

  5. Application migration to JS and CSS is important; HTML5 serves well in this regard.

  6. Native mobile apps could be deployed as web applications easily.

Downsides of HTML5

  1. With native OS updates (Android, Windows, iOS) HTML5 mobile applications need to be reworked, in order to enable them in reflecting the new changes.

  2. HTML5 code needs to be tweaked for different native mobile OS platforms.

  3. Differences in platform runtimes become an issue sometimes during cross-platform development.

  4. Sometimes Java APIs and CSS/HTML5 attributes show abnormal behavior in HTML5 codes mobile apps.

It might seem that upsides are overshadowing the technical demerits, but some issues are tied up with different platforms and nothing can be done about that. HTML5 is ideal for developing interactive web pages for deployment across different OS platforms and browsers. This is the reason behind its popularity as cross-platform HTML5 mobile app tools are among the most sought after things of developers.