More and more mobile users are realizing that most mobile apps are a hassle; they simply clutter mobile screens and waste of valuable bandwidth. And app creators are starting to question whether they should make apps to begin with. That’s because as the number of mobile apps has exploded on both the Apple Store and Google Play market places, the chances of any individual app developer’s success have dwindled to nearly nothing.
According to tech advisory Gartner Inc., less than 1% of mobile applications will ever reach a stage of financial sustainability. But this isn’t to say that apps are going the way of the dinosaurs. They’ll just be migrating to the cloud.
People love apps for their superior interfaces and rich media features. However, the introduction of HTML 5 for websites is changing everything. HTML 5 supports rich media just as well as standalone apps, and in some cases it’s actually better. The next generation of apps will be browser-based applications that take advantage of HTML 5’s assortment of rich media features and create stunning user experiences that rival the best standalone mobile apps.
For users, this means they’ll be able to access applications without having to download them, they’ll never have to install another update, and their phone’s homescreens can be as minimalist as they like.
For developers, it means they won’t have to develop for different platforms. Usually, big developers would need to keep a large staff on hand to write code for the Android, iOS, Windows, and any other operating systems’ version of their app. By switching to browser-based apps written in HTML 5, developers will be able to target every OS without having to write code specific for each one.
Additionally, with web-based applications, localization is simple. HTML is essentially a text file that can be processed easily by any of today’s translation tools. HTML also automatically expands and contracts the layout to accommodate the requirement of the localized language and there are fewer concerns about isolating resources. This translates to savings for developers and – hopefully – those savings get passed on to consumers.
It may seem to be a premature prediction, but we’re calling it: the mobile app is on the way out and the browser-based app is coming.
The above article is a short summary of a white paper titled “The Death of Mobile Apps.” Click here to read the full white paper. If you’re interested in learning more about CSOFT’s globalization and localization solutions, visit our Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn pages or you can visit our webpage!
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