Why Should You Consider PhoneGap While Developing Your Mobile App?

According to a study, by 2023, the global mobile app market will generate over $935 billion in revenue. In 2020, the Apple store had 1.96 million apps available for download. The boiling demand for mobile applications among millennials and generation Z is going nowhere. One of the biggest concerns of an enterprise or an entrepreneur is to develop a mobile development strategy.

Developing a mobile application is a time-consuming process, and not every business leader can possess the prerequisite knowledge and resources to build it. One has to create native apps that are compatible across several platforms to increase the chance of success. Therefore, mobile app development has a crucial significance in determining your success.

Thanks to PhoneGap that allows developers to develop mobile applications and produces apps for different types of platforms. It eliminates the need to launch your app on a specific number of platforms. It is an HTML5 app platform that allows you to build native applications using web technologies to access APIs and numerous app stores.

Currently, there are over 62000+ PhoneGap-based apps with 8 million downloads. The best part about PhoneGap is that you don’t need to hire a highly certified developer; basic web developers familiar with Web APIs can execute PhoneGap Android Development. 

Origin Of PhoneGap

PhoneGap was created by Nitobi in 2011, after which Adobe Systems acquired the development framework and converted it into an open-source framework. Adobe Sytems rebranded the codebase Apache Cordova to PhoneGap. Adobe developed and extended the idea behind the Apache Cordova engine; they kept it is substantially free. 

Using the open-source and free framework, developers can develop mobile apps using web codes such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. If you hire a PhoneGap programmer, you can easily handle several complicated procedures while developing a mobile app in a decent amount of time.

It is one of the most popular cross-platforms that can save you many development costs on your project. The codes can be simplified for various platforms like Windows, Symbian, Android, iOS, WP7, and more while utilizing standardized web APIs.

But the PhoneGap app development is divided into multiple sub-projects. Each project represents a specific platform; you have to deploy XCode for developing an iOS app version. Similarly, for creating an android version of your app, you have to deploy Google Android SDK, Eclipse IDE, and Eclipse ADT.

Apart from having cross-platform compatibility, it operates as a native app across multiple platforms. It also feels like a native app. If you are looking for a gripping user interface design, the PhoneGap shouldn’t be a perfect choice because it does not support complicated animations and high-quality graphics in UI.

It is known for providing utility. With PhoneGap, you can equip its hardware features on your app, such as media files, camera, storage, notifications, network, etc. PhoneGap also offers an additional WebView framework that is capable of performing multiple features.

Difference Between PhoneGap And Other Platforms For Mobile Development.

PhoneGap is a web-based mobile development framework; it can install the native codes in a web view. Other mobile application development frameworks are solely linked to native codes.

Once you start working with a PhoneGap programmer, you will notice that your developer will integrate the native web view of a specific platform to create the hybrid version of the app in that particular platform.

It allows the development of apps that systematically operate queries via the web. However, it would be best to remember that PhoneGap is known for providing utility instead of providing a rich and premium user experience.

How Does PhoneGap Work?

To start with, you PhoneGap developer needs to select a web IDE to lay down the front-end HTML pages. By using hyperlinks or swapping div elements, one can manage these pages. Your PhoneGap programmer will integrate the device’s hardware specifications; he or she will deploy one JavaScript API into a specific platform. The JavaScript API can be obtained from a .js file available in PhoneGap downloads. That will refer to the HTML pages.

Once your developer has completed the web application, they will transform it into mobile applications for various kinds of platforms. How? By creating native projects on each platform. Your developer must have attention to detail and knowledge for successfully building this app on a specific platform.

The developer then works with the IDEs for the particular platforms, like Android Studio, Eclipse for Android, and XCode for iOS. With the help of these unique IDEs, your developer would be ready to proceed with precise activity classes and manipulations with APIs in the native project.

Is PhoneGap Efficient in Shortening Time-To-Market When It Comes To App Development?

It is pretty evident that developing an app is a time-consuming process in itself. It requires time, effort, resources, and knowledge. However, within the process, running multiple tests, rectifying issues, and debugging takes a considerable amount of time and consumes resources. But during mobile app development, there is no need for building and testing various native apps.

Due to this benefit, it shortens the time sprints. It allows you to test the app across multiple platforms within a short time. The PhoneGap Design Service enables you to create a minimum viable product or MVP that enables you to test your business idea quickly across multiple mobile platforms while using minimum resources.

PhoneGap is highly recommended for agile software development rather than using it for developing multiple native apps. Why? Simply because you need to finalize the development of one native app for a specific platform before you move onto the next native app. Therefore, it reduces agility.

Concluding Thoughts

PhoneGap is a perfect choice for building multiple native apps that do not incorporate heavily built graphics and animations and do not use the native features of an operating system too heavily.

PhoneGap is one of the most recognized hybrid technologies used to develop mobile apps with cross-platform compatibility in a short sprint of time. It is a cost-effective approach as the framework works on a single code base to develop apps for a diverse range of mobile devices.
It does not incorporate heavily-built graphics and animations, due to which it does not utilize the native features of an operating system heavily. Saffron Tech has more than 12+ years of experience in creating high-quality mobile apps.

The app development team has completed more than 500+ apps for clients from different niches of business. They guarantee the highest level of quality assurance and robust testing with unmatched support. If you have been looking for a well-recognized mobile app development company, then team Saffron Tech should be your perfect choice.