Users today expect mobile access to the same applications and data that they have on their desktop or laptop computer, and failure to provide this type of access can lead to a lack of adoption of an application.
There are three types of mobile applications:
Native: These applications provide access to all the features on a device and have the potential for the slickest user experience and best performance. The downsides are that a separate application needs to be built for each platform that is supported using platform-specific tools and languages, and distributing and upgrading an application is often constrained by the platform (to distribute an iOS application, for example, requires membership of the Apple Developer Program).
HTML5: These are web applications that are accessed via the device browser. They do not have access to many device features and have limitations around offline storage and session management. The key benefit to HTML5 mobile applications is that one application...