HTML5 Mobile Apps ARE as Good as Native

...and in a lot circumstances HTML5 is better than native. There was a time when that statement would have been absurb, but HTML5 mobile apps have advanced at a blazingly fast speed in the last couple of years. You might be surprised to know that even big players like Instagram, Uber and the Apple App store itself are all using hybrid HTML5 applications.

But if HTML5 mobile applications are so fancy schmancy, why isn't everybody using HTML5? More and more people are using HTML5 to build mobile applications, but there's still a lot of native developers out there developing for single platforms. Why? Are they stuck in the past? Afraid to move on? No. Because there's still plenty of good reasons to go native too.

Reasons to use Native:

• For complete access to the device and its features without having to include additional frameworks and plugins
• For applications that use a lot of processing power (image processing, 3D games etc.)
• Better tooling

Reasons to use HTML5:

• Write once and deploy to multiple platforms
• Easier to maintain, as you only need to manage one code base instead of 2, 3 or 4. As a single developer you can deploy your app to every platform without having to know multiple different, and complex, coding languages.
• Easier to learn, especially if you have a web development background

There are a lot of valid reasons to use either approach, sometimes native is better and sometimes HTML5 is better, but most of the time it just comes down to preference and what you're comfortable with. If you're a web developer then you're going to be a lot more comfortable building mobile apps with web tech.

The real killer feature of HTML5 though is the cross platform support. The mobile device market is very fragmented and if you only release on one platform then you will be missing a ton of users.

Want an example of a kickass HTML5 mobile app? Check out UNTAPPD and take note of how it is available on 4 different mobile platforms.

What Exactly IS a HTML5 Mobile Application?

If this is completely new territory to you then let me give a quick run down of how a HTML5 mobile app works:

1. You build a mobile application that looks and feels like a native mobile application with web languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript
2. You use a HTML5 mobile framework like Ionic to make Step 1 super easy (seriously, don't even try without one of these frameworks)
3. You can either stop here and publish your application to the web, or:
4. You use PhoneGap to wrap your application in a native wrapper so that you can submit it to app stores and access native API's like the Camera and Contacts

Once you have your HTML5 application on the app store, your users would not be able to tell that it wasn't a native application.

Coding HTML5 Mobile Apps is NOT the Easy Way Out

I'm going to be completely upfront with you here: you shouldn't come into this course expecting an "easy" way to create mobile applications.

Some people may have the impression that because you use all the technologies that you are familiar with on the web that creating a mobile app will be way easier and quicker than native.

This is certainly true to an extent, if you already know these web technologies then it will be easier for you to build an application with HTML5 than it would be with native since you're not going to have to learn a whole new language. But a good HTML5 mobile application is not something you can whip up in an afternoon.

To create truly awesome HTML5 mobile apps like Snow Buddy and UNTAPPD you will spend just as much time building your applications as you would with native.

As you may have heard people say, HTML5 is great for getting quick prototypes built, but many people make the mistake of stopping there. If you rush it and just try to get your application out as quickly as possible you will likely succeed, but your app will be pretty average. You can really push the boundaries, refine your application and make beautiful HTML5 mobile apps that would be indistinguishable from the best of native apps.

Most of the time really simple changes can have a huge impact on how well your application performs and how "native" it feels. Syd Lawrence (one of the creators of Snow Buddy), gave a talk on some simple things you can do to achieve this, in short:

• Use a Javascript framework (like Ionic or Phaser)
• Use translate3d for hardware accelerated CSS animations
• Make sure you remove the 300ms tap delay
• Use the SQLite plugin for local storage or PouchDB for online / offline syncing of data
• Don't update your UI when your app is running in the background (this kills the battery!)
• Avoid memory leaks by freeing up memory wherever possible
• Use Crosswalk for Android apps

What is this course all about?

This is an extensive, self paced course that will give you all the insight you need to start developing HTML5 mobile applications. You'll learn everything from general theory, to building real applications for both iOS and Android, to actually getting them live on the Apple App Store and Google Play. You will develop one data driven application with the Ionic framework, and one mobile game with the Phaser framework.

The course is split up into 5 sections, and each section is made up of several lessons. Lessons are a combination of tutorials, source code and homework tasks.

Check out the course structure below to see what you're in for (remember to check back later or sign up for a sneak peek at some of the lessons).

Who are you?

I'm a mobile developer from Adelaide, Australia - I have co-founded a mobile development company, authored three mobile development eBooks and have been blogging about mobile development since 2013. I take a practical and to the point approach to teaching. I understand that people have different levels of understanding and take the effort to make sure concepts, no matter how big or small, are explained thoroughly.

What do I get?

Once you have purchased your desired course you will receive a downloadable package that will contain the entire course content. The downloadable package will give you access to all of the content, including all the source code for the applications.

What is Ionic?

Ionic uses HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to create cross-platform mobile applications. You can write your application once with Ionic and deploy it to many different smart phone platforms, including iOS and Android. Check out their website to find out more.

What is Phaser?

Phaser is an open source desktop and mobile HTML5 game development framework. It uses JavaScript to create powerful games that can be simple time wasters to full blown complex games. It supports WebGL & Canvas, Physics, Sprites, Sounds, Tilemaps, Animations, Camera and a bunch more.

Can I use the example applications to build my own apps?

Yes you may use the source code provided as you please (even commercially), however I ask that you do not submit an exact copy to app stores.

What if I don't like the course?

If you feel like the course was not worth your money, then I will gladly refund you the full price. Simply reply to your purchase receipt email requesting a refund within 30 days.

Still have a question?

Feel free to contact me through the contact form on my blog, always happy to have a chat.

<< Back to packages