A mobile app or application is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on desktop computers, and web applications which run in mobile web browsers rather than directly on the mobile device. Apps were originally intended for productivity assistance such as email, calendar, and contact databases, but the public demand for apps caused rapid expansion into other areas such as mobile games, factory automation, GPS and location-based services, order-tracking, and ticket purchases, so that there are now millions of apps available. Many apps require Internet access. Apps are generally downloaded from app stores, which are a type of digital distribution platforms. The term "app", short for "application", has since become very popular; in 2010, it was listed as "Word of the Year" by the American Dialect Society. Apps are broadly classified into three types: native apps, hybrid apps and web apps. Native applications are designed specifically for a mobile operating system, typically iOS or Android. Web apps are written in HTML5 or CSS and typically run through a browser. Hybrid apps are built using web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5 and function like web apps disguised in a native container.
Overview Most mobile devices are sold with several apps bundled as pre-installed software, such as a web browser, email client, calendar, mapping program, and an app for buying music, other media, or more apps. Some pre-installed apps can be removed by an ordinary uninstall process, thus leaving more storage space for desired ones. Where the software does not allow this, some devices can be rooted, jailbroken, or otherwise modified to eliminate the undesired apps. Users can download non-preinstalled apps from distribution platforms such as app stores. These may be operated by the owner of the device's mobile operating system, such as the App Store or Google Play Store; by the device manufacturers, such as the Galaxy Store and Huawei AppGallery; or by third parties, such as the Amazon Appstore and F-Droid. Usually, they are downloaded from the platform to a target device, but sometimes they can be downloaded to laptops or desktop computers. Apps can also be installed manually, for example by running an Android application package on Android devices. Some apps are freeware, while others have a price, which can be upfront or a subscription. Some apps also include microtransactions or advertising. In any case, the revenue is usually split between the application's creator and the app store. The same app can, therefore, cost a different price depending on the mobile platform. Mobile apps were originally offered for general productivity and information retrieval, including email, calendar, contacts, the stock market and weather information. However, public demand and the availability of developer tools drove rapid expansion into other categories, such as those handled by desktop application software packages. As with other software, the explosion in number and variety of apps made discovery a challenge, which in turn led to the creation of a wide range of review, recommendation, and curation sources, including blogs, magazines, and dedicated online app-discovery services. In 2014 government regulatory agencies began trying to regulate and curate apps, particularly medical apps. Some companies offer apps as an alternative method to deliver content with certain advantages over an official website. With a growing number of mobile applications available at app stores and the improved capabilities of smartphones, people are downloading more applications to their devices. Usage of mobile apps has become increasingly prevalent across mobile phone users. A May 2012 comScore study reported that during the previous quarter, more mobile subscribers used apps than browsed the web on their devices: 51.1% vs. 49.8% respectively. Researchers found that usage of mobile apps strongly correlates with user context and depends on user's location and time of the day. Mobile apps are playing an ever-increasing role within healthcare and when designed and integrated correctly can yield many benefits. Market research firm Gartner predicted that 102 billion apps would be downloaded in 2013 (91% of them free), which would generate $26 billion in the US, up 44.4% on 2012's US$18 billion. By Q2 2015, the Google Play and Apple stores alone generated $5 billion. An analyst report estimates that the app economy creates revenues of more than €10 billion per year within the European Union, while over 529,000 jobs have been created in 28 EU states due to the growth of the app market.
Types Mobile applications may be classified by numerous methods. A common scheme is to distinguish native, web-based, and hybrid apps.
Native app All apps targeted toward a particular mobile platform are known as native apps. Therefore, an app intended for Apple device does not run on Android devices. As a result, most businesses develop apps for multiple platforms. While developing native apps, professionals incorporate best-in-class user interface modules. This accounts for better performance, consistency and a good user experience. Users also benefit from wider access to application programming interfaces and make limitless use of all apps from the particular device. Further, they also switch over from one app to another effortlessly. The main purpose of creating such apps is to ensure the best performance for a specific mobile operating system.
Web-based app A web-based app is implemented with the standard web technologies of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Internet access is typically required for proper behavior or being able to use all features compared to offline usage. Most, if not all, user data is stored in the cloud. The performance of these apps is similar to a web application running in a browser, which can be noticeably slower than the equivalent native app. It also may not have the same level of features as the native app.
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