Mobile web applications involve the development of internet-connected applications for viewing on a smartphones or tables that are connected to Internet. Nowadays mobile web applications such as Google Maps, Facebook, Mobile Blogging RSS feeds and many other rich GUI applications tailored for mobile devices. The necessity and importance of a flexible, modular, scalable and open framework that can seamlessly link the mobile users and all mobile web applications and services via a RIA is undeniable in this scenario. It is all about context and that context is evolving at a very fast pace.
The main problems include excessive published information online, compatibility issues between web applications and mobile web applications, limited memory and storage, limited processing power, high cost of storage, and lack of speedy mobile internet access, interoperability because of platform fragmentation of mobile device, mobile browser and mobile operation systems. Unfortunately, mobile native applications which are developed with a specific programming language such as objectiveC for IOS, Java for android, have many disadvantages if mobile application is mainly used to display and interact with online content, services and mobile users such as installation, updates, cross-platform compatibility, limited processing power, data storage, disk space requirement, virus protection, accessibility, integration with third party services, etc.
Moving forward, the distinction between native application and mobile web application is predicted to become increasing blurred because mobile browsers gain direct access to the hardware of mobile device, HTML 5 support, the performance of browser-based applications improve. E-Marketer recently published a very informative chart that shows application market share of mobile web applications versus native applications depending on usage.
Mobile web is slow because we are doing it wrong. Challenges in mobile web application development are slower networks, higher latency, slower hardware, different browsing experience, context and behaviors. A good understanding of the opportunities and challenges of mobile web application development approaches will be important to successful mobile web application development and positive user experience. In addition, hybrid approaches where mobile web applications can run in a device independent way across multiple hardware platforms appear to be promising for mobile web and application development efforts.
Mobile 2.0, the next generation of mobile internet service and applications that leverages precisely the name social web and media is crucial aspect of mobility. Another important paradigm is the possibility of delivering personalized, localized, on demand services to the mobile users, leveraging on the dynamic data context such as downloads, shares media with, and services.