Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Android

Jesus Mendoza
Jesus Mendoza
23,288 Points
Posted by Jesus Mendoza
Jesus Mendoza
23,288 Points

Web Application or Native Application?

I friend of mine is opening a restaurant and he wants to let people order using Android. For this kind of application what should I make? A native Android Application or a Web Application?

I'll start from 0 (I'll learn and then make it). That's why I want to know what's the best way before I start!

1 Answer

Justin Black
Justin Black
24,793 Points
Justin Black
Justin Black
24,793 Points

Well, if you do a native android app -- only android users can order. Now sure, at the end of Q4 last year, android had 76% of the worlds market share in terms of mobile users.

24% is still a pretty big number to leave out, especially when you're not talking about 24% of a small subset, but are talking about 24% of a global market of billions of people.

So, a native android app, while cool -- shouldn't be released on its own without an accompanying iPhone app as well ( windows apps meh -- nobody with any sense uses anything built by microsoft )...

Now a web app however, fully designed to look and function well on a desktop and a mobile phone looks appealing here, because in theory it'll work on ALL mobile devices. Including the 0.4% of people who still have blackberry devices.. If it has a standards compliant, up to date browser, it'll be able to utilize your web application.

So, I'd say a web application is the better route at least initially.

Unless of course, he is providing the android device to order from. Then a native app is the route.