Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
All Mobile Is Not the Same
The title of this topic includes the words “web apps,” which inherently acknowledges
that there are other sorts of apps out there. Let's talk about the three types of mobile
interfaces or applications.
Native Applications
If you've owned or used an Android phone (which I hope you have, if you're reading this
book), you've probably used a few of the applications on it. The web browser is one of
these applications, the contacts application is another, and the calculator application is
still another. These applications, for Android, are generally written using Java and
compiled using special tools known as the Android Software Development Kit, or SDK.
These tools are free to download and use, to create applications that you can publish in
the Android Marketplace.
These applications are called “native” applications in that they execute straight from the
phone. The user has a dedicated icon for them, and tapping it opens the application
(See Figure 4-4). These applications can store data easily on the phone, and can
interface with one another if the user allows. Typically they must be downloaded and
installed via the Marketplace or a publisher's web site but can also be "side-loaded" or
installed on a device by downloading and running the application's APK package on
your handset.
