Should iOS native app be distinctly different than the responsive website's mobile version?

Question

I was in a training session, where a room full of designers were learning iOS prototyping in Xcode, and there was an individual there who came from Apple to make sure everything in the course was done properly, and if there were any questions, she would be the point of contact (mind you, she was a developer). Then she brought up a point where native iOS apps should be distinctly different than a website's responsive mobile site.

Apple's ideology is that the iOS native app should be different than their web experience, but from the data we are getting, users don't make a distinction between mobile and native and that the experience in both should be consistent.

I believe they shouldn't have different experiences, and leveraging the web's assets into the native app should be the way to go (hybrid apps: Amazon does it, Twitter does it, but Apple doesn't).

I downloaded Apple's native app, and yes, their experience is different. But why? Why does a mobile native app have to have a different feel? Does it? But if it doesn't, then why is Apple doing that? Is there something we, the public, are unaware of? If we don't need very different experiences then why does having to create a iOS app have to be a thing (putting aside that it's faster and more responsive in terms of interactions and animations - let's just pretend that responsiveness is equal in both environments).

Answer 1

If your app is the same as your website, then why have an app?

As a mobile user, it drives me crazy how every single website tries to convince me to download a dedicated app, which often turns out to be nothing more than the same web functionality repackaged. This adds no user experience benefit at all.

I'm sure the company in question thinks it is a major marketing benefit to have a dedicated icon cluttering my home screen, but I just find it annoying. And since these apps are often done poorly, they create plenty of negative feelings toward the company when I try to use them.

This is something that "the data [you] are getting" may not capture. If you are just asking users to evaluate the app itself, you might not be capturing the experience of being asked to download and use the app within their phone environment. There is a definite negative here if your app just ends up feeling like a website, in my (subjective but very strong) opinion.

In short, if you're gonna make an app:

• It should have a reason for existence. There should be a need for it that the website doesn't meet well. And I am talking about a reason the user wants it, not a reason the company wants it to be on the user's phone.
• It should work well as an app, integrating into the phone environment. Often this does mean having a native look and feel. I suppose an app that does not follow platform conventions, but works well and accomplishes its task, may work fine in some cases. Not having a native appearance is a risk, though, as it may mean it is counterintuitive to users.

This rant might be a bit misdirected, and my apologies if it doesn't really apply to you. But even if this doesn't directly describe your company/client, I still think this is a good way to think about the issue.

Answer 2

The Android could throw the Apple out the Windows

When you provide an Apple-like look and feel on a website, would people visiting the site who use Android phones, Samsung tablets, Windows phones, Surface tablets, and Windows laptops will see the same thing? If so, do you see how the Apple experience might not be familiar—or welcomed—by non-Apple users?

If you'll excuse this broken analogy, it's like asking people who go to Burger King or Kentucky Fried Chicken to dress in a Ronald McDonald clown suit before they can place their order.

Answer 3

There should certainly be a difference between the native app and the mobile web page. Not only does dan1111's point ring true - why bother with an iOS app if you're just repackaging the web page without changing it much - but you should make it play to the strengths of the platform.

What's important about a mobile webpage?

• Small download footprint
• Quickly see what's important
• Enable user to do functionality likely to do on a phone

You end up discarding a lot of things that you would keep on the desktop app, right? A lot of Javascript, probably. A lot of images. Media. Simpler layout, reduced functionality, in order for it to display quickly and get the user where they're going as fast as possible.

On the other hand, your native app has some distinct advantages.

• It can be pre-loaded with images, media, etc., to give a desktop-like response on a mobile page.
• You can use scripting without having to worry about big Javascript library downloads and similar issues that would cause a mobile web page to take a long time to load.
• You can use native structures, such as spinners/dropdowns/etc. that are familiar to the user
• You can use built-in features to give more effective contextual help, and in some cases interact with other apps more readily (say, launching Twitter or Facebook)

So, if you do decide to write a native app, you should do so for the purpose of taking advantage of those things. If you're just displaying text, why bother? Mobile web pages do that fine. But if you can take advantage of the native app to provide better functionality for the similar responsiveness, and it's actually useful functionality, then go that route.

Answer 4

Long story short? Because there is no way on earth that your responsive website (or cordova app for that matter) will provide the apple user with an apple experience kinda app. And basically from my point of view that is what it's all about, not hybrid or native but the "apple experience".

If you're familiar with ios you can tell just by using an app if it's a hybrid app or a pure xcode app made with following the apple guidelines.

Like someone stated, when you're designing hybrid apps or responsive sites you're basically providing users with the android experience, the same android experience that makes me want to throw away my phone, controls are not the same, a lot of features are not implemented (shake to undo etc...) and so on.

Answer 5

A native app should be different that the responsive web, it depends on the use-case.

Sometimes, a responsive web app is great for new users who want to try the product, and a native app are great for frequent users who are more engaged with the product.