The Failure of HTML Apps

Posted by Klaus Widraw on November 21, 2012 04:23 pm 13

These days, major apps like Tumblr or Facebook ditch their HTML written Apps for Native Apps to a more responsive design and faster apps.

It seems to me that the lacking quality of HTML Apps is rather a problem of the OS implementation of HTML apps than of HTML itself. (How the OS renders HTML apps).

→ Most major apps go native again.

This is kinda sad to see, because after all HTML apps have been supported a lot for a reason. HTML apps are easy to write and really easy to port. So with most major apps going native again, the strategic of cross-platform HTML apps failed.
This is (in my view) a step backwards.

The question needs to be raised, just why this happened. Why the manufactures did not sufficiently invest in HTML apps.

I think the answer is that

a) HTML apps could become Web-Apps very easy. Therefore they can be used online, without a explicit download in the app store. With web apps, Apple (and other) can no longer control the content and even more important, they can no longer charge the usual 30% app store fee.

b) Html apps are really easy to port to another platform. Today, the best reason to buy apple products is their huge collection of apps. If all apps would be HTML, they would get ported to Android and WP in no time. Therefore, HTML quality apps are bad for apple, because HTML apps are not exclusive to a single platform.

Also, it’s interesting to see who pushed HTML apps forward recently:

It’s no longer apple, now it’s Microsoft with Windows 8, which currently does not offer a huge collection of exclusive apps.

But here's why it does pay off for Apple, Google and co to invest in HTML Apps:

HTML is the best known Computer worldwide. With HTML Apps, Millions of new people are qualified to write their apps and to contribute with their creativity.