A recent advancement of the mobile web has enabled features previously only found in natively developed apps. Thus, arduous development for several platforms or using cross-platform approaches was required. The novel approach, coined Progressive Web Apps, can be implemented through a set of concepts and technologies on any web site that meets certain requirements. In this paper, we argue for progressive web apps as a possibly unifying technology for web apps and native apps. After an introduction of features, we scrutinize the performance. Two cross-platform mobile apps and one Progressive Web App have been developed for comparison purposes, and provided in an open source repository for results' validity verification. We aim to spark interest in the academic community, as a lack of academic involvement was identified as part of the literature search.

Mobile apps are increasingly realized by using a crossplatform development framework. Using such frameworks, code is written once but the app can be deployed to multiple platforms. Despite progress in research on cross-platform techniques, results (i.e. apps) are not always satisfactory. They are subject to tedious tailoring and the development effort tends to be notable. In these cases, either pure web apps (realized through web browsers) or native apps (realized for each platform separately) are chosen. Recent activities have led to new approaches. In this paper, we have a closer look at three of these, namely React Native, the Ionic Framework, and Fuse. We present a comprehensive analysis of the three approaches. Our work is based on a real-world use case, which allows us to provide generalizable advice. Our findings suggest that there is no clear winner; the frameworks incorporate notable ideas and general progress in the field can be asserted.

The purpose of this study is to report on the industry’s perspectives and opinions on cross-platform mobile development, with an emphasis on the popularity, adoption, and arising issues related to the use of technical development frameworks and tools. We designed and conducted an online survey questionnaire, for which 101 participants were recruited from various developer-oriented online forums and websites. A total of five questions are reported in this study, of which two employed a Likert scale instrument, while three were based on multiple choice. In terms of technical frameworks, we find that PhoneGap, the Ionic Framework, and React Native were the most popular in use, both in hobby projects and in professional settings. The participants report an awareness of trade-offs when embracing cross-platform technologies and consider penalties in performance and user experience to be expected. This is also in line with what is reported in academic research. We find patterns in the reported perceived issues which match both older and newer research, thus rendering the findings a point of departure for further endevours.

Developing applications targeting mobile devices is a complex task involving numerous options, technologies and trade-o s, much so due to the proliferation and fragmentation of devices and platforms. As a result of this, cross-platform app development has enjoyed the attention of practitioners and academia for the previous decade. Throughout this review, we assess the academic body of knowledge and report on the state of research on the eld. We do so with a particular emphasis on core concepts, including those of user experience, device features, performance, and security. Our ndings illustrate that the state of research demand for empirical veri cation of an array of unbacked claims, and that a particular focus on qualitative user-oriented research is essential. Through our outlined taxonomy and state of research overview, we identify research gaps and challenges, and provide numerous suggestions for further research.

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