
Why Native Apps Really Are Doomed - wsmith
https://medium.com/javascript-scene/why-native-apps-really-are-doomed-native-apps-are-doomed-pt-2-e035b43170e9#.wj3r17ufi
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jbpetersen
Spoiler: Progressive Web Apps

Please avoid using clickbait titles that don't clearly state what the article
is about. Good examples of how to do so:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/savedyouaclick/](https://www.reddit.com/r/savedyouaclick/)

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mead5432
While I'm not completely against the main idea of the post and plan on
incorporating many of these pieces into my next project, the statistics in the
post seem disjointed and don't really combine to sell the idea of a PWA.

First:

    
    
      More than half of web traffic comes from mobile
    

Certainly more people are surfing the internet on their phones than desktops
but how much of this traffic would be to a site that would ever be a native
app? How much of that traffic is returning vs. one-off visits? There are more
sites online than there was in 2007 and the internet is more pervasive than
ever... this stat could simply just be more traffic to different sites.
Following up on this statement, the author says that people are checking out
Facebook in their browser. I'd be interested in a citation around the number
of users who access Facebook via the mobile web vs the app.. that seems like
it would be more relevant in this case.

Second:

    
    
      Users spend 80% of their time using 5 apps
    

Why would a PWA change this stat? Just because I don't have to install an app
doesn't mean that I will magically use it more frequently or depend on it day-
to-day. If an app adds that much value to my life, is the installation process
really a barrier?

Third:

    
    
      80% of users who download an app fail to become active users
    

Why is that a function of a native app specifically instead of just a bad
sales or onboarding funnel? Why would a user be any more likely to turn into a
paying customer if that native app was instead a PWA?

How do any of the challenges facing native apps related to sales and customer
acquisition disappear if the app becomes a progressive one?

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kardos
The interesting question to me is on the privacy aspect... how much control do
we have over what a "PWA" can access?

