Anmol: Hello and welcome back to the Unthinkable Tech Podcast, the pulse on technology that is shaping our future. I’m your host, Anmol Satija, and we’re excited to dive deep into the latest trend that is not only shaping the future of technology but also entrepreneurship.

Today, we are exploring a topic essential for startups to thrive: hybrid apps. With money and competition fiercer than ever, startups are constantly searching for efficient and cost-effective solutions to bring their ideas to life. Enter hybrid apps—the perfect blend of performance, flexibility, and reach. But what makes them the preferred choice for startups? Is it their ability to operate seamlessly across platforms, or perhaps the rapid development cycle that allows for quicker market entry? Let’s find out.

To help us unpack this exciting topic, we have a very special guest joining us today. He’s a tech expert with a wealth of experience and a passion for innovation. I would like to welcome Abhijit Tripathi from Unthinkable Solutions. Abhijit has been at the forefront of mobile tech advancements and has been helping startups harness the power of hybrid apps to drive growth and success.

Anmol: Hi Abhijit, welcome to the show.

Abhijeet: Hey Anmol, thanks for having me here. Really excited and looking forward to the conversation.

Understanding hybrid apps: What sets them apart?

Anmol: So without any further ado, let’s get into the conversation. Now, just to make it more clear for our audience, could you please provide a brief overview of what hybrid apps are? Additionally, how do they differ from native and web apps in terms of architecture and functionality?

Abhijeet: Absolutely, Anmol. Hybrid applications were able to resolve a major use case: helping organizations maintain one code base and deploy to multiple platforms, which eventually helps speed up and simplify workflows. In contrast, native apps are built specifically for one platform, such as Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android. They deliver high performance but require separate code bases for each platform. Moreover, web applications run entirely in the browser, which limits them due to internet connectivity requirements, and they don’t offer the same access to device features as native or hybrid applications do.

Anmol: Yeah, it is interesting to see how hybrid apps leverage web technologies while still providing the benefits of native performance, right? The distinction between hybrid, native, and web apps that you just mentioned really highlights the flexibility that hybrid solutions have to offer.

Why tech giants and startups prefer hybrid today?

Now, I would like to state that major players in the tech industry like Google, Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and many others have either started with hybrid apps or transitioned to them. This shift is significant and speaks volumes about the advantages that hybrid apps have to offer. So, given this backdrop, I am curious to hear your thoughts. Why do you think hybrid apps have gained such popularity in recent years? What is it about them that resonates so strongly with both startups and established companies alike?

Abhijeet: Well, as we already highlighted, the popularity of hybrid applications stems from several factors. Firstly, they allow companies to maintain one code base for multiple platforms, which significantly reduces development time and cost. This is particularly appealing for startups that need to be agile and make the most of limited resources while still building upon the product they want to roll out. With this, they can quickly roll out some features initially on all platforms together, helping them reach and get really early feedback from end users.

Secondly, hybrid applications have been working hard over the years to achieve near-native performance. Earlier, it was mainly iOS developers or Android developers who could produce such applications with native code bases. But now, even web developers have transitioned to frameworks like React Native and Flutter. As these frameworks evolve, their performance has increased to near-native levels, thanks to technologies like React Native and Flutter. This evolution has made hybrid apps a viable alternative to native applications without sacrificing much in terms of speed or user experience.

Definitely the popularity of hybrid applications is not limited to startups. Even large companies like Meta and Uber have made the switch for their products like Instagram and Uber Eats, just to mention a few. This shows that hybrid applications can handle massive user bases and complex functionalities as well.

Anmol: Right, that’s a great perspective, Anmol. It’s impressive to see how hybrid apps have matured and can now support the scalability and performance needs of major players and new entrants in the market.

Now, building on that, I’m curious about the applicability of hybrid apps beyond just mobile. When we think about hybrid apps, is their value proposition limited to mobile development only, or do you see them being equally beneficial for web platforms as well?

Abhijeet: That’s an important distinction. While hybrid applications initially focused on Android and iOS, many frameworks like React Native and Flutter now allow extension to web and desktop platforms. This means organizations can deliver a consistent user experience with the flexibility to tweak the configurations for iOS, Android, web, etc., reaching a vast range of devices across multiple platforms—all while maintaining a single code base, which is a significant advantage in terms of cost and audience reach.

The rise of hybrid apps

Anmol: I think the evolution towards multi-platform solutions certainly seems to be a strategic advantage for companies aiming to streamline their development processes.

Now, if we look back at the journey of hybrid apps, I am very curious about the historical context. What key developments or trends do you think contributed to the rise of hybrid apps in the mobile development landscape?

Abhijeet: The rise of hybrid applications can be traced back to a few key developments. Initially, mobile application development was entirely native, creating a lot of redundancy for developers who had to build the same application twice: once for iOS and again for Android. The need for a faster hybrid solution led to frameworks like PhoneGap and Apache Cordova in the early 2010s. While these frameworks were early attempts, they had limitations in performance and user experience.

Then, the real game changer was introduced with React Native by Facebook in 2015. React Native brought the performance of native applications while combining the flexibility of web technologies, setting the standard for modern hybrid development. Nowadays, if we just go and use some applications, you can hardly tell if they are built with React Native, Flutter, or if they’re native applications; many applications are being developed as hybrid.

Eventually, after React Native, Google closely followed this trend and introduced Flutter around 2017, which further targeted smoother animations and performance, boosting it way further than React Native. Right now, Flutter is very close to native performance.

Both frameworks are competitive in speed, continuously striving to optimize for performance and platform updates. With community support and open-source plugins, it’s been really helpful for developers to utilize these frameworks to develop applications.

React Native vs Flutter

Anmol: That was a great overview, Abhijit. Thank you. Given this backdrop, I would love to hear your thoughts on the key technologies that have contributed to the evolution of hybrid apps. What specific tools or frameworks do you think have been instrumental in shaping the capabilities and performance of hybrid apps today?

Abhijeet: Along with increasing device processing capabilities and internet speed over the years, there have been certain technological evolutions that have really helped in hybrid application development. Firstly, frameworks like React Native and Flutter offer near-native performance while maintaining flexibility. Earlier, it was Cordova and similar frameworks, but there’s been a major shift in performance.

For instance, the performance for React Native is around 70-80% compared to native applications, while Flutter is closer to 90-95% of native performance. React Native works well without noticeable performance lags. Depending on the use case, you may even consider Flutter or Native if the application is particularly resource-intensive.

Secondly, the growing developer community has led to community-maintained plugins and cloud services. Even the third-party SDKs that were initially limited to Android or iOS have developed more plugins for React Native and Flutter over time. For example, Firebase now allows tasks like authentication, analytics, and push notifications that were previously limited to native applications.

Continuous improvement in web technology has also enhanced the performance and user experience for hybrid applications. Moreover, CI/CD platforms like AppCenter and Bitbucket are actively working on mobile-first scenarios, which has helped in faster rollouts. Nowadays, executing different steps in CI/CD for hybrid applications is much easier with pre-created workflows.

Lastly, the biggest contributing factor has been the acceptance by organizations and developers. Many organizations are interested in hybrid applications, and it’s growing rapidly. I think 60-70% of organizations are now into hybrid applications, and even if they haven’t moved into this space yet, they are seeing the growth and support from the developer community.

Strategic choice for CXOs: When to go hybrid?

Anmol: That was quite an insightful breakdown. Thank you! Now, given the context, I think it is crucial for our audience to understand the strategic impacts of choosing hybrid app development. What key considerations should CXOs keep in mind when deciding whether to invest in hybrid app development? In what scenarios do you think hybrid apps are the better choice compared to native apps?

Abhijeet: For CXOs, the decision comes down to a few key factors like time to market, budget, targeted audience, and long-term maintenance. Hybrid applications allow organizations to enter the market faster because they involve writing one code base that can be quickly deployed for multiple platforms. Otherwise, they would have to build separate applications for Android and iOS, which can lead to inconsistencies and additional challenges.

This scenario makes hybrid applications an ideal choice for companies looking for quick validation of product ideas or rolling out initial features for beta testing. The budget is also a huge factor. With hybrid applications, you’re paying for one development team instead of separate teams for each platform.

However, if your application relies heavily on advanced device features or requires extremely high performance, like gaming applications, native might still be the better option. But for most cases, hybrid applications are now at par with native functionality. CXOs should also consider their long-term goals; if they plan to expand to other platforms like web or desktop, starting with a hybrid application makes that expansion much easier.

For example, from our own experience at Unthinkable, we have suggested clients transition from native or web development to hybrid applications. Even our products like Locomo and Verbi are actively using hybrid frameworks, especially React Native.

Over time, with Unthinkable’s emphasis on reusability, we have developed our own AI libraries and hybrid boilerplates that can help us create platform-first applications for mobile and web platforms using React Native and React.js, respectively. That has been a great experience moving to hybrid applications.

Common hybrid app challenges and real-world fixes

Anmol: I would totally agree. The flexibility of hybrid apps certainly allows for quicker validation and easier expansion across platforms, which is appealing to many organizations. However, like any other application, hybrid apps might come with their own set of challenges. What are some of the common challenges you see in hybrid app development, and how can organizations effectively overcome them?

Abhijeet: One of the major considerations is performance. Although hybrid applications have come a long way in terms of performance, there can still be trade-offs compared to native apps, particularly for complex animations or graphics-heavy applications. This is a factor teams should consider when choosing between native and hybrid frameworks.

However, you can mitigate performance issues by optimizing code and using native modules for performance-heavy tasks, unless the requirements are at the level of gaming applications. Other challenges can include accessing platform-specific features. While hybrid frameworks offer access to most device features, you might occasionally need to write native code to bridge certain functionalities. Fortunately, platforms like React Native allow you to write native modules when needed, giving you the flexibility to overcome these limitations.

For example, a few years back, we used a Vonage plugin for video calling features in a React Native project. Initially, the SDK was limited to desktop and Android/iOS SDKs. However, because it was required for a project, our React Native and native teams collaborated to develop a plugin that allowed us to interact with the iOS and Android SDK from Vonage. That was a successful integration. Eventually, as hybrid applications grew in popularity, Vonage also started creating their own plugin for React. The support for such plugins has increased significantly, and now it’s quite common to find plugins for various functionalities in React Native, making development much smoother.

Anmol: Great insights, Abhijit. I would agree that organizations must consider performance challenges and the need for native code to access specific features when choosing hybrid development.

Hybrid app security best practices

Now, another critical aspect that often comes up in hybrid app development is security. What are some specific security concerns associated with hybrid app development, and how can organizations address these risks to ensure that their applications remain secure?

Abhijeet: That’s a very important question. Security is always a concern, regardless of whether you’re building for native, hybrid, web apps, or anything else. Hybrid applications do not inherently have more vulnerabilities than native apps because they ultimately interact with the native code. However, they do come with specific considerations.

For example, since hybrid applications rely on web technologies, developers need to ensure that communication between the app and the server is secure. This can be achieved through methods like SSL pinning and proper encryption. Additionally, it’s crucial to ensure that the code is obfuscated. I worked with a client where we found that their live application code wasn’t adequately protected. It’s important for development teams to obfuscate their code before uploading it to app stores to prevent unauthorized modifications.

Moreover, this is particularly relevant for web applications, where if developers forget to obfuscate their code, someone could easily inspect the elements and source code.

Over the years, there have been multiple upgrades in security for web technologies. For example, in Android, we have tools like ProGuard, which provide multi-layer protection against risks like jailbreaking and rooting.

Anmol: That’s a real eye-opener. It’s important to remember that security should always be a top priority.

The future of hybrid apps

As we look to the future, I’m curious about the potential impact of emerging technologies. How do you see advancements in AI and machine learning influencing the development and functionality of hybrid apps? It would be fascinating to explore how these technologies might shape the next generation of hybrid applications.

Abhijeet: AI and machine learning are indeed huge growth areas, especially after the recent boom following the release of ChatGPT. People are starting to explore how they can create applications that leverage these technologies, not just at the native level but also within hybrid applications.

Hybrid applications are well-positioned to take advantage of AI-powered features like chatbots, recommendation engines, and real-time analytics. These features can easily be integrated into hybrid applications using cloud-based APIs. For example, at Unthinkable, we utilized hybrid frameworks to create our in-house ChatGPT-powered chatbot, Verbi. It was much quicker to develop and roll out as a hybrid application compared to native.

Anmol: What an interesting conversation we’ve had today, Abhijit. You have truly illuminated the evolving landscape of hybrid apps and their significance for startups and established companies alike. Thank you for joining us and sharing your expertise on this important topic. Your perspective is invaluable.

Abhijeet: Thank you, Anmol! It was a great experience for me as well. I really enjoyed having this interesting and crucial conversation with you.

Anmol: To our listeners, we appreciate you tuning in. We hope you found this discussion insightful and thought-provoking. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your network. Until next time, keep exploring and embracing the innovations that shape our digital world.