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Why HTML5 Makes Sense for Mobile

These days there are more and more mobile devices that support rich software applications. Since the iPhone, we've seen the Blackberry, the Palm Pre and Android all start their own app stores, and surely Windows Phone 7 won't be far behind. With all of these options, how do you decide which ones to develop software for? Porting the same native application to five different platforms is expensive, but only supporting a few adds the risk of alienating users with non-supported devices. Fortunately, thanks to HTML5, it's now possible to develop one version of your application that works across all these platforms.

HTML5 is a new standard for developing web-based applications with rich interfaces similar to what can traditionally only be achieved in a desktop environment or by using browser plug-ins such as Adobe Flash. Support for HTML5 is being built right into all modern web browsers, with many features already available. While this is very good for the web community, it's also very good for the mobile space; all modern smartphones come with a browser that is working to support HTML5. This means that instead of re-writing the same application for each mobile platform, one single version can be written in HTML5 that works across all of them.

The main motivation for choosing HTML5 is that the smartphone market is diverging, while support for HTML5 is converging. Each mobile platform in the expanding mobile space has its own API and distribution model, and any new platforms will likely follow suite. Contrast this with support for HTML5, where all these platforms are rushing to implement the same specification. How will this look in a few years? We will have even more platforms to develop separate clients for, but all of them will have increasingly better support for HTML5.

Another big reason for choosing HTM5 is that it has a strong, predictable future. In addition to picking up traction all over the web, the specification for HTML5 is mapped out to the year 2022, over ten years from now (but that doesn't mean HTML5 is not ready to use right now). With the current smartphone market, it's difficult to predict which clients will even be around in a few years, let alone which ones will still be popular. Using an HTML5 client removes much of the guesswork surrounding which platforms to support, and as it becomes the default standard for web browsers, any future platforms will support it as well.

There are other benefits to an HTML5 client, such as the control it grants you over your application. With the iPhone, for example, Apple must approve any change that is made to a native application, even after it is released. With an HTML5 application, there is no need for an approval process — in fact, it's not even possible; device manufacturers and OS providers have no ability to regulate web content.

HTML5 is a great choice for mobile development in the current market. If you find yourself struggling to decide which platform(s) to develop for, or concerned about the future landscape of the mobile space, or unsure about having to seek approval from a manufacturer before your application can be deployed, consider the possible advantages of HTML5; it won't be right for every scenario, but creating a native app isn't either.

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Jun 25, 2010
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This is welcome indeed. I’ve been building a standard (i.e., not mobile-specialized) web app using Ext, which is generally a pleasure to use, and I’ve been bracing myself for the pain of building a mobile web app with even half the functionality of the standard web app, given the lack of a mobile-specialized library with anywhere near the power of Ext. jQTouch was among the better ones out there, but it still had some painful limitations (e.g., no support for tab-bar layouts). Just running the demos (on a Nexus One), I can see Sencha Touch is already a significant improvement. I’ll start using it immediately, and in view of the stellar work you guys have done with Ext, I look forward to its further development.

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HTML5 is a critical step for mobile web application development. Some of the key elements that it provides are:

* Offline Support — The AppCache and Database make it possible for mobile developers to store thing locally on the device and now that interruptions in connectivity will not affect the ability for someone to get their work done.

* Canvas and Video — These two features are designed to make it easy to add graphics and video to a page without worrying about plugins. When supported by the phone’s hardware, as is the case with the iPhone, they provide a powerful ways to get media into a page.

* GeoLocation API — This is actually not part of HTML5, but is a separate specification. That said, it is often bundled together because the mobile phones that are including HTML5 are generally supporting the GeoLocation API.

* Advanced Forms — Even simple things like the improvements in HTML5 for forms could make life easier for mobile applications. Fields that can be validated by the browser are improvements for mobile devices. The more that can be handled by the browser means less time downloading javascript code and less round trips to the server if validation can be found before the form is posted.

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HTML5 has some very good features to handle the mobile software. Good article sharing, I enjoyed reading this all.

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Dan thanks for the article.
HTML5 is most definately the way forward with many popular sites such as the washington post already using it.

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A very good write-up Dan. I should say HTML5 is a boon especially to the web community with it's rich interface package. What impress me most about HTML5 is, how it allows developers to create cross-platform designs and how it's going to make things much easier for mobile browsers to properly treat the contents in both desktop and mobile text. HTML5 is surely going to us a long way.

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Aug 08, 2010
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Nice Article you've posted Dan! I'm pretty much pleased of your good work! I've been looking for the keyword HTML in google and found your page. I thought this was a tutorial site or has a ready made HTML codes. As I read the article I found it interesting. I didn't know that there are such applications for mobiles like this does exist because here in the Philippines, it doesn't. Through your article I gain another knowledge about applications. I really appreciate your post.

Regards, Marl

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One of the most concise overview about HTML5! Yes, I do believe that the 'futuristic' or lets say advanced features merely rely on HTML5's on adaptability to smartphone's surging innovations. It's ready for the future., that's why it does make sense. More like harmony and flexibility.

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