Mobile Applications have become so popular that they can be found everywhere; many times when there is a commercial on television they will advertise about a mobile application or anytime there is an up and coming company (or even an established company), chances are that the company has a mobile application. With the rise and popularity for mobile apps for android and other platforms, one question which recently came up during a mobile app convention in San Francisco, California was: Is there (or will there be) a difference between mobile applications, tablet applications and other applications which one can download onto their computer?
After discussing this question with a group of mobile apps development companies and mobile application “experts”, the answer which everyone seemed to agree upon is that there is no major difference between mobile applications, tablet application and computer applications since the core functionalities and features for the application on various platforms will all be the same. Yes there may be some slight changes in the User Interface for the tablet application compared to the mobile application or for the computer application compared to the tablet application but the differences will not be major or anything where the user needs to completely re-learn the functionalities /features of the application. Another area where there may be a slight difference (more towards the development side) is with the screen resolution. Since Smartphones, Tablet PCs and Computers all have different screen resolutions, the application needs to be tailored to fit each type of screen resolution depending on the device which the application is running on. It is still possible to run a mobile application on a tablet PC but the picture/screen quality will not be as clear as if the user was using a tablet application specifically for his/her tablet.
One mobile application developer brought up an interested idea/concept that in the future, it would not surprise him if a whole new niche of applications start being rolling out known as Automobile Applications or some type of applications which are designed/tailored specifically for automobiles and different types of vehicles. This mobile application developer believed that these “Automobile Applications” would show the User Interface on the actual windshield of the car or on the side mirrors. The entire application would be touch screen (pressing on the glass) and the user would be able to move the application screen on the windshield if desired. These types of applications would help with finding specific locations/destinations, GPS, Communicating with individuals while still keeping both hands on the wheel, and many more possibilities. Yes, it is true that a majority of mobile applications currently have these features mentioned (above) but it will be different when the application is running on a larger screen (windshield or window) and the individual does not have to hold the device (Smartphone) while driving to access the application.
The possibilities for applications (specifically mobile applications) are endless and this is only the beginning of the mobile application industry. The demand and popularity for mobile applications are rising every day and the craze for mobile applications does not seem to be dying down anytime soon. As long as there are incoming requests for new applications, mobile application developers and smartphone app development firms will remain active and busy developing mobile applications for all types of users. It is impossible to predict the future but it can be a fairly accurate statement to say that the mobile application industry will be going strong for the next few years.