I can’t help but wonder if the age of app domination is a going to become a thing of the past. Billions of apps are downloaded to devices such as the iPhone, Android smartphones, and iPad. But is it all really necessary? And is it really the best thing for developers to be spending their time on?
Let me use an example of the daily deal search engine ListYourDeals.com.
With ListYourDeals.com, you have a fully integrated mobile site (just go point your mobile browser to listyourdeals.com). Interesting though, there are no apps to download from Apple’s App store or the Android market. The site was built so that it’s compatible on all mobile devices – iPhones, Android smartphones, iPads, Android tablets, etc…
I see this as a much better solution for developers because now they can focus on building one platform that’s compatible across multiple mobile operating systems.
I also see this as more convenient for the user because now I no longer need to install (pay for, download, etc…) for the same app on multiple devices – one mobile site version takes care of it all.
Look at Angry Birds on Google Chrome as well. Here you have something that started out as an app but has been transformed into a popular web application that is accessible in the Chrome browser.
What do you think? Are apps going to eventually be replaced with a more integrated mobile site platform?