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Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by brilliantcode on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:05PM (#13535215)
I feel like this is a serious error in Apple's strategy. By enforcing stagnation you risk platform flight, namely Progressive Web AMPs (PWA + AMP) that load instantly (AMP - Accelerated Mobile Pages) and run and behave exactly like a native app (PWA - Progressive Web Apps) that removes all friction and user drop off associated with normal native apps.

I said it before but the #1 threat to all native app vendor is Google Chrome. As it's capabilities break through the native app turf, so will the smartphone user's demand for the most powerful and flexible browser on the market (Google Chrome) and the hardware associated with it (user perception is superficial influenced by marketing).

but yeah as long as celebrities go around with an iPhone, they are going to have that luxury brand tied with it.

Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by rimantas on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:18PM (#13535331)
Have you seen native apps? Claim that Web apps load faster or behave "exactly like a native app" is hilarious.
Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by brilliantcode on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:50PM (#13535574)
Have you seen PWA in production? It is indistinguishable from the native app version. And it's only getting started since being announced last summer. Yes and PWA was indistinguishable for most run of the mill "me-too" native apps that comprises 99% of poorly installed apps on the market. It won't replace popular and dedicated native applications like FB messenger but for the vast majority of people still churning out native apps they are going to face further commoditization which will create a bizarre situation where native apps will result in drive past zero and towards the negative.

There's a reason vast majority of smartphone users install less than one or two apps throughout the year, web apps loading faster (sub second AMP pages) and native app experience (PWA offering add to home screen icons, offline mode, caching) will continue put pressure on the already falling and commoditized native app market.

Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by rimantas on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @05:28AM (#13539669)
How have you dreamt up "web apps loading" faster bit? And if native experience for you is home screen icons, and offline mode… well, we don't have much to talk about here.
Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by brilliantcode on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @12:50PM (#13543021)
No but Google dreamed it up and they've shown the initial time to interaction and paint is just as fast if not faster with AMP.

Now your web app even gets it's own icon in your home screen along with other native apps and it works offline too just like other native apps.

You are right, there's not much to talk about when native apps are facing an existential crisis.

Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by detaro on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:51PM (#13535580)
> It won't replace popular and dedicated native applications like FB messenger

Aren't there people using the web version of that because the app is so bloated?

Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by brilliantcode on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:55PM (#13535622)
I've no idea I don't use it but if that's happening already than it's going to be hard to find justification for a native app moving forward. I was playing the devil's advocate.
Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by pjmlp on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @04:27AM (#13539493)
> There's a reason vast majority of smartphone users install less than one or two apps throughout the year,

Those same users also use a fixed set of web sites.

Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by millstone on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:26PM (#13535402)
AMP specifically disallows JavaScript, so how can AMP "run and behave like a normal app?"

Most of the capabilities of the web are used in a user-hostile way: to annoy, track, or drain the user's battery. PWAs will make the problem worse. AMP is a reaction against this.

Re:Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS by brilliantcode on Tuesday January 31, 2017 @04:53PM (#13535599)
AMP will load the PWA in the background. when they interact with the on screen items the PWA will take over. Hence, PWAMPs or Progressive Web AMPs.

as the mobile browser increases in capability it's inevitable we'll see more PWA as it is good enough if not better than native apps in every measurable way unless you absolutely need native app to utilize the full set of hardware on the device or big enough or successful enough that it will be used by millions of people everyday.