The possibilities of PWAs for smartphones: an overview

In short, we can say that a PWA is a type of web application to improve the user experience on websites. A PWA offers some of the advantages of a "regular application" - a native app - but a PWA is accessible via the web browser and does not require installation on your smartphone.

Would you like to know more about PWAs? Then be sure to read our blog on "What is a PWA? And why does my business need one?" In this blog, we take a closer look at the specific smartphone functionalities that PWAs offer.

Since 2015, PWAs have been a real gamechanger in the world of web development. Meanwhile, this hybrid intermediate form can already do an awful lot, but there are still some functionalities on your smartphone that PWAs cannot handle. Let's take a look at the can and the no can do's of a PWA.

The hardware capabilities of PWAs on smartphones

Today, PWAs can already drive a lot of smartphone functionalites. When granted permission, they can access:

• Camera: This allows you to take photos or videos while using the PWA or scan barcodes.

• Location data: This allows PWAs to offer location-based services.

• Smartphone sensors: PWAs get access to, for example, the compass in your smartphone so they can detect movement and orientation.

• Push messages: Even when the app is not active, you can send push messages to the device.

• Document management: You can upload or download images and other documents via the PWA.

• Offline access: Through a PWA, it is possible to store data locally so that it is also available offline.

The limitations of PWAs versus native apps

But besides possibilities, there are obviously some limitations when comparing PWAs to native apps.

For instance, PWAs have limited deep integration with the operating system or hardware on your smartphone. Also, some hardware features of your device may not be available as a result. This is because not all browsers or devices offer the same hardware support as they do for native apps.

For security reasons, PWAs may also face access restrictions. These are usually there to protect the user: to ensure his or her privacy and security.

Finally, PWAs may not perform as well as native apps. This is because PWAs run in a browser environment. In demanding tasks - read: tasks that require a lot of hardware resources - these types of apps can therefore perform tasks more sluggishly.

PWAs have gained more and more popularity points over the years. More and also larger companies are betting on this type of application. As they get present in greater numbers on the internet, a growing number of appstores are also offering PWA support. Technically, you don't need to download or install PWAs, but when they are also offered in appstores, their findability on the internet increases.

In addition, PWAs today benefit from better browser support. This ensures that users have a more consistent user experience across several platforms. This is a positive trend!

In the future there are certainly still optimizations possible for PWAs. We are primarily looking at future developments in web standards to provide more comprehensive hardware access for these types of apps.

In terms of performance, optimizations are certainly still possible. There too, we are looking at the ever-expanding capabilities of web browsers and technology. In the future, we expect PWAs to function more and more smoothly. In the meantime, they continue to evolve and can function seamlessly on most operating systems and devices. Finally, a lot of efforts are also being made to ensure the security of PWAs and thus users' privacy.

Let's zoom in a bit more on the biggest advantages of PWAs. Firstly, you don't have to download an app. This lowers the barrier to use this type of application. In addition, it is possible to use your website as an app: you won't notice any difference between the app and the website. Usually, fast load times also apply to PWAs. Through caching, they can store essential resources, making them responsive even on slow Wi-Fi. Furthermore, the offline functionalities of a PWA are an absolute bonus. And - last but not least - the development cost of a PWA is lower than that of a native app. This is because only a single codebase needs to be developed to make the PWA work across various devices and operating systems.

For smaller businesses and start-ups, a PWA is a great way to have a cost-efficient mobile presence on the internet. Wondering what they can do for your business? Feel free to contact our experts for a no-obligation talk.