You are probably aware that there are seemingly endless options to consider when it comes to selecting a database and other technologies for your mobile app. With so many choices, it can be difficult and confusing to determine what really matters when it comes to your tech stack. A little while back, I wrote an extensive article on the different database architectures and use cases available to provide guidance on picking the right technology for the right project. While that is still an accurate and solid resource, this article takes a deeper dive into considerations for improving the performance of, specifically, mobile apps.
Mobile vs. Web Apps
First and foremost, perhaps we should take a quick look at the difference between mobile and web apps. Mobile apps live and run on a mobile device itself, whereas web apps are accessed through a web browser and will adapt to whichever device you're viewing them on. Native mobile apps are built for a specific platform, such as iOS for Apple or Android for, well, pretty much everything else. They are downloaded and installed through an app store and have access to system resources, such as GPS and the camera function. Web apps, however, are not native to a particular system and do not need to be downloaded or installed. Due to their responsive nature, they may look and function a lot like mobile apps, which is where some confusion arises.
