[Ameo]

What a great writeup underscoring so many of the problems with the current mobile ecosystem as well as highlighting the possibilities that we already have available to us for the future.

The gap between what web applications and native applications can offer in both features, ease of use, security, and performance is closing and in some cases even been flipped. For example, web apps entirely skip the need for installation and can provide transparent updates without user intervention, and the promise of new tech like WebGPU may actually make it more of an appealing target for games.

The biggest piece that I see missing is users understanding + embracing the web app pattern and developers adopting its patterns by default rather than trying to force native experiences into a web app format. I've built websites that offer identical experiences on mobile and desktop and had users come with feedback of "can you make this an app?" Even with it configured with PWA capabilities making it installable with a custom icon etc., there was still a disconnect in users' minds between what it and a native app were.

I really hope (and believe) that the open Web will prevail here. If more viral web apps that present a web app-first or web app-only experience gain mass popularity, the balances will start to tip regardless of Apple's obstinate efforts to keep users stuck using its neutered Safari browser.