Presently, PhoneGap is owned by Adobe Systems. This framework is used by developers to build mobile applications based on JavaScript, CSS3 or HTML5. CSS3 and HTML5 are used for rendering while JavaScript is used for Logic. Mobile applications that are built with PhoneGap are called hybrid applications. This is because they are partly web-based and partly native. The framework is based on Apache Cordova which is an open-source software. The former is used with different operating systems like iOS, Windows 8, Android, Windows Phone, WebOS, Symbian, and BlackBerry.
Businesses that develop their products with the help of PhoneGap should be aware of the fact that Apple has been known to reject apps built with PhoneGap because they are not native enough or because they may not be fast. Hence, companies developing their apps for the iOS platform have to ensure that their products are similar in appearance and functionality to apps previously accepted by the App store. Since PhoneGap based apps are web-based technologies, they tend not to be native enough and slow.
In spite of the aforementioned challenges, PhoneGap was a recognized and award-winning framework in 2009 and many apps had been built with its help.
Before the advent of PhoneGap, applications that were built for the iOS platform had to be developed on an Apple computer and applications built for Windows platform had to be built on a Windows computer.
In the very near future, PhoneGap is going to gain further prominence because of its support to the Bada operating system. The latter has been embedded in smartphones such as the Samsung Wave S8500. Over and above storage, PhoneGap can support a host of other features such as an accelerometer before we choose an operating system or hire a developer, notifications for alert, vibration and sound; camera, network, compass, media, contacts, file and geolocation.
