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Asked: 2026-06-07T21:54:20+00:00

I am currently doing some research in using PhoneGap instead of write different code

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I am currently doing some research in using PhoneGap instead of write different code for all platforms. In my mind, right off the bat, one con to this is, in fact, you aren’t writing your applications natively. I ask myself, what does this mean?

  1. Will there be a performance hit?
  2. Does PhoneGap offer wrappers for all native functionality? Is the documentation enough to get by?
  3. What kind of UI’s would you want or need(i.e. JQuery) and do they have proper documentation? Do these frameworks work seamlessly across different platforms?
  4. Since Adobe is now in the mix will PhoneGap eventually become obsolete and in the long term it just doesn’t really matter?

I would like to hear any feedback/advice/suggestions for those that have tried PhoneGap. Also if there is a list of functionality PhoneGap doesn’t provide could someone provide a link?

**EDIT: I should point out that I realize that a big motivation of using PhoneGap is so that one doesn’t have learn multiple programming languages. I already know Objective-C and Java and I am just exploring the potential use of PhoneGap – so I am coming at this from a slightly different angle. I mentioned this in one of my comments below.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Short, objective answer: It depends.

    Specifically, whether PhoneGap/Cordova is appropriate for your project depends on your needs. There are a lot of PhoneGap-based projects out there, so it’s obviously useful for some developers; only you can say whether you’re likely to be in that group.

    More details:

    Will there be a performance hit?

    Yes. Whether that matters depends on your application.

    Does PhoneGap offer wrappers for all native functionality? Is the
    documentation enough to get by?

    No on the first question, but it’s extensible, so you can always add your own native code if you need to. Only you can say whether the documentation is sufficient, but you can always look at the code if you need/want to.

    What kind of UI’s would you want or need(i.e. JQuery) and do they have
    proper documentation? Do these frameworks work seamlessly across
    different platforms?

    That would seem to depend on what you’re doing and on what you already know. PhoneGap doesn’t make much difference one way or the other here.

    Since Adobe is now in the mix will PhoneGap eventually become obsolete
    and in the long term it just doesn’t really matter?

    Whether Cordova (the open-source software formerly known as “PhoneGap”) survives and thrives depends on many factors:

    • Are people using it?

    • Do the people who use it contribute to it?

    • What will Adobe decide to do with PhoneGap (the proprietary version)? Will they kill it? Enhance it? Add features so compelling that most people choose it over Cordova?

    If Cordova makes sense for your application, by all means use it. Contribute to it, if you can, and it will become even more useful to you and to the rest of the world.

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