Browsers are getting better. Opera Mini is the most popular mobile browser in the world right now it works great! Mobile web applications are becoming more full-featured (look at the browser-based apps on the iPhone). However these applications still lack things such as the ability to interact with device features. having web app is great but can it initiate a call, or add a contact to my address book, or use the embedded GPS module on my device? The answer is no.

Client Applications on the other hand, can do all these things. Telenav for example is a great GPS application that can interact with your Blackberry to offer turn-by-turn directions. These applications also work while offline (Note: Google recently released a version of Google Gears that allows web applications to work offline as well. More on that in a spearate post). Client applications also offer the ability to have sophisticated workflows and logic.

To address Craig’s comment above about his wanting to get:

” instant notification of any banking transaction on my phone. I want to connect with my family be it tasks, appointments or contacts at any time and want them to be in contact as well. I want to reduce clutter and paper in my life and be organized. As well I want this all to be backed up to a server so I don’t lose it if my phone malfunctions or I lose it.”

This is most likely to be achieved through a combination of traditional applications and mobile web applications.

I also note that these are wants not needs, we have gotten by without these devices thus far.

To answer your question I say mobile apps with cloud based back-up. The current level of quality of these devices requires the back-up and as we all get more tech savvy we need fast access to our information.

future = mobile apps . all the way. but mobile browsers are pre-requisite.