PhoneGap
PhoneGap is based on an Open Source Javascript platform, it helps in creating fast and user friendly native applications to support on Android, Blackberry, Bada, iPhone/iPad and others. Today, Mobile Application development is more like serving with multiple available frameworks, in a way it creates mess for the Mobile App Developers as iPhone SDK with Objective – C, Android SDK with Java, BlackBerry with JavaME.
PhoneGap influences web technologies to work with native device features such as Geo Location, Accelerometers, Sound, Vibration, Contact support and many more. It wraps the web view with container, this container gives the view access to API available on the device that may not be available on the web view alone.
There are few disadvantages with PhoneGap as it still may have bugs somewhere and libraries, documentation is still a hunting task for the geek. It’s sometime unsuitable for graphic intensive application.
Appcelerator Titanium Mobile, utilizes javascript and not done through a UIWebView like Phonegap. Appcelerator apps go through a complex compilation and optimization process. Appcelerator creates apps that look, feel, and perform just like native apps coded in pure Objective-C because of utilizing native UI components. Appcelerator is great if you are an app developer who wants the similar performance to what you’d get if you were programming the app in Objective-C without having to learn Objective-C.
It has a more liberal license (MIT vs Apache open source license), Easier testing in browser or simulator created in Adobe Air, supporting more mobile platforms.
Ultimately they are two different frameworks. Phonegap is limited in a way that your javascript runs in the browser so you likely wouldn’t be using it to create a true native interface or any sort of high performance app. Appcelerator can be used for these things, and can do anything just like coding with Objective-C.
