Why Native Apps Really Are Doomed (opens in new tab)

Spoiler: Progressive Web Apps

Please avoid using clickbait titles that don't clearly state what the article is about. Good examples of how to do so: https://www.reddit.com/r/savedyouaclick/

While I'm not completely against the main idea of the post and plan on incorporating many of these pieces into my next project, the statistics in the post seem disjointed and don't really combine to sell the idea of a PWA.

First:

  More than half of web traffic comes from mobile

Certainly more people are surfing the internet on their phones than desktops but how much of this traffic would be to a site that would ever be a native app? How much of that traffic is returning vs. one-off visits? There are more sites online than there was in 2007 and the internet is more pervasive than ever... this stat could simply just be more traffic to different sites. Following up on this statement, the author says that people are checking out Facebook in their browser. I'd be interested in a citation around the number of users who access Facebook via the mobile web vs the app.. that seems like it would be more relevant in this case.

Second:

  Users spend 80% of their time using 5 apps

Why would a PWA change this stat? Just because I don't have to install an app doesn't mean that I will magically use it more frequently or depend on it day-to-day. If an app adds that much value to my life, is the installation process really a barrier?

Third:

  80% of users who download an app fail to become active users

Why is that a function of a native app specifically instead of just a bad sales or onboarding funnel? Why would a user be any more likely to turn into a paying customer if that native app was instead a PWA?

How do any of the challenges facing native apps related to sales and customer acquisition disappear if the app becomes a progressive one?

The interesting question to me is on the privacy aspect... how much control do we have over what a "PWA" can access?