This page will describe the consideration and process for selecting to use the Android or J2ME platform for your CommCare project. This page also offers information to help users consider whether to go select an Android phone or tablet for your CommCare project.
Android or Feature Phone
As of 2016, Dimagi only recommends beginning new projects on Android phones. It has become increasingly difficult to find large quantities of feature phones that support CommCare, Androids are becoming much more common and affordable, and most CommCare active development is focused on the Android platform. In the past we would recommend feature phones when they were the dominant type available locally, the battery life was extremely important, and there was sufficiently robust supply of devices. As of late 2016, most features phones have become increasingly incompatible with modern technology standards, causing new limitations in their use. While we still support our Java platform, we do not recommend that any new projects begin on a feature phone platform.
When trying to select a phone platform, these are some key questions to consider:
- What phone functionality do I need?
- Is large screen size important?
- What is the current technical capacity of the expected CommCare users?
- Is charging the phone going to be a challenge?
- Do I need image capture, want to use barcodes, or use GPS
Android Phone or Tablet
When debating on whether to use an Android phone or tablet for your CommCare project, it is important to consider the following:
- How much multimedia will your CommCare application use?
If your application plans to use a lot of images and videos, it may be better suited for deployment on a tablet; it is easier to view media on a larger screen.
2. What is your budget for purchasing mobile devices?
Mobile phones are less costly than tablets and are an effective way of deploying an application to a large number of FLWs.
3. Does your project feature lots of data collection?
If your project will be heavily focused on data collection (like a large questionnaire or survey), it may be better to consider a tablet. With a larger screen size, a survey can include multiple questions on single screen without requiring FLWs to swipe after each individual question.
4. Will the mobile device be needed for communication (i.e. make calls or send SMS)?
While tablets present a lot of benefits to a project, they also limit the ability for traditional mobile communication. It is important to consider if communication would be an aspect of your project.
5. Is device theft anticipated to be a problem?
Tablets are less discrete than mobile devices and may be more of a target for possible theft.
We would encourage you to visit our list of recommended phones and tablets to help figure out which device could be best for your project needs.
2 Comments
Anonymous
Comcare mobile survey can be conducted in microsoft window tablet machines?
Jeremy Wacksman
CommCare mobile applications do not work on Windows devices; however you can use CloudCare - Web Data Entry to enter data via a standard web browser.