HTML5 tool specialist Sencha is readying itself for the forthcoming launch of its Sencha Touch 2 mobile application development framework. Reportedly available as a public beta by the "end of September", this free download has been enhanced to offer native application packaging and access to more device APIs. Sencha's meatiest claim for this new release rests upon performance enhancements that will put cross-platform web apps created with Sencha Touch "at parity" level with many native applications.

As device form factors and operating systems continue to expand, mobile developers clearly need to get to market faster with applications that will run across what is an assortment of platforms in order to maximize the reach of their apps. Sencha argues that HTML5 and web-standard technologies have emerged as a means of building an application upon a single codebase that spans current and future devices.

But, says the company, HTML5 APIs that allow deep device access are not yet widespread on mobile browsers. Sencha Touch 2 has therefore been positioned as a means of accelerating API access for developers by making these APIs available as part of its native package feature.

Now enjoying what is approaching 500,000 downloads, Sencha Touch 2 sits alongside the company's Sencha Ext JS, a cross-browser JavaScript framework for building rich internet applications."Sencha Touch was the first HTML5 framework to give developers a complete tool for building mobile web applications optimized for touch-driven devices. Sencha Touch 2 leverages the latest advances in HTML5, enabling developers to build web experiences that rival native apps," said Aditya Bansod, senior director of product management at Sencha. "With native packaging features now built into Sencha Touch, developers can quickly go from an idea on a whiteboard to an app they can deliver on the web and deliver to the top mobile app stores," he added.