Mobile Application Development – Here’s What You Need to Know
Mobile app development is the activity or procedure by which an app is developed especially for specific mobile devices, including cell phones, business phones or handheld personal computers.
With an increasing number of people owning smart phones or having access to cellular telephones via a wireless service provider, there has been an increased need for apps.
Smart phone users are keenly aware that apps are available to help them accomplish many common tasks, such as accessing the Internet, listening to music, taking photos and so forth. They can play games, check their bank balance, send text messages and so forth.
On the other hand, a business user may use his or her smart phone to access the corporate network, check business analytics, communicate with the employees or make bookings for services or goods.
So if you are a beginner in mobile app development, here are top 7 things you should know about:
1. Choosing the Right Platform
As there are numerous devices among which mobile apps are created, it is important to choose the right platform from a wide range of devices when planning the development of the app.
Choice of the right platform depends on several factors, including the intended functionality, the price, and the user population.
For instance, if the app is to be used by low-budget users, a low-end smartphone operating system and minimal features will be sufficient. In contrast, a high-end smartphone operating system and numerous unique features may be required for creating a top-notch app.
Another important factor that must be considered in planning mobile app development is that the app must function properly on different devices. As many organizations have diverse IT infrastructures and utilize different devices, choosing the most appropriate platform for the app and developing it accordingly becomes crucial.
As previously mentioned, there are numerous options available for app developers. A number of companies provide mobile app development kits and support software to help mobile app developers create high quality apps.
These software development kits provide the basic structure of the app, as well as the necessary programming code necessary to create the final product. Some of these kits include mock data and documentation to help developers become familiar with the product. Other companies may provide a full line of mobile development software, which may be used for the complete mobile app development process or may be used in a few simple cases.
3. Native vs. Hybrid Apps
Native apps are dedicated mobile applications for specific operating system technologies. For example, there are native apps for Android OS and there are native apps for iOS systems.
A drawback of native apps is that they may not be compatible with most third party devices and can cause compatibility issues.
Then, there are hybrid apps that perform same on multiple platforms: Android, iOS, web and desktops. These apps are also called cross platform apps.
4. Mobile Web Development
Mobile web development is another option for mobile app developers. This option is ideal for organizations that want to create applications quickly without investing a significant amount of time and money in mobile applications development.
Mobile web apps are created using web technologies such as HTML, C/C++, JavaScript and mobile application frameworks like Flex, Foundation or JQuery. Mobile web applications are compatible with smartphones, tablets and other devices.
The basic difference between web apps and mobile app development is that web apps are visible on a web browser and are designed to run on a mobile device.
Web apps can be written in any popular programming languages such as Java, C/C++ and JavaScript. Native apps are designed to run only on the mobile devices and are written to function as a native application on a particular device.
Tech is a big world, especially the domain of mobile app development. Four concepts that we have discussed here are basic ones yet they are primary to understand the world of app development ahead.
