With the onset of the rise of technology in our everyday lives, the focus has shifted to mobile app development. Almost every brand that involves anything related to selling or assisting with services aims to create an application for itself.
Applications are also being used as a method of branding. This creates a stringent competition in the market. In such a time, choosing the right mobile app development technology for your business can be one huge task.
This needs to be done keeping in mind the demand of the business, it’s budget and what results are desired out of it.The demand for smartphones is ever-increasing and the potential customers can be seen spending a lot of time on their phones.
It thus becomes crucial to know about the various technologies used for the applications that are ultimately landing up on these smartphones. Understanding what suits your business the most and serves your need will yield better results.
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Before you begin the development process, it is important to know the basic outline of your app. For this, you need to consider many factors.
- Cost Consideration: If you are looking for a cheaper option, to begin with, go for a hybrid app. It is important to understand the need, know the target audience of the business and then invest in the additional features at a later stage.
- Speed and Other Features: If speed is what you need to deliver to your customers then you must consider a native app. Hybrid apps are slower when compared to their native counterparts. Native apps are more compatible to feature support. However, they require constant maintenance whereas hybrid apps need less of your maintenance support.
It then becomes important to choose the right mobile app development technology for you. A technology stack deals with choosing from a range of programming languages, designing tools, database and other technologies used for the development and the execution of the app.
Native or Hybrid?
A lot of mobile application technologies are used for a different platform. Based on the compatibility of the applications to function on different operating systems, applications are classified as hybrid and native apps. A hybrid app is more popular among professionals because of its ability to function on various platforms with a single developed code.
1) Native Apps
Native apps are developed to be specific to a particular operating system like Android or iOS. To make the app compatible with all the systems, the developer needs to write their codes separately.
Native apps allow a better user experience. The various features like GPS, the camera can be used effectively through a native app. Most of the gaming apps are native since it allows architecture speed enhancements.
Intensive and custom graphics work better in a native app. Customization and performance are the key features of this type of application. However, all the capital spend on the app is worth it. If providing an optimal user experience is what you want, then you must go for this.
This type of application is ideal for those who intend to spend an amount of money that is more than usual on the development. The cons of developing this type are the extra amount of time and money required.
An android based app and an iOS-based app do not share similar codes. It takes double the amount of time to develop it for various platforms. Testing the app also requires more time.
2) Hybrid Apps
If your aim is to make your business reach more and more people but, on a shoe,-string budget and less time, then a hybrid app is an ideal option for you.
These apps can be operated from any operating system. The pros of building this app are that it is easy to develop. The code needs to be developed once and is similar. It cuts down on the extra work and money.
However, the developer may need to write certain native codes. Speed and smooth access to various features is the major issue of any hybrid app.
3) Web Apps
This is another kind of an app which is cheap but cannot be published in app stores. There are of three kinds- traditional, adaptive and responsive.
The traditional app is basically a website. The responsive app has a different design based on the device it is opened on whereas an adaptive app fits in different screen sizes of the different devices.
It is easier to develop these apps and the developmental cost is relatively low. However, features like GPS and phone camera cannot be used. The visibility and reach are also less as it is not present in various app stores.
Which Programming Language to Choose?
There are multiple technologies available for you to develop your app that is fast and provides an optimal user experience. The main programming languages used for application development are:
1) C++
It is the simplest form of programming language. It is also effective and can be used to create applications for various platforms. It is simpler and can be used as a versatile developmental tool. It is also said to be a sister language of Objective-C. Objective-C is used to develop iOS-based applications.
2) Swift
Swift is an ideal programming language to develop iOS-based apps. It can be used to build advanced and customised features and can be developed with minimal coding.
They also require less time on maintenance. Swift has an effective run-time capability and can be used for object-oriented development.
The code is less prone to errors and provides to create a variety of features. Swift also lets you cut down on the app size which naturally increases the performance of the application.
3) Java or Kotlin
This programming language is widely used for android app development. There are many open-source libraries and the language is also relatively easy. Kotlin, on the other hand, is a more stable language.
Kotlin provides an efficient and smooth developmental process to the applications. Both Java and Kotlin are ideal for android-based app development.
4) PHP and HTML5
PHP is ideal for making mobile and web apps. It is an easy language to use and is object-oriented. It follows a three-layered model and is ideal for apps that need database integration. Whereas HTML5 is suitable for web front-end applications.
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What Are Various Toolkits to Choose From Mobile App development Technology?
There are several toolkits available to choose from, some of which are mentioned below. This should be chosen wisely keeping in mind the needs of your business.
1) SDK
SDK is required to program different features. SDK for iOS connects the various software applications and the operating platforms. SDK for androids can be downloaded separately with third-party add-ons.
SDK has an inclusion of API which included a number of libraries and tools. Apple and Google offer their own developing tools. These also include interface elements and is ideal for a native approach.
2) PhoneGap
This is open-source software uses programming languages like JavaScript, HTML5 to build dynamic native applications for various platforms and operating systems.
The framework is ideal for mixing certain parts of hybrid and native code. PhoneGap supports a number of framework libraries that help the developers as they do not have to heavily depend on HTML or CSS to build an interface. It is ideal for cross-development apps.
3) RhoMobile and MoSync
Both are ideal for native app development for various platforms and provides an open-source framework. Developers can choose from a range of languages for the different operating systems.
MoSync is integrated with Eclipse-based IDE and thus the app development can be done using C or C++ programming.
4) Appcelerator
This is ideal for developing hardware-based applications. The open-source framework uses HTML, PHP and JavaScript for building applications for different platforms.
Things to Consider While Choosing A Mobile App Development Technology
Now that we have discussed the various technologies you can use for your apps, let us take a look at the factors that you must consider before choosing them. The right decision will help you to work more efficiently.
1) Know the Project
This is the most important thing to consider. You should not directly follow what others are doing. Try to take a note of the things that will benefit your business and add features accordingly.
Choose your priorities wisely. If speed and modified UI designs are the most vital parts of your app then try going for a native app and use Kotlin or Swift languages.
2) Target audience
Not just developing the application but ensuring that it reaches the right people in the right amount of time is necessary to get the work done effectively.
Thus, choose from the mobile app development technology keeping in mind the likes of your audience. Optimise the UI designs and integrate the min to various social media platforms to increase the reach.
3) Adapt and optimize
It is important to know the complications and intricacies of mobile application development. Thus, getting everything right in the first go may not be possible.
Thus, improvising should always be part of the plan. Know the budget properly and work accordingly. Find a solution that serves your needs and reaches to the people along with fitting in your budget. This is possible, you just need some research.
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Final Thoughts
To conclude, the choice of the mobile app development technology is a vital process of application development. Before beginning with the project, it is very important to consider all the factors and complications that may arise.
Take into account the work of your team; divide the tasks keeping deadlines that are not too tight. This will help in building an efficient application and will be good for the long run. You might also seek expert advice if you feel confused before starting the work on your project.