4 Things Developers Should Consider To Simplify Mobile App Development

Mobile applications have become an integral part of business life. The increasing presence of mobile customers is driving enterprises towards mobile application development in order to grow their outreach. But developing competitive mobile apps is a daunting task for mobile developers.

Unlike web applications, mobile applications work on different mobile operating systems (Android, iOS, and Windows) with each one having its own technical specs and works on technologies distinct from one another.  Developers are constantly required to keep up with new technologies and updates in order to learn and apply the techniques that can deliver quality results with speed and excellence for each mobile platform.

For instance, Android development requires familiarity with Android Studio, Java, and other scripts while iOS development needs fluency is Objective-C and Swift with Xcode IDE. In Windows application development, a dedicated .NET developer needs to work with XNA tools with Silverlight using Microsoft languages like C#, V, XAML, etc. However, to help simplify the mobile application development process, we have rounded up a few points that you should consider before starting off your mobile application development project. 

1. Client Expectations: 

When deciding to build an app for their enterprise, only a few clients who are technically adept will understand the complexities involved in mobile application development. The majority of enterprise clients who are looking to develop a mobile app are only interested in how the app looks and works. Such clients expect the application to have native experience, which is the key to winning more customers. Another expectation the clients would have is to target a larger audience by building an app for each mobile operating system.

2. Roadblocks:

Apparently, developers need to think of native applications for each major mobile OS in order to fulfill client requirements. But native app development requires an enormous amount of time and resources in terms of significant developer skillset and business investment. Large organizations with specific requirements may find it a feasible option. Others can consider going hybrid or cross-platform as it is relatively cheaper and quicker by leveraging the existing skill set of programmers. 

3. Available Solutions/Platforms:

For web application development, the market offers some alternatives such as HTML-based web app development using web technologies and mobile browser capabilities to access hardware and OS features/functionalities of the client devices. But unfortunately, it lacks in delivering good performance and native-like user experience. As a result, a new option was introduced in the form of hybrid (cross-platform) application that delivers a user experience that's close to native applications.

In hybrid or cross-platform app development, you just need to write the code once and deploy it on other mobile platforms which result in quick turnaround times and delivers native-like experience.

4. Tools for Cross-Platform App Development:

The cross-platform technologies have evolved over time. Initially, there was Titanium, then PhoneGap and now Ionic. These platforms make use of basic web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Thereafter, the Cordova developers enable browser-based technologies to access native mobile functions like camera, gestures, and accelerometer. 

Besides the core web technologies, Xamarin which is a C#-based cross-platform development framework uses Microsoft tools and technologies. Being a Microsoft platform, it has a massive ecosystem with several developer communities. It is one of the widely used solutions, as it uses C# which allows a developer to code for all three major mobile OSes and offers out-of-the-box capabilities to access full native features and better performance.

By keeping the above-mentioned points in mind, developers can simplify their app development projects to a large extent and make a wise selection between native or cross-platform. If you have additional points that needs to be considered while developing an app, please add it to the list through the comments below.