Mobile App Development

What is Mobile App Development

Mobile app development term is used for Creating or developing the software for particular small computing devices like mobiles and iPads.

Mobile App Development

Mobile app development is the heart and soul of computer programming these days. More people around the world use mobile devices than traditional computers on a daily basis. If mobile app development companies want to reach the most people possible, the best way is through smartphones. But, what is mobile app development? How is it different from other avenues of programming? The answers show that the process to create an app is fairly straightforward.

Software Development

This is mobile app development in a nutshell. Like any other branch of software development, it caters to making programs and apps for a niche purpose. In the case of mobile design, the apps focus on the unique hardware and user experience elements tied to smartphones and tablets. In many cases, mobile app development is extremely similar to web development. Both types of software revolve around compensating for limited hardware with server-side processing. Both aim for a simple, intuitive user experience, and both need to prioritize simplicity over deep functions. Despite the large overlap between web development and mobile design, there are components that only apply to mobile designers.

Unique Elements

Mobile devices are fundamentally different from other computers in terms of hardware. First, they are smaller. This means mobile app developers need to consider formatting for smaller screen sizes. Additionally, touchscreens, gyroscopes, GPS and mobile connectivity give access to functions that will only work on mobile platforms. This enables dimensions of input and interface design that scarcely existed even 10 years ago. The ceiling for creative design is still far from reach, and mobile apps are the area of design with the highest potential for innovation. This adds obvious value incentive for any mobile app development company.

Competing Platforms

When breaking into mobile app design, there is a key difference from traditional software development. Mobile operating systems are split much like desktop operating systems, but the total share is more evenly distributed in the mobile world. A program written exclusively for Windows can achieve excellent market penetration. For the same results in mobile, an app needs to be available for two to three operating systems. The two largest are iOS (for Apple’s iPhone) and Android (Google’s system). Microsoft trails the other two, but their mobile version of Windows still has a notable market share. Creating an app that works seamlessly across these platforms is a challenge. Android is built around Java while iOS is designed around Objective C. Advanced app development for both of these platforms will require a broader set of knowledge and experience.

Getting Started

When diving into app development, there are two approaches: native or web development. The native approach means you design an Android app using Android software and an iOS app using iOS. The inherent advantage is that the process of developing the app will simultaneously debug it and enable the developer to reduce problems at launch. native development comes at the price of splitting Android app development and iPhone app development into different specialties. With web development, an app can be built independent of the constraints of any one operating system. This makes it easier to design for multiple platforms, but it makes the software more prone to bugs and other problems. Ultimately, the web approach can minimize app development cost for multi-platform software.  Whether for Android or iOS development, the process to build an app starts with this choice.