What Is App Development?
App development is the process of writing software that creates apps that run on mobile devices.
Mobile apps are most commonly developed for smartphones such as iPhones and Droids, but can also be developed for personal digital assistants such as iPads, Siri, or Alexa and enterprise digital assistants, which are more complex devices sponsored by individual organizations like the military.
App development has exploded with the popularity of smartphones. Your business is more likely to need a mobile app now, since consumers don’t need access to a computer to purchase online products, services, or entertainment.
What Are the Different Types of Mobile Apps?
There are three main types of mobile apps:
- Native apps: Native apps are programs created for one operating system or a specific operating platform.
- Hybrid apps: Hybrid apps are a combination of native and web apps. Usually, designers give these programs the look and feel of a native app but most of the functionality of a web app.
- Web apps: Web apps are mobile responsive versions of websites that work on either iOS or Android devices.
Your business should choose the type of mobile app that meets its goals and specifications.
What Is the Difference Between iOS App Development and Android App Development?
The main differences between iOS app development and Android app development are platform, language, integrated development environment, screen sizes and resolutions, and development speed.
- Platform: iOS apps are developed for iOS devices, such as iPhones. Android devices are developed for Android devices, such as Droids.
- Language: iOS apps run on Objective-C/Swift, while Android apps run on Java.
- Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Android apps are built on Studio, while iOS developers build their apps on XCode.
- Screen sizes and resolutions: iOS apps only need to conform to the screen sizes of the iPhone and iPad. Android apps are built to conform to a variety of devices.
- Development speed: Android development commonly takes 30%-40% more time to build than iOS.
Your business should consider the differences between iOS and Android development when looking for a mobile app developer.
How Much Does App Development Cost?
The cost of developing a mobile app can be less than $1,000 or more than $100,000 depending on the app’s specifications, the size of the firm that develops the app, and if the app is designed for iOS or Android operating systems.
Apps that feature push notifications or geolocation, tend to be more expensive. Simple apps often cost less than $10,000; apps of medium complexity cost around $50,000 to develop; gaming and other more complex apps can cost more than $100,000.
How Do You Choose an App Development Agency?
When choosing a mobile apps agency, keep in mind reviews and feedback, app security, developer communication, and QA and testing.
- Reviews and feedback: Check what former customers are saying about the performance of app developers on review sites.
- App security: Inquire about the mobile app development company’s security practices and what tools the app developers use to maintain good security.
- Communication and timeline: Inquire about the length of the app development cycle and time spent on progress checks and updates.
- QA and testing: Ask the app development companies about quality assurance (QA) and testing protocols.
By considering these factors, businesses will be more likely to choose the best possible app development agency.