What is Mobile Application Development?
From banking to bill payments to ordering food, almost everything is just a tap away on mobile devices. Mobile Applications have caught up with web-based applications, if not surpassed them by now.
Developing applications for small, remote, wireless computing devices by using set processes and procedures is called Mobile Application Development. Any mobile application needs a network connection to establish contact with the remote computing resources. Hence, the concept of Mobile Application Development is broadly divided into two components – first is the front-end where installable software such as the code, binaries, and assets are developed; the second section enables the data access with the API and testing the fully-built application on the mobile phones.
Mobile Application Development for Different Platforms
Currently, there are two dominant platforms in the world of smartphones. Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iOS. Android is the most extensively used platform that is not just deployed on Google devices but other OEMs also install it. iOS, on the other hand, is the only platform supported by Apple’s patented devices. Although on a high-level both platforms appear to be similar, there are some differences in terms of their software development kits (SDK). Usually, mobile application developers target both operating systems for app development.
Different Approaches for Mobile Application Development
Developing mobile applications that make it to the app store is a niche skill that can be achieved through four approaches. Different procedures are employed based on the type of mobile application you wish to build.
- Native Applications – The Operating System manufacturer decides and provides their programming language version and frameworks to develop the native applications meant to work on Android and/or iOS; ideally, Google develops apps meant for Android platform and Apple for iOS.
Pros-
- Performance is superior to any other mobile apps as they are meant for that specific OS.
- They should be able to work without an internet connection.
- Great look and feel.
- Secure and safe.
- They can easily access any device APIs.
Cons-
- Building and maintaining these apps are expensive.
- Will need different code-bases for different platforms
- Cross-platform applications – These are the applications that use multiple programming languages and frameworks, however, later compiled to be specific for Android/iOS.
Pros-
- Same code can be implemented across platforms
- Building and maintenance are easy.
Cons-
- Uses bridges and libraries to achieve native device functionality.
- Performance gets affected due to bridging.
- Hybrid-Web applications – These are applications that are developed using web technologies like JavaScript, CSS, etc. They are then uploaded as installation packages on the website that works on a web container.
Pros-
- Developed using a web development skillset, no additional skills required.
- Shared code base between the web and mobile apps.
Cons-
- Lowered performance as compared to native apps.
- Limited support as compared to native apps.
- Progressive-web applications- These provide the app-like experience to the users, however, these are not apps, to begin with. They are not available on the app store and do not need installation. They are applications available on the web with all the browser capabilities but can work offline, allows running background applications, etc like a regular mobile app.
Pros-
- No installation required as it can be accessed using the URL.
Cons-
- App performance is based on browser capabilities.
- Limited support as compared to native apps.