Exploring Mobile App Development Approaches: How Do You Choose the Right Approach
Mobile app development is a tedious task. Choosing how to build a mobile app has the most dramatic effect on the eventual cost, time, and success of the project. Every mobile app idea has unique requirements that drive the decisions about which technologies, SDKs, and development tools can be used to build robust mobile apps. Some apps require maximum access to hardware for rich visual representation, and some require high flexibility to deploy changes in response to business needs.
In the first half of 2020, worldwide spending across app stores netted $50.1 billion – an subsequent increase of 23% from the first half of 2019 (Source: Forbes). Mobile app development is all set to score new records in 2020, even in COVID-19 times. Though mobile is on the rise, it is significant to choose the best approach that accommodates all your requirements, optimizes development time, and minimizes the development cost. If you hire a reliable mobile app development company in California, you can stay stress-free. The company can guide you throughout the process and develop smart solutions for your business.
So, here are top mobile app development approaches that you can take for positive outcomes in the future.
- Native App Development
Native applications are built in a specific programming language for a specific device platform. It means the mobile app developers use platform-specific programming language, software development kits, and development environment. For instance, if you pick Android then the programming language will be Java or Kotlin, IDE will be Android Studio, and SDK will be Android SDK, and in the case of iOS then programming language will be Swift or Objective-C, IDE will be Xcode, and SDK will be iOS SDK.
When to choose Native app development?
- When you have time and budget to acquire separate teams for iOS and Android app development
- When you want to build a superior user interface and high-tech performance apps
- When you want to have full access to the device’s hardware-related features, including gestures, camera, geolocation, etc.
- Hybrid App Development
Developing a hybrid mobile app comes with a multitude of benefits for you and your customers. Hybrid apps are growing in popularity as they are less complicated to build and are a cost-effective option. If your website isn’t that complicated in terms of UI/UX, then hybrid apps are the right choice. Unlike native or web apps, hybrid app developers ensure that the app works seamlessly on every device and platform.
Advantages of Hybrid App Development
- One of the biggest advantages, managing one codebase for your application
- Not only saves time and money but also reach the market quickly and start generating profits
- Allows you to access some of the device features also
- Cross-Platform App Development
When it comes to native and cross-platform enterprise mobile app development, you need to look into business requirements. It may look like hybrid & cross-platform are the same, however, they are not. Cross-platform app development results in faster and uses a single toolset to deliver apps across multiple platforms. Some popular technologies that are used to develop cross-platform apps are React Native, Flutter, and Xamarin.
When And Why To Choose Cross-Platform App Development
- When you want to build an app with a simple user interface but heavy logic
- Cross-platform apps are 30% cheaper and 40% quicker than native apps
- Allows up to 70% code reusability
- Progressive Web App (PWA) Development
PWA is a smart step towards building the functionality of native apps in web apps. With the development of these types of apps, you can use features like push notifications, load on the home screen, and offline mode which makes it much similar to native app development. The dedicated progressive web app developers ensure they use the best set of practices to deliver a uniform and seamless experience to its users.
Advantages of PWA App Development
- PWA offers 92% less data consumption compared to traditional apps
- It might be cheaper but not at the expense of less functionality or quality
How Do You Choose The Right Approach?
Choosing the best approach entirely depends on the requirements and budget of a company. But certain questions that are asked by app development companies based on which they can suggest you the right path for development. For instance,
Who is your target audience?
There is a big difference between B2B (business to business), B2C (business to customers), and B2E (business to employees) apps. Internal apps are often prioritized based on scalability and flexibility over rich experiences, thus hybrid and cross-platform are an ideal platform for them.
How long you have time to develop your app?
Timelines are a crucial factor in any software project development. If you have the goal to reach a global audience through multiple platforms in short timelines, then app developers probably choose PWA development.
Does your app need any device-specific features?
If you want GPS, camera, or any other in-built features, then native apps are the safest choice. Moreover, it offers seamless performance and high-tech security to the users. Native apps provide rich experiences and animated interfaces that give you a competitive edge in the marketplace.
Takeaway Point
You might get tempted when you advised going for the one size fits all solution to mobile app development. Any strategy that attempts to develop all apps using one approach can lead to inefficient development decisions, leading to wasting development time and money. Hire a dedicated mobile app development company that can guide you throughout the app development process and let you make the right choice.
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