iOS Application Development Vs. Android Application Development – Which is Better for Developers?

 

Smartphones are a big craze these days with more and more number of new devices being introduced every now and then. When it comes to mobile application development for the Smartphones, the app developers generally choose between the two most popular mobile operating systems present today – Android from Google and iOS from Apple. But the question is which happens to be the better platform for developers? Provided is a comparison between the two mobile operating system platforms.

Programming Language

iPhone operating system mainly makes use of Objective-C language from Apple which can be easily adopted by developers familiar with C++ and C. Being such an exclusive language, it can pose problems for developers without much of an expertise in different programming languages.

Java is primarily the language used by an Android app developer which makes it easier and convenient for majority of developers.

Application Development Platform

When it comes to developer guidelines, Apple has quite a restrictive policy. Specific tools are provided to the developers for developing apps and they are not allowed to use any other tool apart from that. As a result, the creative skills of the developers are curbed to a great extent.

Since, Android is an open source development platform, developers have the freedom of using 3^rd party tools so as to assist them with app development. They get the opportunity to play with various features of an application as well as add more functionality. This has actually led to the huge success and popularity of this platform with a wide range of devices being available.

Application Testing

Compared to the standards of Android, Xcode from Apple has a long way to go so as to match up to the standards.

Android, on the other hand offers developers with a superb testing environment. The range of tools available for testing is clearly indexed and IDE provides an excellent model of source code. It is mainly because of this fact, developers have the time as well as scope to thoroughly test their apps as well as debug whenever necessary.

Multitasking Abilities

The exclusive, stable platform of Apple available to an iOS app developer clearly specifies the tools taking the opportunity to define their boundaries and potential. Thus, proceeding with the task becomes a lot easier for the developer.

The versatile nature of Android operating system helps developers with the development of dynamic apps aimed towards multiple purposes. However Android operating system’s multitasking ability often creates different issues for amateur developers as plenty of time is required to understand, learn and master. Along with that, the fragmented platform of Android poses big challenges to developers.

Application Approval

Application approval for an iOS app to Apple Application store takes around three to four weeks of time. Apart from that, several restrictions are also placed on the developers however this has not stopped numerous developers from approaching Apple App Store to launch their apps.

In comparison to iOS app approval, no stiff resistance is presented to Android developers from Android Market making it much convenient and easier for the developers.

Thus, it can be concluded that both these platforms have their pros and cons for the developers. It is entirely the interest and knack of the developers that will lead them towards choosing the platform they prefer.

 

iPhone Apps – Great Way to Enhance Your Business

In this world of growing popularity of the Smartphones, mobile applications for businesses are a must to increase exposure and business profit. iPhone applications help businesses to reach out to customers at any point of time which was not possible even a few years earlier. iPhone mobile applications promise users of easy, quick and fast access which really helps with smooth flow of business operations. Companies are slowly starting to take advantage of iPhone applications for their business growth and development or hiring iPhone app development companies for developing customized apps for their businesses. Business growth with iPhone applications can be achieved in different ways which include:

Increasing Number of Customers

Majority of people nowadays live a busy life and accessing services while on the move definitely helps them a lot. This is also one of the reasons why businesses are hiring iPhone app developers for developing tailor made apps for their business which can be accessed by people on the go. If the app satisfies the demands of the customers, it leads to more number of customers as people recommend it to friends and family as well. 

Branding

Instant brand recognition or boost can be achieved with the help of a mobile application. Customers using the iPhone app of a specific company are always reminded of their services and products whenever there is a requirement. This not only helps with brand boosting but offers companies with a clear edge over their competitors who have yet not adopted this technology. Apart from iPhones, companies are also targeting other devices like iPads to reach out to customers. The demand for iPad appdeveloper has increased considerably over the years mostly because of the high requirement from companies for developing customized apps. 

Tool for Marketing

iPhone apps developed by an iOS app developer offers different features to the users which makes it easy and convenient to use. iPhone apps act as the perfect tool for business marketing as they can be integrated easily with social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. This makes it convenient for the customers to share the services and products of a company through various social networking sites. As a result, the business gets free exposure and people from different corners of the world get to know about their offerings. Apart from that notifications can also be sent to customers regarding contests, discounts and new products through push message service. 

Enhanced Customer Service Experience

Dedicated iPhone apps developed by companies assist customers to access the services and products at any time of the day. Companies that do not maintain a 24*7 customer service for the customers can take advantage of iPhone mobile apps to offer necessary support to the customers whenever they require. The iPhone app should be available with a feature that will allow customers to contact businesses any time they feel like and get quick response without any delay. This will help them save the time to visit the website of the company and search for the information they are looking for. 

Mobile Website Development - Some Amazing Advantages

It is common to see people browsing web pages of different sites through their Smartphones. In any public area one can observe people having a look at their favorite website through an Android phone or iPhone. There has been a drastic increase in the amount of people accessing web through their Smartphones and according to a recent survey around one fifth of Americans web pages through their mobile every day. Some amazing advantages of mobile application development are:

Ease in accessibility

These types of websites tend to be responsive and can be visited by any person who has internet enabled on their phones. One can easily interact with the mobile websites whenever and wherever they want. Even world’s top search engine i.e. Google has said that these type of websites have the highest engagement rate. The navigations is easier and it easily fits to the screen and there in no loss in data when the prospective customer is accessing the web page. 

Building a good customer base 

One should always focus on keeping the potential customer happy and avoid all kinds of negative perceptions. This is only possible by developing a site with the help of a experienced Mobile app development company. If by any chance the current customers don’t get a good response while navigating through the web pages then there are high chances that the company would lose them and there would be a decrease in the profits. The online retailers can easily double their sales if they get a proper responsive website that helps the customers make an easy purchase. 

Significant increase in traffic 

Increasing the traffic and the visitor count of a website has been one of the toughest jobs for the webmaster. Mobile application development has made this task much easier as it helps in proper branding of the company. Through this process one can expect to get ranked on the search engines and market their products through social media. The webmaster can easily put the text link of their website on different social networks and the prospective customers will be able to find the website through their favorite social networking site. Since this increases the reach of the website globally this will lead to a significant increase in the traffics. 

Revenue generation 

Just increasing the traffic does not finish the job; one should also focus on generating good profits through the visitors. When a business owner approaches a Mobile App Development Company his main aim is to increase his business revenue through the site. The main aim should be to make it easier for the visitors to perform different actions while they are browsing through different web pages. The important information should be placed in such a way that the visitors can know more about the company and contact the company easily. Once they are happy with the services of the online retailer then they will become a regular visitor and start making regular purchases. Revenue generation is all about making it easier for the potential customer to take actions in the site.

iPhone 5 and iOS 7 - More Secure or Privacy Problems

 

iOS 7 is the latest major release of mobile operating system of Apple – iOS. Both software and hardware developed by Apple are considered elite by technology enthusiasts and there are reasons that justify the favour that the American company enjoys. New releases are expected to introduce more efficiency and it is not wrong to believe that the latest OS upgrade will better facilitate iOS application development. Applications are what add great value to advance hardware and software of Apple devices. However, unlike regular Apple events, the release of iOS 7 has not been a smooth affair for Apple and for its users.

The release of iOS 7 last year was seen by many as unnecessary expedition from Apple’s side. The new upgrade released but with some significant flaws. Apple released an update to fix the flaw months later in February this year. Thus, users of iPhone 5, which features iOS 7, have been using their devices for their regular activities for more than a quarter of a year. Though a concern, it does not seem big enough to ponder upon, or, until the real issue is not known. With the update, apple revealed that it will fix the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) vulnerability of iPhone 5.

The news shocks iPhone app developers users and analysts alike. Such tremendously impactful flaws are contrary to Apple that has been known to people for decades. The incident really put question mark after security and privacy in iOS 7. It is fairly understandable that even companies as big and careful as Apple can mistake and the bug will eventually be removed completely. However, that cannot undo the privacy problems that users might have faced. In many cases, iPhone app development might have been doubted to be faulty while it was all going on at the OS level. The worries are not over yet as the patch was not released for all devices that run on iOS 7.

It is notable that the SSL fault is an encryption issue and users of iOS 7 have faced the man in the middle (MITM) scenario. It is the worst nightmare that an Apple user can have. MITM renders security of iPhones and other iOS 7 devices entirely susceptible to breach. In this scenario, a third-party programme can intercept communication between end-users and servers. The interceptor can even edit the content that is being communicated and can launch a malicious bug into website or software that is used for communication. The fault also posed question to every iOS app developer regarding what they can independently do to provide relatively greater security to users.

The tensed period hovering over iOS 7 has considerably relaxed. Apple did take note of the issue and responded. However, there is much to be done yet. Apple users are considered the most faithful and the company cannot let go that by. As of now, iPhone 5 is a solid phone with features and functions that please both fans and new users. However, it just not time for the verdict on whether it is more secure or has privacy problems.