Mobile application development

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Mobile application development

If you’ve ever thought that you’d like to develop your own phone application but you never knew where to start, this is your article.  In this post we’re going to give you a development outline so you can take the first steps on your path to developing your first application.

When we decide to develop an application for smartphones we have to keep in mind that various mobile phone platforms exist, the most important ones being Android, iOS, Blackberry, and  Windows Phone. Each one has its own methodology and language development, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to find experts in native programming for various mobile platforms.

Therefore, our first choice would be to opt for a concrete operating system. Our second choice would be to go the route of multiplatform hybrid applications based in HTML5, a form of development that we have previously discussed in this blog. Hybrid applications allow us to take advantage of a single common development in HTML5 and export it to all platforms. Obviously, the results of a hybrid application would not be the same as those of a native app, but it will allow us to support more platforms with less development time.

For those of you who already know which platform you want to use, we will begin with our basic guide. For those who don’t, we’ll try to help you decide with a few comments about the distinctive characteristics of each one:

ANDROID

Android is a mobile platform based in Linux, which was launched on the 21^st of October 2008 by Open Handset Alliance, lead by Google.

• Programming language: Java.
• Development environment: Android SDK.
• Getting started: Hello world.
• App Market: Google Play.
• Development license: 25$.
• App validation process: Easy. 5 – 30 minutes.
• Additional notes: Android apps have a complex structure and it’s worth while taking a look to the android fundamentals.

iOS

iOS is a mobile platform from Apple. iPhone was the Smartphone that revolutionized the market five years ago and continues to standout as an example of fluidity and impeccable design.

• Programming language: Objective-C.
• Development environment: iOS SDK + Xcode 4.4.1.
• Getting started: Some examples.
• App Market: App Store.
• Development license: 99$ per year.
• App validation process: Really hard (Apple validation guide). 1 week.
• Additional notes: Developing with a mac is mandatory in order to publish applications in the App Store.

BLACKBERRY

The BlackBerry platform began specifically targeting the professional market, with its email management system and daily agenda, but before long it gained popularity among young users. With the iOS and Android revolution, BlackBerry has noticed a significant decline in sales in recent years.

• Programming language: Java.
• Development environment: BlackBerry JDE + Plugin Eclipse.
• Getting started: Some tutorials.
• App Market: App World.
• Development license: Free.
• App validation process: Really hard and slow (Blackberry validation guide). 1-3 weeks.
• Additional notes: Blackberry has launched its version 10 focused on touchscreens.

WINDOWS PHONE

Windows Phone is the successor of Windows Mobile. With this change Microsoft began to focus on consumers rather than businesses. Similar to BlackBerry, Windows Phone maintains a lower activation rate than that of iOS or Android.

• Programming language: C#.
• Development environment: Windows phone SDK   + Visual Studio.
• Getting started: Tutorials + example.
• App Market: Windows Phone Store.
• Development license: 99$ per year.
• App validation process: Really hard and slow (Windows Phone validation guide). 1-2 weeks.
• Additional notes: Windows 8 is generating expectation and maybe will start a new revolution in the smartphone world.

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