Frequently asked questions about Mobile App Development

It's inevitable. Having been involved in technology for almost 20 years, I often get asked questions, from various social circles, regarding technology-related topics. In this week’s blog post, I will provide some insight and answer a few of the most frequently asked questions concerning Mobile App Development. Each of these questions could be a separate blog write-up on its own, but to keep it simple, I will only summarize the best answer using the military’s “Bottom Line Up Front” (BLUF) method.

This is listed in no particular order...

Question: What is mobile app development?

Answer: Mobile application development is the process of creating software applications (Apps) that run on a mobile device (phones, tablets, etc.).

Question: Why is mobile app development important?

Answer: By 2021, there will be roughly 7 billion users worldwide. Apps have changed the way end users handle their mobile phones and organizations must take notice. A well designed and developed app using user-focused methodologies can ease consumer access, offer valuable entertainment and education as well as help teams be more productive.

Question: What books do you recommend for startups that have an app idea?

Answer:

How to Build a Billion Dollar App by George Berkowski
UX for Lean Startups by Laura Klein
The Lean Start-up by Eric Ries

Question: What steps should I take before I start Mobile App Development?

Answer:

Research your Market
Define your value proposition and target audience
Choose between native, hybrid or web app
Know your budget to include return on investment and total cost of ownership
Build your Marketing/Communication strategy
Research and hire the appropriate firm to help bring you app to reality

Question: What is the cost to build an App?

Answer: 3 high level factors go into determining costs; the number of platforms (native, hybrid or web), feature requirements, and the complexity of the application. The average cost to make an app ranges from $80K – $250K+. For less complex apps with a few basic features, it could cost between $10,000 and $50,000.

Question: What are Mobile App Wireframes?

Answer: During the early stages of product development, we create wireframes to identify problems before they arise. An example is shown below:

Question: How does mobile app development work?

Answer: Mobile app development has become an iterative process using methodology that is Agile or involving Sprints. In a nutshell, it means all development is broken into smaller milestones and your app is built in a series of cycles. Each cycle will include planning, development, testing and user acceptance. At the end of each cycle, the user has a minimal viable product (MVP). At KCS, we also incorporate security within the features using a DevSecOps approach.

Question: Which mobile device is more secure iOS vs Android?

Answer: Apple maintains its iron grip on security, but Google is gaining ground, especially with Android 11 around the corner (CNET)

Question: Which programming language is best to use for app development?

Answer: The best language will depend on the app requirements, and resources available to develop but here are the most popular and commonly used languages:

Python
Swift (iOS)
JavaScript (Android, iOS)
C++
HTML 5 (multiple platforms)
Rust
Scala
Ruby
GoLang/Go

Question: Is mobile app development a good career choice?

Answer: Yes. CNN Money named Mobile App Developer its Best Job in America. The demand for Mobile App Developers is projected to experience 19% growth over the next decade, and reach a median salary exceeding $97K.

Question: Where to learn mobile app development?

Answer:

Udacity- Udacity is an expansion to free classes offered by Stanford University
Codecademy- Learn to code for free and also offers paid prices with more features
SoloLearn- Learn to Code on an app for both Android and iOS

Question: What are the latest mobile development trends? Answer:

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)- FaceApp which rose to fame overnight because of its use of AI to use a user’s photo to show what they would look like when they are older and younger. As a security note, read the fine print when signing up for these free apps, your data will be out there for others to use.

Wearable Apps: Wearable technology is progressively growing around the globe. The number of connected wearable devices reached 453 million in 2017 and is expected to reach 929 million by 2021.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technology—one of the top mobile app development trends—isn’t just prepping and increasing the high-quality gaming applications, it's also being leverage in several other use cases.

Question: What is the most downloaded app for 2020?

Answer: This is the latest data from Cyberclick as of September 10, 2020. It’s no surprise that the latest apps on the list are as a result of everyone working virtually.