Benefits of Native Mobile App Development
A smartphone is useless if it doesn’t have any apps. It’s likely comparable to an old-fashioned Nokia or Motorola phone that’s just used for making phone calls and sending text messages. Phones like that don’t have a touchpad and have buttons instead. Such functionalities cannot meet the requirements of the 21st century. On the other hand, applications offer a higher level of connectivity with the outside world and are therefore an essential component of our activities.
There has been an increase in the amount of time people spend using them, but COVID-19 has sped up the trend even further. According to a recent survey published by the analytics platform Data.ai, mobile users started spending 20 percent more time on apps in 2020 compared to 2019. In addition, users not only concentrate on already existing applications but also download brand new ones. The total number of downloads hit 218 billion in 2020 throughout the globe.
Due to the rapid pace of expansion, firms may be motivated to launch applications as quickly as possible and at the lowest possible cost to carve out a portion of the market for themselves. As a result, ready-made solutions, such as cross-platform software, are a popular option. However, apps of this kind cannot boast quick and error-free performance, exceptional stability, an amazing user experience (UX), and a decreased chance of crashes.
Native apps have an advantage here since they can deliver all these features. In the context of mobile apps, this implies a better quality that encourages customers to remain loyal over the long term. We will get deep into native mobile app development here in this article. You will learn more about it, as well as the reasons why you should go for it.
What is native app development?
You might be already familiar with this, that the development of mobile apps can be accomplished through other methods in addition to native app development. Cross-platform and progressive web apps (PWA) are the other two.
Since, in the end, you obtain one app that works on both Android and iOS, developing a cross-platform application is a choice that is both relatively inexpensive and quick. Despite this, there is a strong likelihood that you will encounter performance, user experience, and update issues due to the lack of integrity with the specific operating system.
Customers don’t need to download PWAs since they run in the browser, much like mobile apps. PWAs are just web applications with a better user experience. Despite this, your customers can put them on the main screen if they wish, use the app while offline, and get notifications. It’s quick and simple to keep up with in terms of development.
What exactly is meant by the term “native application,” and how does this kind of program vary from others? The fact that it is fully cooperative with the standards of a certain operating system is its defining feature. Consequently, this leads to increased stability, improved performance, relatively easy maintenance, and simplified scalability. To put it another way, you can save money on additional tasks.
In this situation, you will need to design separate native applications – one for the Android operating system and another for the iOS operating system. Although it is more costly than developing cross-platform and web apps, you might discover that it is more profitable in the long run.
Tools and Technologies
We specialize in developing mobile applications for the iOS and Android platforms, although there are many other operating systems.
When developing a native app, a developer will write their code in a specific programming language that is platform-specific, indicating that it will only run on iOS or Android. In other words, the professional communicates in a way that is understandable to the system. Let’s go a little more in-depth with the technology stack for app development.
Android-Specific Programming
To build high-end applications that run properly on Android, developers need to be fluent in two programming languages:
- At this time, Android developers like using Java over all other programming languages. Java is the language that has usually been used for Android app development. Java is used to develop a substantial portion of Android, and Android’s APIs are designed to be called primarily from Java. You will have major help from the community, and you will rarely come into a challenge that has never been experienced before.
- In Android application development, Kotlin can be thought of more as an evolution of Java. According to the official documentation, “Kotlin is 100 percent fully compatible with the Java programming language. This means you can have as little or as much Kotlin as you want in your project.” This is being widely advertised by Google, and it will offer a more streamlined experience to developers who are already familiar with Java.
Even though some experts prefer to work with them separately, they can be combined. In other words, an Android app can have both Java and Kotlin parts at the same time.
iOS-Specific Programming
iOS developers were previously using only the Objective-C programming language for all of their projects. The release of Swift in 2014, which is already starting to establish itself as the industry standard, changed everything. The key factors for this are the platform’s emphasis on security, its lightning-fast speed, and the strong tools it provides developers with to give their projects some expressiveness.
Advantages of Developing Native Apps
Now that you are familiar with the fundamentals of developing native apps for iOS and Android, it is time to consider why you should choose this particular development method. After examining the specified advantages, you will understand its complete functionality.
Seamless Performance and Fast Operating Speed
When writing code, software engineers are responsible for ensuring that an application will perform as expected when installed on any device. A native approach makes this feasible since it necessitates using components and APIs specific to the operating system. These components already take into consideration the peculiarities that are associated with branded devices. As a result, very few issues come up, and the performance is smooth and quick.
Great UI/UX
There are a number of advantages to be achieved in terms of user interface and user experience when developing an application only for one operating system. The dimensions and resolution of the visuals will not have to be changed to comply with the specifications of the multiple devices. This is an advantage from a technical perspective. As a result, you won’t need to give it more thought.
Native applications provide users with a far higher level of interactivity than cross-platform or web applications. People can quickly get a vibe of a native app since it is developed in accordance with the design guidelines specified. They serve as the North Star and include the well-known user-friendly design features unique to the operating system.
The ultimate benefit of having an intuitive interface is the convenience with which it may be used; users won’t have to spend time puzzling over how to get help or find where the menu is placed.
Superior Safety and Reliability
Since the COVID-19 epidemic has led to a rise in the number of cyberattacks, the problem of data protection is becoming an increasingly critical issue. Data breaches can have a detrimental effect on a company’s image, which can drive customers away. Even enormous companies like Facebook aren’t exempt from the implications of their actions. For instance, users continued to have an unfavorable opinion of the social media network even a year after the Cambridge Analytica data breach.
Native programs have numerous layers of an operating system protecting them. Hence they are quite secure. In addition, only official APIs that may be trusted are used while implementing such a strategy. The fact that programmers don’t employ third-party systems that may exploit the access information makes the difference in terms of the platform’s level of security.
In addition, when you go native, you can give users embedded certification and multi-factor authentication inside the app. This latter functionality is particularly important for an application that requires the confidentiality of sensitive data, such as financial or personal details.
Up-to-Date SDK
IT specialists often use software development kits (SDKs) when building an app. The tools are critical for working on functionality, using device hardware, or handling user inputs. Native application development means a greater degree of flexibility in terms of the capabilities that are accessible. This is because both Apple and Google are continually updating these tools.
With each new version, the SDK involves intensive modifications and improvements. It makes it possible for engineers to reduce the overall amount of issues and provides a higher level of reliability. As a direct consequence, the application’s performance is almost flawless, and there is little risk that it may crash.
Easy to Launch in the App Stores
Launching an application might sometimes become an unsolvable problem since mobile stores can simply refuse to recognize the app as a valid submission. In order to prevent such a pathetic scenario, developers have to ensure that every piece of the app is in accordance with the requirements. Because native apps are designed from the beginning to comply with the guidelines set by either Android or iOS, their launch process is far more streamlined and accelerated.
Hardware Features
Your native app will not only have superb performance and a one-of-a-kind user experience, but it will also have complete access to all of the hardware features. This sets the stage for more sophisticated capabilities by permitting the use of a camera, GPS, or microphone.
Access to the Available Expertise Pool
When developing an application, it is always a good idea to hire a professional developer with extensive knowledge and, if feasible, years of experience in the field. Regarding expertise, specialists whose primary emphasis is on cross-platform apps are new compared to those who have mastered a native path. This is because cross-platform apps are still relatively new, while programs for iOS and Android have been around for more than ten years.
Because of this, it is much simpler to find a competent native app developer familiar with all of the particulars of the operating problem in OS. When such a professional is involved, the development can proceed more quickly while minimizing the risk of error.
Scalability
Scalability refers to the possibility of an app to successfully handle the growth of the product. It entails increasing traffic and load, growing the number of users, and adding new features. Because of how the app was designed, it may easily attract new users without requiring any important changes to the core functionality.
If you have a cross-platform app, you will have to help both Android and iOS users. As a result, scaling becomes more difficult since you need to maintain a high level of performance while minimizing the likelihood of experiencing crashes as the number of users grows.
On the other hand, a native app is designed only for users of iOS or Android. Therefore, the process will be easier for you due to the increased number of possibilities to separate the data flow. At the same time the apps promise a better future since they use the hardware more effectively than cross-platform ones. This results in a massive decrease in the limits of expansion.
Advanced Customization
Since there are no limits, it is possible to customize things in more advanced ways. Let’s assume for a moment two different situations: you have a choice to make. In one scenario, you are the only one who should be pleased with the solution. In another scenario, it is expected that all of the other relevant stakeholders should also approve it. Even if there are just two more people to satisfy, this choice is not a simple one. How about an additional ten or twenty?
The same is applicable when developing an application. There is no need for the developers to integrate the capabilities of the two operating systems. They have the option of concentrating on Android or iOS to develop a one-of-a-kind application with extensive customization. Moreover, operating systems provide various adaptable tools and solutions. However, the availability of cross-platform frameworks is quite restricted.
Is it a Good Idea to Go Native?
If you are looking to develop a mobile application of the best quality, the correct approach is to use native mobile app development. The app will become your primary source of differentiation from the competition due to its eye-catching design, high-resolution visuals, lightning-fast operation speed, and extensive feature set. Although you will have to pay more for all of the perks, there is a good chance that some of them will provide a return on investment over the long run, especially since they need minimal maintenance.
Please let us know if you want more assistance or if you like to get pricing information. We are always here for you.