Table of contents
1. What is a mobile app?
2. What are the forms of mobile apps?
3. What are the types of mobile applications?
4. What are the ways to build a mobile application?
We all are so busy on our phones. Some of us may be playing games, chatting, shopping, or stalking our favorite celebrities on their social media profiles. Basically, we are all using mobile applications, most commonly known as mobile apps.
What are mobile apps?
Mobile apps are applications that have been designed specifically for smart devices like mobile phones, tablet computers, and so on. Mobile applications are limited in function when compared to web applications, but it has got great quality which could give the best experience to the users.
Web Application are normally developed using integrated software systems, but mobile applications are not done the same way. Most mobile apps serve only one or two functions. It could be a game app, a shopping app, or a browser. This is because of the limited hardware resources which were available for the mobile devices earlier. Even now with advanced technology, the number of functions a mobile app can do is limited. This way one could download apps that are necessary for them and avoid filling up memory size with unwanted or large apps.
What are the forms of mobile apps?
Let us take a look at the different forms of mobile apps that are developed.
Native apps
Native apps are mobile apps that are built for a single mobile operating system. They are called native because they are native to that particular operating system for which it is made for. Mobile operating systems like Android and iOS has got many native apps made for them. Some examples are iTunes, iCloud, and App Store which are made specifically for iOS users.
With native apps, the user can have the best experience since most native apps have high performance. This is because mobile app developers use native device UI to create native apps. For speeding up the developmental work and extending the boundaries of the usage, some developers give access to APIs.
The native apps can only be downloaded using the app store and installed directly on the device.
Native apps are costly compared to other apps and this is one of their main disadvantages. For example, when you want to develop an app specifically for Android and iOS users, you need to hire professional teams, one who knows Android better and the other one who knows iOS better. Therefore, it takes more money to build a native app.
Web Apps
Web apps are software applications that you can use on your mobile devices. They work in a similar way as native apps. But there are some differences they have from the native apps like web apps use browsers to run. Web apps are written in CSS, JavaScript, or HTML 5. These apps then redirect the user to the URL and then give the user the option of installing them on their devices. Therefore, web apps need minimal memory space.
The personal databases of these web apps are saved on the server, and therefore, require an Internet connection every time the user wants to use the application. Without an internet connection, web apps only give the user a subpar experience. The performance of this app cannot be upgraded with APIs, but with the quality of the browser and internet connection the user has.
Hybrid apps
Hybris apps function like web app but are disguised as a native app. They are written similarly to web apps in CSS, JavaScript, or HTML 5.
The upside to hybrid apps is that they are easier to develop compared to other forms of mobile apps. You can get a single codebase for all platforms. The cost of maintenance is lowered due to this, and the updating process is streamlined. APIs can be used for gyroscopes of geolocation by mobile app developers.
The problem with hybrid apps is that they do not have high performance and they lack speed. There arise issues when the app does not look the same over different platforms.
What are the types of mobile applications?
We see thousands of applications on the app stores on our mobile devices. Have you ever thought to which category they belong?
Let us take a look at some of the types of mobile applications we come across.
Gaming apps
Gaming is one major purpose why people are addicted to their smart devices. There is no age barrier to this, and everyone is glued to their screen while they play games. It is also one of the most popular categories of mobile apps. There are many users who have at least one of the gaming apps installed on their devices.
Businesses highly invest their resources and time in creating and developing gaming apps due to the high profit these apps give back to them. 33 percent of the overall downloads are estimated that of gaming apps, 74 percent of the money spent is for mobile apps, and 10 percent of the time spent is also attributed to gaming apps.
Some of the most popular gaming apps are Free Fire, PUBG, and Angry Bird.
Productivity or Business apps
Most people perform complex tasks today on their smart devices due to which the popularity of these types of apps has increased. Many of the apps occupy today’s market. We have apps for booking our tickets, sending emails, or even tracking our progress. Business apps help in boosting productivity and minimize expenses. These apps also allow their users to carry out diverse tasks on their apps like buying products to making appointments.
Educational apps
Educational apps help users to develop skills or gain knowledge by using the app. There are apps that help one learn a language like Duolingo. This app is quite popular because it is very flexible according to learners enabling them to be effective while learning.
These apps are good for kids as they like to spend their time mostly on their devices. Some of the apps are used by teachers to make sure their students are regular or to track their progress. These apps also give the function of helping them to organize their work schedule and so on. Some teachers use it for educating themselves on various topics.
Lifestyle apps
Lifestyle apps focus on various aspects of lifestyle like fitness, health, nutrition, fashion, and so on. Some examples of this app are the “30-day fitness challenge” app, the ‘Diet Planner’ app, and so on. These apps help you track your lifestyle and offer tips on it if you want to change anything related to it.
M commerce apps
Any of the ecommerce websites have got a mobile version for their websites to make it convenient for their users in terms of accessibility. Some examples of this type of app are Amazon and eBay, which has got a separate desktop version, but to make it easier for their customers to access them, they have created mobile apps.
They do this to give the optimal shopping experience with them. Mobile apps also have a lot of seamless payment methods which can be used by the users.
Entertainment apps
These apps are built for entertainment purposes like listening to music, watching movies, and so on. Using the entertainment apps the users can stream video content, look for events happening around them, chat with others, or watch something online.
Social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and for google we have Google chat, and so on belong to this category of apps. Netflix and Amazon Prime are quite popular for streaming. With the pandemic going on, many films had to release on these platforms. By notifying members about the updates and newly added products, these apps create user engagement on their apps.
Utility apps
These apps are used by everyone without them even knowing it. The shortest sessions users have been with these apps. Since they are utility apps and serve a definite purpose, people use them and then leave. They help the users to track their phones, set alarms, scan barcodes, and so on. Some examples of these types of apps are UC Browser, Find my phone, Mobile tracker, Android device manager, and so on.
Travel apps
The travel apps helps the users to make traveling so easy. The travelers can make this app as their travel diary and save everything in it. These apps give tips and tricks of travelling, where to visit in what time and so on. They also give information about the hidden gems of that place which has been discovered only by the locals of that region. Travelling apps can also get you the routes to your favorite destinations.
Some of the examples of this type are Google Maps ( Google Street View), Waze, Airbnb, and Make my trip.
What are the ways to build a mobile application?
There are three different options you can choose from for building your own mobile application. Let us take a look into all three methods of building a mobile app.
Build an in-house development team
If you are planning to develop a mobile app, you can create an in-house development team for doing this for you. By creating such a team, you will have full control over the team and the direction in which the team is taking your mobile app to.
By creating your own team, you are taking an option to have high expenses. You will have to pay for the developers’ salaries, and range of overhead costs such as for the workspace, hardware, software licenses, benefits, and perks, and there goes the list. According to the region your company is in, the price of Mobile Development may also vary.
If you go by this method to create your app, the price tag on it would be very high. The risk on the project is also high as you are the one controlling the team and the project is handled by them.
Hiring a freelancer
Hiring a freelancer is the cheapest method of mobile app development. For a simplified developmental process to build your own mobile app, you can hire a single freelancer. The perk of having a single freelancer is that the communication you have is easier and there will be no collaborative issues since there is the only person responsible for building your app.
The major challenge you will face in this method is the hiring process itself. You need to make sure that the freelancer is talented, skilled, and an expert in the field. You should be able to find a reliable and trustworthy freelancer. The entire success of your mobile app project is depended on this single person’s skill and knowledge.
Make sure to hire somebody who is good at frontend and backend development. In other cases where you have a mobile app developer who is good at the backend and front end, then you will have an app that works really well and efficiently but has got a bad user interface. People would not just use an app for its utility but also for how it looks and represents itself.
Hiring a software development company
There are many software development companies that can build a mobile app for you. By collaborating with the company, you can give them the responsibility of creating a mobile app for you. By doing so you are giving the task to a professional team that will look after everything for you. These companies can also provide a wide range of software services for you like designing the interface for you using UX / UI, product development, frontend and backend development, quality assurance, testing, and project management.
The greatest benefit of using a software development company is that you can take advantage of the collective expertise and knowledge of the team as they have taken up similar projects like yours before. So, they know what they are doing. By going through their portfolio or by asking their previous customers you can make sure of their end results.
This option is the most recommended one as it offers an excellent cost and quality product.
Still have doubts about mobile apps. Feel free to comment below.
Did you know that just like a website needs a good SEO (search engine optimization) strategy, even mobile apps require a little something called ASO or app store optimization?
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