The development of mobile applications involves the various steps and methods used to create software for small, portable computing devices like smartphones and other handheld gadgets.

Mobile application development is similar to Web applications in that it originated as a result of conventional software development processes. However, the key distinction is that mobile applications are often specifically designed to take advantage of the specific characteristics of a particular mobile device. A game could be developed that uses the iPhone’s accelerometer and a mobile health app would take advantage of temperature sensing on your watch.

Apple’s iOS and Google’s android are currently the most widely used Mobile Platforms. Essential apps, such as a complete Web browser and the Apple App Store, are available on your phone or tablet. Similarly, the Google Play Store offers similar preloaded apps on Android devices and users can add more if they want.

Kinds of Mobile Applications

The only way to ensure the best performance of a mobile application on any device was through its native development in the early days of mobile applications. It required the creation of new codes specific to each device’s processor. A majority of apps are nowadays developed to work with all devices.

 Previously, there were little to no code that could be reused from the original development project if an app had to run across platforms and functions on different operating systems OSes. Each device required its own mobile app development project, using a unique set of code.

In addition, popular languages such as C# and JavaScript are used by modern cross platform tools to facilitate code sharing between projects; in particular, they’re integrated seamlessly with application lifecycle management tools like Jenkins. This empowers developers to use a unified codebase for Apple iOS, Google Android, and progressive web apps (PWAs). In order to eliminate the need for end users to visit an app store, buy or download software, PWAs are designed to take advantage of native mobile device features. Instead, the requirement for eCommerce companies to develop native apps for more than one operating system is circumvented by a PWA which can be detected via an Internet search query and immediately accessible through browser.

 It is vital to decide on the type of application that you will develop when preparing for app development. An overview of the various technology for developing applications, together with information on each option, is given below.

• Native Application: Integrated development environments and programming languages designed for mobile operating systems such as Apple’s iOS or Google’s android will be used to create these applications. While native applications allow you to customize essential functions, they may result in more costs than other technologies.
• Hybrid Applications: Hybrid applications imitate native apps and are crafted using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. They offer a more cost effective and swift development process, but do not have the same level of features as indigenous apps.
• Progressive Web Apps: (PWAs) They look like mobile apps, but they’re actually websites built on web technologies such as Facebook Reaction.
• Encapsulated Apps: They are running in containers, with tools such as Microsoft Power App enabling inexperienced developers to rapidly develop applications for smartphones. However, there are potential problems such as lack of isolation from the core operating system, OS lock in and new concept.
• Frameworks and Libraries: They’ve got a reusable code that can speed up the development of an app if another developer is writing it.

Costs of developing a mobile app

Depending on the nature of the app and its purpose, the cost to create it can vary significantly from a few dollars to millions. The cost range for the development of a Mobile Application is given below:

No-code App Builders: Developers do not need to have coding skills in order to develop apps with basic functionality requirements. Without knowing programming languages such as Swift, you can create apps with simple tools like GoodBarber, Appery.io, Shoutem, Appy Pie and BuildingFire. Although these tools are limited in functionality and cannot be used to develop games, they can meet the needs of most organizations through an approach that does not use codes.

Enterprise Apps: With tools such as Amazon HoneyCode, Mendix, and Microsoft Power Suite, the concept of Citizen Developer, where anyone can build a mobile app, is gaining popularity. These tools allow you to connect to data sources and manage content flow through drag and drop interfaces. A monthly subscription of less than $50 is usually included in the cost.

Mobile Optimized Websites: While the best way to create websites for both desktop and mobile devices is to use a content management tool, plugins that can be purchased in order to optimize your website for mobiles at an affordable price of under $100 are probably available.

Complex Apps: Apps with advanced features like 3D, gaming, or sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) typically need to be developed as native apps. The cost of a complex application can exceed $250,000 or more, which is directly related to the shortage of mobile developers.

To decrease costs and time spent developing apps, ZeeroxMarketing simplifies app development through the Lowcode Platform. The visual draganddrop editor and readymade templates allow users to create sophisticated business applications that do not require much or no coding.  Zeerox Marketing facilitates collaborative development and greatly reduces the IT workload by enabling business users to create applications on their own without technical assistance. Applications can be deployed in a matter of weeks instead of months, allowing for quick adaptation to changes.