There are many technologies for iOS in the field of mobile development, but it is quite difficult to choose the best one for a particular project. To do this, it is extremely important to understand exactly what product is needed now. The discovery phase helps to understand this – the development stage at which ideas are worked out, a pool of future functionality is formed, and much more.
The type of project is the defining stack factor. For example, if you want to create a complex iOS application with high performance and user interface implementation, it is better to choose native development. In this case, Swift will be the best programming language for building a mobile application.
Checking the idea. Relevant for startups that only want to test a product idea. At this stage, it is important to engage potential users in order to better understand the needs of the target audience. Then you can consider Flutter as it is economical and allows you to reuse code across many platforms. This results in broad platform coverage and fast application delivery.
Time to market. The way companies bring products to market is essential to maintaining competitive advantage. If you need to release a product as soon as possible, consider a framework or programming language with many out-of-the-box solutions for general development, such as social media integration and authentication
Cross-platform VS native: how to develop mobile applications
The rise in popularity of mobile apps has led us to increase competition between Android and iOS. A study of the Where is the Traffic resource showed that at the beginning of 2021, 71% of the global market was occupied by Android. In the US, iOS has found the greatest popularity, so the same Android occupies only 38% of the market there.
And here the business faces the question of choosing a platform, which depends on the target audience, budget, and product goals. There are two options: develop a native app for each platform or one cross-platform.
Native apps are built for a specific platform using specific tools. So, native on Android will not work on iOS and vice versa. Cross-platform applications mean compatibility with several platforms. Let’s figure out what and why to develop.
Advantages and disadvantages of native applications
Let’s start with the benefits of native apps.
+ Native app has high performance
This is due to the fact that when creating natives, developers use tools that are directly related to the platform. For example, Swift is a programming language created by Apple for native development for its iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, TvOS platforms. Interaction with the platform is simpler, which increases the responsiveness and performance of the application.
+ Quality user experience
Here we again get goodies due to closer integration with the platform. Now you can make the most of the capabilities of the hardware of the device and fully comply with the guidelines.
In addition, users like everything familiar. By connecting native development tools with platforms, we can implement the interface and user experience familiar to the audience.
+ Easy integration
The native application allows you to fully use all the features provided by the platform. So we can achieve better photos and work correctly with Bluetooth, NFC, etc.
There are not so many disadvantages of native applications, but for some they can become key factors when choosing a development approach.
– High cost of development and maintenance
For native development, you will need at least two developers – Android and IOS, if the project does not imply presence on only one platform. As a result, you will most likely have to develop two codebases, which means you will spend more money on development and maintenance.
– Development time is greatly increased
Unlike cross-platform development, native applications are created separately for each platform. Since now we need to develop not one, but at least two applications, Android and IOS, the development time increases.
– Limited to one platform
If you are notoriously targeting a market that is heavily dominated by a particular platform, such as Android, then this disadvantage does not concern you. But if you create a native application for one platform, then this can threaten with lost profits. After all, the application simply will not work on other platforms and users will not be able to try out your development and start making a profit.
Advantages and disadvantages of cross-platform applications
What are the benefits of cross-platform development? Let’s figure it out.
+ Low development and maintenance costs
This is achieved by not having to hire multiple developers with different stacks. One smart developer who can write and maintain the application codebase is enough for you.
+ Development is much faster
Perhaps this is one of the main advantages of cross-platform development. Again, building a single application reduces time to market, which is great for businesses that want to test hypotheses.
+ The application appears on several platforms at once
Now users with IOS and Android devices will be able to try out your application. And the more users, the more profit.
+ Codebase reuse
Most of the codebase can be reused when developing other applications. This allows you to reduce the cost of fixing bugs and introducing new functionality on new projects.
Let there be more disadvantages than native applications, but most of them may not be so significant for you.
– Strongly lame adaptability and as a result user experience
Often, cross-platform applications are created without taking into account the peculiarities of some platforms and provide a single interface for all. This approach will be especially noticeable to users who are accustomed to a certain user experience.