Whether you run a e-Commerce store or offer essential health services, an app is an excellent way of getting in touch with your customer base. Many organisations feel that app development is too complex a field to get involved in. While from a technical perspective this may be true, partnering with an experienced app development company — such as Newpath Web — means that your only job is to provide the ideas. Let Newpath Web take care of everything else for you!
Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about Android application development and how we can help you build the app of your dreams.
Android phones explained
Let’s start by talking about what an Android phone is.
An Android phone is one that runs on the Android OS (operating system). This system was developed and is maintained by Google. Google itself develops Android phones, however; they are not the only tech provider to do so. Samsung, HTC, and Sony are other popular Android phone providers. In fact, people often mistakenly assume that Samsung owns the Android platform, which is certainly not the case.
Android is an open-source operating system, meaning that these companies are able to access the software source code and modify it for their own use.
Android phones occupy a significant portion of the smartphone market, alongside Apple’s iOS operating system. Combined, the two are responsible for around 99 percent of smartphone sales worldwide. Of that additional 1 percent, Nokia and Blackberry are the most well known providers.
The wide range of Android phones available on the market today means that they usually sit at a fairly competitive price point. The open-source nature of Android phones means that some consumers worry about security. However, provided that users are careful and only download apps and software from trustworthy sources, Android is just as secure as the iOS platform.
Developing for Android
Generally speaking, mobile applications need to be developed with a specific operating system in mind — that is, unless you are using the programming code React Native, which can be used to create cross-platform apps.
iOS apps are made available to download via the App Store. For Android apps, the biggest app marketplace is the Google Play store. Android phones can run software that is downloaded from other sources, but this comes with additional security risks.
When creating a mobile application, developers use what is known as a programming code. There are several different codes available; some are more popular than others. For iOS applications, developers often use either Swift or Objective-C programming languages. Android applications, on the other hand, are predominantly built using Java.
Aside from the code itself, the other more technical aspect of app development is the ‘integrated development environment’ — or IDE — that is used to actually build the app. The IDE is the software environment that you develop in. For Android applications, the most common IDE is Android Studio, which was built and released by Google.
These two elements — coding language and IDE — are the major differences between Android and iOS application development. Aside from these elements, the process of designing, developing, and deploying an app is largely similar:
- Develop a compelling an unique idea
- Conduct market research
- Wireframe your ideas
- Plan UX/UI design
- Code your app
- Test your app
- Launch and market your creation
App development tips and tricks
Whether you are building an Android or iOS app, there are a few strategies that you can use to ensure that your application stands out from the crowd:
- Come up with a unique idea: The harsh reality is that there are millions of apps out there. What is going to make yours stand out from the crowd? You need to come up with an idea that is both unique and practical.
- Prioritise security: Our smartphones carry an incredible amount of personal information and much of this is tied up in the apps that we download and use. As a result, app developers need to place a high priority on security, making sure they use strong encryption and store user data in a secure manner.
- Test — and test again: Once coding has been completed, it’s all but guaranteed that there will be some bugs with your app. The best way that these can be ironed out is through extensive testing — before the app is deployed. The last thing you want is your consumers discovering problems that you were not aware of.
Turn to Newpath Web for your app development needs
Here at Newpath Web, our extensive history of designing, developing, and marketing Android apps means that we know a thing or two about what it will take for your application to succeed. We have built Android and iOS apps for countless businesses across a wide variety of industries, including Porsche Centre Melbourne, Mercedes Benz Melbourne, Empire Club, and Dairy Australia.
Our Android application development team will be with you every step of the way, from the initial brainstorming to releasing your finalised application to the market.
If you are looking to build a compelling, industry-leading Android app, contact Newpath Web today to discover how we can assist you.
