Mobile apps have been a part of our lives for just over a decade and their significance seems to be forever. With various techniques and tools available mobile app development has seen exponential growth in terms of quality, features, and engagement. When it comes to having a mobile app developed for your business, the first crucial touch-point is the platform. Although how to choose the right platform for your mobile app development is not the talk here, let’s have a quick look at the market trends of Android and iOS.
Android or iOS
Talking of the good old days when mobile apps had just hit the market there were so many platforms to launch your app Microsoft, Symbian, RIM, Android, iOS, plus several smaller ones. The expansion seemed unstoppable and pushing. Now, with more competitors in the market, the race has clearly become one-sided. It is only Android and iOS in the race and rest seems not to be seen in the race. iOS has always had a stable market share and Android has sky-rocketed in the last few hours. Both platforms make up around 99% of the application market.
Also Read: 12 Reasons to Select Android App Development Over Other Platforms
Let’s Compare which of the Two is the Right Fit for Your Mobile App
Factor 1: Target Audience
Android platform is more for generic apps. It targets the universal audience. If you want to target people in professional and managerial jobs then iOS is the choice for you. It has been found in a study that iOS penetrates in the enterprise market better for all security reasons. People using iOS are likely to spend more time on their devices and engage with their apps.
Factor 2: Easy Coding
Java the language that is used for building Android apps is much complicated than Swift, Apple’s official coding language. Thus, Hiring iOS App Developers would be less hectic and more fun.
Factor 3: Platform Type
Android is an open-source platform thus, lacks standardization. Apple has a closed ecosystem that clearly means developing for a few standardized devices and operating systems.
So, it is 2 for iOS and 1 for Android. The best Platform Won!
Nothing hard for Android but we are talking about iOs development here. But since we are to discuss Swift, let’s talk about iOs only.
Read More: iOS Game Development Via Unity: A Beginners Guide
What Is Swift?
Swift is an object-oriented programming language introduced by Apple in 2014 based on iOS and OS X. This was developed as an improved choice for Objective C. The language overcomes the Obj-C drawbacks like the complexity of semantic constructions, memory leaks, etc. This can be used to develop apps on the Linux platform.
Major Features of Swift
The basic criteria for evaluation of any programming language are syntax, operational semantics, data type philosophy, the possibility of structured programming and exception handling methods, the speed of implemented subroutines, multi-threading, and compatibility with other languages. Out of these the major factors that add an edge to the language are syntax and capabilities.
Syntax: It is basically the grammar rules that we are talking about here. The syntax of the language was initially based on Objective C. It was further modified in various aspects and now it is much easier to code using Swift as compared to Objective C.
Capabilities: The language can include open source dynamic libraries. These libraries let the developer take built-in solutions and decrease the size of the application saving space in the memory of user devices.
These are two major factors that make Swift the most popular programming language among the developers.
Now, let’s talk about the benefits of using Swift.
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Benefits of Using Swift for Mobile App Development
Although Swift is new in the market, it has a strong fan following. It is popular not only with the ones who have have struggled with complex languages but also for beginners who are new to the development. Let’s see what makes Swift a rock star among its peer.
1. Easy to Learn
The language is so easy to learn that you can master it in just a few months without any technical expertise. And if you have expertise in a language like C++ you can reduce a few months’ time to just a month.
2. Simple Syntax
We have already discussed the advantage of the simple syntax above. The language looks quite laconic, and one can easily create solutions with this. The best part is it is intuitive and creative. Thus, adding some impressive elements in the solutions is quite simple for the developer.
3. Smooth Development
The language integrates the platform to the most. Thus, we can precisely take into features depending on the purpose of the app.
Also Know: 12 Best Mobile App Development Frameworks
4. Hassle-Free Error-Handling
The language uses an interesting error-handling approach. With enum (enumeration) the Success and Failure outcomes are calculated. This helps in tracking the possible errors thus reducing the chances of incorrect functionalities on release.
5. Higher-Order Functions
This is one feature that surely every Swift developer loves. Higher-order functions help developers reduce code complexity. Integration of third-party libraries and other programming languages lets single-line expression creation.
6. API Availability Check
One can choose the APIs available for specific deployment targets. Thus making the app development process simpler and faster. Gone are the days of finding the right set of APIs and codes, Swift can help you deliver application solutions faster than never before.
Read More: 7 Things to Consider Before You Start Building Your App
7. Maximize Application Performance
Why do your competitors love Swift? Probably because of the increased level of performance of the app. Most Swift functions can be executed at a greater speed as compared to those in other languages. The language itself allocates memory thus making it convenient for the compiler to execute the functions as quickly as possible.
8. Dynamic Libraries Support
With dynamic library support, the language deals with the reduction of application size which speeds the download process. Updating the existing versions becomes easier and does not require any technological advancements in terms of language or version.
9. Linux Development
Have you heard of the term cross-platform development? This is the best language for cross-platform development. This can work with Linux set up one feature that Objective C failed.
These were a few reasons why each time you look for iOS app developers in Canada you find Swift developers around. The language has been a revolution in programming history and has been changing the domain for the better.
Know More: 10 Most Useful Free iPhone Apps
Wrapping It Up!
Many business people are not sure what they want out of their business mobile application. A quick read here would help them identify the platform they want to choose and why? Swift is an impressive language that has been popular for uncountable reasons. So, if you are looking for an iOS-based app to reach your target audience Swift developers are the right choice for you.