You will be baffled to know that the total number of internet users is growing by 11 people per second these days. These numbers simply indicate that the worldwide online community is joined by millions of individuals who choose to be Android and iOS users every day. With over 1.85 million iOS apps and 2.6 million Android apps available in respective stores, targeting any one of these operating systems is an unseemly decision for the business.
Moreover, developing the best cross-platform applications is a less time-consuming and non-expensive option for business owners as well as top mobile app developers. What is even more interesting is that cross-platform applications are getting increasingly popular day by day.
Now, why is cross-platform application development the first love of app developers? In this article, you will find out about the perks of cross-platform app development.
The inception of cross-platform application development
Over the past few years, there has been tremendous growth in the use of mobile devices. This growth itself has fueled the development of millions of software applications for these mobile devices popularly known as apps. Current estimates indicate that the number of cross-platform apps optimized for mobility will quadruple by the end of 2023.
A cross-platform app for a normal user might mean an app that runs on all devices but for best cross-platform app developers, this means software frameworks and languages. The concept of cross-platform app development took root in 1995 with the tagline of Sun microsystems; Write once, Run anywhere (WORA).
Although, in the early days it was taken as Write once, Debug everywhere, a frolic jest among developers. Since then, the development tools have ascended in maturity, numbers, and many aspects.
Evolution of Cross-Platform App Development
As a large amount of energy was spent on the implementation of different platforms and the custom mobile app solutions, app development experts encountered some development and adaptation pain points such as fragmentation of mobile devices screens, fragmented system versions, and proliferation of manufacturer customization. It increased costs and consumed longer project cycles. Although the demands are contradictory, companies want apps to go online on time and implement them as soon as possible with low costs.
During this time, cross-platform technology was born and developed. It eliminates the differentiation between different platforms and helps develop high-performance android and iOS dual-platform apps over one coding.
Mixing direction
With HTML came the native app development realizing the application’s UI layout and business logic quicker. Nevertheless, the functions that can’t be executed by just HTML or the user experience that is not good enough can be captured with the help of hybrid development.
As the app engine of the cross platforms is based on the web view architecture, it is very friendly to the developers for hire. It is backed by the massive JavaScript ecosystem of the front end, so sophisticated cross-platform app developers can build apps without any prior knowledge of new technologies.
A few of the technologies representing this are Ionic, AppMobi, and Cordova.
Intermediate language (DSL) compilation direction
As the cross-platform application development process requires the use of specific syntax to write app code through a compilation environment that is compiled into both Android and iOS native app. With this mode, dedicated cross-platform app developers do not need to learn complex development languages like iOS native and Android technology to build cross-platform apps.
The app engine uses a virtual machine to execute complex coding instead of relying on Web view. It helps in communication, state management, interactive processing while improving native communication mechanisms and expanding time. It maximizes the performance of rendering by continuing the front-end development system with well-packaged system capabilities and components.
The technologies representing it are Weex and React Native.
API Cloud
API Cloud is a rapidly growing era in the evolution of cross-platform app development. Based on cloud integration, it explores areas of efficiency revolution leading the domestic low code development platforms. It has never stopped moving forward since its release.
It has evolved from mobile development to a low code development platform committed to providing apps for various industries with customization and enterprise digital services.
Behind any public cloud solution, the core component is cloud API primarily based on the REST and SOAP frameworks as well as vendor-specific APIs and cross-platform. It allows top mobile app developers to freely choose between two modes of mixed development and Intermediate language compilation in the same application.
Perspectives for successful Cross-Platform App Development
As the title of this blog suggests, you might be thinking what exactly does cross-platform app development entail? To help you get answers to this question, we have assembled the blog from three main perspectives as such.
Cross-platform app development from Developers’ perspective
Creating an application will include making trade-offs between the realities of development and the developers’ artistic vision. During a development process, mobile app developers often operate in parallel universes, isolated by a rigid distinction between the difficulties inherited in iterating a clients’ concept and the app development framework they use.
The developers’ imagination is slowed down by constraints in APIs or frameworks or postponed by some code issues or torn between two individual, Android and iOS, platforms. But, with cross-platform app development, they are in complete control over a comprehensive collection of features on both iOS and Android altogether.
Source code
Writing good code for any application is the topmost priority for developers. It’s a jackpot for sophisticated cross-platform mobile app developers when they have to do it just once for mobile applications on different platforms.
Quicker prototype
Prototype is simply a way to ensure that the product is on the right path amongst the targeted audience. It ensures that the whole idea of the product is coming to reality. The feasibility and flexibility of cross-platform app development services make the rigid process of prototyping effective and simple.
Development speed boost
We have all seen a sudden rise in technological advancements, especially in the digital world. Businesses are now forced to keep up with the technology at a specific pace due to the exponential increase in customer requirements as well as the competition.
This is the factor resulting in planning the successful app development process for cross-platform applications while keeping the time frame right in front of the developers’ eyes.
Thus, approaching a cross-platform app development process helps set a single code and reusable features, components, and plugins. This reduces the time to market and boosts the application development speed.
Product maintenance
Product maintenance post-launch is not an easy job. It includes the inevitable bug fixes as well as continuous product improvement to keep up in the market. Cross-platform platforms surely make the post-maintenance process easier.
With cross-platform, hired app developers have to focus on just one codebase and fix bugs, respectively. It makes the process faster and feasible not only to test but deploy the latest updates and trends.
Consistency
One of the most important factors developers keep their eye on is keeping consistency in their mobile app design. With a single codebase, their graphics can be compiled to multiple platforms ensuring a uniform look across various platforms. The similar UI/UX design across all platforms streamlines the entire cross-platform app development process attracting more users.
Also, users find an application cumbersome if they have to use different methodologies to access the same app across different mobile platforms. They would rather use one that looks and feels the same on multiple devices.
Cross-platform app development from Businesses’ perspective
Developing cross-platform applications can benefit businesses in many different ways. It is a particularly viable choice if you need an iOS and Android app with a top-notch User Interface that offers reliable, faster results, and a seamless user experience. It enables existing business owners or startups to achieve greater functionalities using less coding and more flexibility on multiple platforms.
The cross-platform app development approach is already gaining traction among business owners and gaining the tech community’s interest. As a result, more and more application developers are choosing this technology, making it easier for business owners to hire the best team for their app development projects.
Business owners are choosing cross-platform app development now more than ever for their app development requirements. Let us take a look at its advantages.
Wider market reach
Cross-platform applications support any platform so products can be built and published at the same time on multiple app stores. This has a greater chance of popularity increase for the product as it reaches a wider audience range.
Although each of us has our favorite operating system, one should not let personal choice get in the way of business decisions. Making your mobile application available to both Android and iOS enthusiasts is vital to reach a wider market. It helps you pave the future way to significantly increased revenues.
Minimal upfront expenses
Before the app is released, you cannot earn a single penny. There are times you might have to take some risks by reducing the upfront costs. Top Cross-platform tools like react-native can trim down the upfront app development costs and help you reach the market 1.5x times faster.
The fact that there is only one app to focus on for all platforms is what makes future updates and maintenance cost so minimal. Therefore, with the flexibility to follow the best development process and a leading offshore mobile app development company like Prismetric by your side, the can be significantly reduced without having to compromise on features.
Any platform support
It might fall out of budget to have multiple teams and various sets of native app development tools and that too for each platform you want to go on. A cross-platform app development framework helps versatile cross-platform app developers to instigate new applications simultaneously on different platforms.
i.e. One team of native app developers working on just one platform backed up with another team for the latter platform seems like a nightmare. So, the right set of tools and one app developing team working on all platforms altogether seems a wiser choice for business owners.
Market analysis
As soon as the company hits a few levels of success, measuring it, collecting the data, and customer feedback are important for the product’s long-term success. Cross-platform app development helps compete with multiple markets by giving the options to adjust right in the early stages of the mobile app development process.
The collected data gives information and acts as a guiding light for the company to head in the most profitable direction. This market analysis helps to secure the desired spot in the market.
Cross-platform app development from Consumers’ perspective
For any application to be successful, looking through the consumer’s point of view is crucial. Without the consumer being comfortable in using the app, it is more likely to not work in the long run. Cross-platform apps can be automatically updated for each user since they are accessed using the internet.
This means that users can have the latest version of their mobile apps at all times. To reap maximum benefits from the investment, thinking about a customer-oriented application is the right way to go.
Same great app on any device
Most of us as a consumer try our hands-on multiple devices whether it a phone, computer, laptop, desktop, tablet, iPhone, or MacBook, and not all of them are built on the same operating systems. Now the problem arises when, as a consumer, we want to use an app on an iPad while at home, switch to an android phone on the go, and use a browser or desktop in the office.
In this ultra-competitive world, users are demanding to follow a platform-specific characteristic and a similar user experience and user interface to make their lives easier. To be on the same wavelength as the consumers, expert app developers are shifting towards cross-platform applications now more than ever before.
The single app solution that has consistent UI/UX components and runs on multiple devices is a fringe benefit of cross-platform app development for consumers. Tech veterans stick to your business objectives and foster growth through advanced mobile application development.
Continue reading (Source): How Successful is Cross-Platform Application Development?
The lesser code, the better application. flutter uses the exact same philosopy. it allows developers to create effecient apps quickly- the reason why we believe flutter will replace the existing cross- platform app development frameworks.
