The Fall of 2014 witnessed the release of two vital mobile OS – the Android 5.0 Lollipop and iOS 8. This is one of the most interesting things that have happened in the mobile world over the last few months. However, the launch of iOS 8 might seem to be of little interest to the Android users. But if you are interested in the mobile technologies then it is important to consider both these releases. It has been often witnessed that ideas flow from one good operating system to the other. Previously both these operating systems were largely compared depending on their polish as well as features. While Android had more customizations and features, iOS was known for its superior finish. However, the latest releases have forever changed the way these two will be compared in the future. Apple has updated OS in a way that now it has as many features as Lollipop. Design: The Material design of Android Lollipop ranks it on the similar platform of iOS polish and finish. Although on the surface it might appear similar but in reality they offer different kinds of user experiences. From Google’s point of view this is an ambitious release as far as its design is concerned. Android has offered a stock look for over several years. With Lollipop it has broken away from that stereotype. But the sad news is that all the features of this new design are not available for the users. The users mostly use UI skins whether it is Samsung, HTC or any other device. Presently only Nexus smartphones are offering Lollipop in its truest color. It is really sad that the other users will probably miss out on the layers, textures, shadows as well as the transparencies that have been designed so exquisitely. For the first time in the history of the Android phones the UI (user interface and UX (user experience) has a clarity of purpose. Moreover, the design is equally available to an array of handheld devices and is in perfect sync. This is where Apple lacks behind. It is one of those things that Apple has not offered for quite some time now. The iOS 8, on the other hand, has introduced only minor changes from its previous version, iOS 7. Last time the most noted change in introduced by Apple was OS X Yosemite. As far as the visual appearance is concerned both have similar color patterns as well as languages yet there are several differences. The primary difference lies with the navigation style of how an app is accessed and then getting back to the home button. The Android version has updated its soft menu bar and is offering a way to get in and out in a semi-omnipresent style. Thus, in this aspect the Lollipop seems to score over iOS 8. Performance: Quite similar to its predecessor iOS 8 comes across as a 64-bit OS that runs on the 64-bit hardware. Although the devices from Apple are considered less powerful for this reason when compared to Android’s controls but when considered from both OS and hardware aspect, the iOS is known to outperform the more powerful Android devices. The Android L, on the other hand, completely supports a 64-bit processor and is packed with a completely new runtime. The app performances in these devices, thus, stand improved and far better than that of its contemporaries. Battery Life: Project Volta’s batteries are used for the Lollipop devices as these are known for projecting better battery life. When compared to KitKat it has been noticed that they offer 1/3 longer battery and the runtime, too, is less demanding. This factor also helps the batteries to perform better. iOS 8 is also suggested to be more efficient than ever. But the batteries are quite heavy as compared to the ones found in iOS 5. With increase ratio in the performance, the sizes of batteries have grown too. Software Updates: This is an aspect where iOS scores over Android. While the Apple users can access the updates immediately once launched, the Android users wait till the manufacturers introduce the updates for the handheld devices. However, with the introduction of the Google Play the users can update their software every six weeks. Eco-systems: In this regard both the operating systems have evolved. The iOS and Android have set off as OS for the mobile platforms. Gradually they had improved and were introduced for tablets. Both of them have their focus set on in-car systems, home automation and health monitoring. Although their approaches are different, their focus is the same. It is perhaps too early to predict for the OS-es right now. They would have to be in the market for a decent period before a verdict can be passed. What it looks at this moment is that both the operating systems are looking quite similar than ever. To get the maximum out of your android apps, you need to look for an Android development company that provides expert android development service to clients. We provide Android application development services. To hire Android app developer from us, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.
According to Forbes.com, “In 2014, app downloads are expected to top 179 billion. By 2017, this is going to rise to over almost 270 billion.” The download figures clearly indicate that mobile applications have become an inseparable part of modern lifestyle. The rapidly increasing popularity of mobile apps encourages many enterprises to switch from web-based marketing to mobile marketing. A constant increase is also being noted in the number of companies carrying out marketing campaigns through mobile apps. Mobile apps help businesses in promoting their products or services by targeting the most relevant customers regardless of their current geographical locations. Both large and small businesses can further reap several benefits by carrying out marketing through mobile applications. Advantages of Using Mobile Apps for Marketing Products or Services Target a Much Wider Audience: Many reports have highlighted the rapidly growing popularity of smartphones, tablets, phablets and other mobile devices. So a business has options to launch applications for a wide variety of mobile devices. An enterprise can use apps to promote its products or services by targeting more than one billion smart devices. It can easily convey the marketing materials and promotional offers to millions of customers and prospects without putting any extra effort. Reach Customers Anytime and Anywhere: Most users keep their mobile devices within arm’s reach. Many users even carry their smartphones, tablets and phablets throughout the day. So the mobile apps enable businesses to communicate with their customers and prospects anytime and anywhere. Along with conveying the marketing materials, the mobile apps can also be used by enterprises to send messages and notifications. A number of reports have highlighted that messages or notifications sent through mobile applications are read by the recipients in mere seconds. Personalize Marketing Campaigns: A business can also use mobile apps to gather detailed information about the customers. For instance, an enterprise can use mobile apps to know the habits, hobbies, preferences and socioeconomic status of its target audience. The vital customer data collected through the apps can be used by the company to make its marketing campaigns personalized. The personalized mobile marketing campaigns will help the business in increasing its sales and revenues. Build Long-Term Relationships: To remain profitable in the longer run, each enterprise has to build long-term relationship with its customers. Along with attracting new customers, it is also important for the business to keep the existing customers engaged and happy. The mobile apps make it easier for businesses to attract new customers by conveying attractive offers and special deals. Likewise, the applications can further generate repeat business by delivering impressive customer service. A business can further use the applications to improve the quality of customer service by collecting customers’ feedback and response. Facilitate Marketing Content Creation: The quality of marketing content often impacts the marketing campaign results directly. So each business has to invest time, efforts and funds to deliver attractive and engaging marketing content. Often enterprises find it a daunting challenge to design marketing content for web-based promotional campaigns. But an enterprise can create mobile marketing content without putting any extra time and efforts. The mobile content along with specials and promotional information can also be conveyed to the target audience effectively through mobile apps. Allow Customers to Buy Products on the go: The webs stores have made it easier for customers to buy products without any hassle. But a business can make it easier for customers to buy products through their mobile device. A customer can further use his mobile device to buy desired products on the go. So a business can use mobile apps to modernize its sales and transaction process. It can create an application that allows customers to select items and make payment regardless of their current locations. The right mobile app can further help the business in getting more sales and inquiries. On the whole, a business can get higher ROI by carrying out marketing campaigns through mobile apps. The business can further use certain tools to launch applications for different mobile platforms. So it becomes easier for a company to promote its products and services regardless of users’ mobile devices and operating systems. Offshore mobile application development teams can help you build projects within allocated budgets and time schedules. We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to hire mobile app developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.
The challenges posed infront of a mobile app developer is a huge one nowadays. While the opportunity to work in this industry is vast but the constant evolution of handheld devices is redefining usability as well. Thus, such a development poses new questions like which device to target, how to secure data or how to create effective and user friendly apps. The mobiles explosion dictates that in the next few years it will become imperative to improve the services while delivering mobile experience. The scenario is similar in the IT departments as well where more corporate users are resorting to handheld devices for accessing enterprise data. Thus, the need of the hour for the developers is a cross or multi platform development initiative.Rapid development in the mobile world leads to a number of challenges The first challenge that the mobile app developers will face is the Context. This includes the preference, situation and attitude of the customer. Preferences refer to the information that the customer has shared personally or via social networks. The situation and action of the customer are dependent on his location as well as the conditions he is presently experiencing. Context is important because it helps in delivering the right kind of app solution only when there is ample information about the device the customer has, local context of the same device, what are his preferences and the sensors around the devices. Gathering this kind of data is always a challenge. Hence, it has to be stored across multiple systems to which the app requires to be connected. Another problem is the pace with which the smartphones are progressing. Apparently it sounds easy to develop as well as submit an app for a 7-inch or 10-inch screen to an app store. But the process is not that easy as in the near future, the developing process will become tougher with devices in new sizes coming to the front. The need for flexibility for the apps will rise too for ensuring better user experience. Currently, there are tablets, phablets and the Window 8 smartphones. In the near future there will be further modifications and collecting data will expand significantly as well. Every mobile app developer realizes the importance of security but for them this means that each operating system has a separate custom architecture. There are times when various mobile platforms offer varying degrees of support to secure data that is stored on the device. On the other hand, every mobile does not require same amount of attention regarding security. Whatever the situation, the responsibility to secure data lies with the app developers. Hence, incorporating encryption is an absolute necessity. At the same time the developers also look for alternate ways to protect data. The other options include the archiving of the data periodically. The mobile app developers face real challenge in creating vital apps every year. They are also engaged in created various versions of the existing ones. In an agile market, it is difficult to keep up with the development, design and operational methods without the DSL program model. This approach is recommended as it is compact and offers codes that can run across all devices and multiple platforms. It also helps to build variants by providing a code base that is slightly different. How to turn the challenges into opportunities? Whilst the challenges in the mobile app development world are a reality but it cannot be denied that the opportunities to succeed are numerous as well. Sustainable app development and accurate delivery system are all it requires to ensure that these challenges are converted to opportunities. Development and testing efforts should be enhanced so that the platforms to target can be properly identified. This will further ensure that better returns are gained on development investments. The development practices should be reliable as well as consistent across all the leading platforms. The look and feel of the app will render a consistency and the code components can be reused as well. As the mobile technology is still developing, there are end numbers of ways to ensure that they perform more efficiently. The greatest opportunity in this regard is that with the outstanding growth potential in the mobile app industry, the developers will also be highly in demand. You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules. We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to hire mobile app developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.
At WWDC 2014, Apple introduced the 1st version in Swift, Apple's new programing language. Programmers are having a look-see in Swift and also giving a few early suggestions. What the Swift framework will provide developers was amongst the very important announcements made during the Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Lots of programmers discovered the syntax of the Objective-C is difficult to get regularly, hence Swift might give an increased output to many. The majority of developers will be looking towards upcoming projects for applying Swift, which means about one year down, many stated that they are moving forward much faster. As an example, Marco Arment, developer and writer, stated in a blog that he would likely require some time to catch on the latest behaviors along with the guidelines and expectations of it. On an exciting and unexpected step, Apple is starting many of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2014 video presentations with the people, a year ago only the registered developers were having access to them. Apple announces Swift is created for safety. It is crucial to keep in mind that this form of Swift does not prevent memory corruptness which could occur because of multithreaded coding anyway, though. There wasn't any discussion of threads or concurrency by any means within the language documents. In addition to this multithreaded opening, the remainder language appears to be protected from memory corruption bugs. There isn't an option to temporarily get away with the safeties, such as Rust’s unsafe block, hence whatever insecure stuff you might like to carry out will need to be in the C or even in the Objective-C. The interest in powerful and easy to use developing languages, such as Python and Ruby, has expanded all over the developer society in the last few years. Swift is believed to become yet another move in the same direction. Swift stands out as the successor to the Objective-C, that is what, is now taken to develop Mac applications. The latest language comes with complete support of the Cocoa as well as Cocoa touch, the frameworks for the iPhone apps and also Mac OS X apps, therefore apps could be designed for the iPhone, Mac computers, as well as iPads. Apple continued using Objective-C for the past 20 years, however a company representative mentioned that this is beginning to show its age. Apple invented the code after thoroughly investigating exactly what developers want, or even more important, their dislike regarding the present programming languages. As stated by Apple, Swift will be the modern development language for modern developers. Swift makes use of similar LLVM compiler which Objective-C at present makes use of, therefore programmers could carry out Swift, Objective-C, as well as C code, everything within the same program. Swift has also a unique feature known as Playgrounds, which give users with live comments while they code, which makes it possible to check what exactly will probably take place within the application. Playgrounds additionally offer total control over time within a program so that users could see exactly what his or her code does each moment. Apple has produced a guidebook offered to developers in the iBooks regarding Swift, in addition they will have the ability to submit apps developed by the recently designed language at the time the computer manufacturer introduces OS X Yosemite as well as the iOS 8. To get maximum benefits of mobile apps, you may consider hiring services of a certified iPhone development company. We provide offshore iPhone apps development services. Companies hire iPhone consultant from us at Mindfire Solutions. If you are ready, please contact us today.
Apple's Swift, the latest programming language has been introduced for the iPhone app development. It comes with a platform in which writing code will be interesting simply because it works alongside with objective-c therefore, if you're an owner of an iOs based smart phone in that case Swift is all set for your forthcoming project or maybe for your present app. Swift is among the most requirements that you simply can't afford to overlook on the gadget, to obtain it, it is possible to download it from iBooks store by iTunes. Some of the factors that explain why Swift has swiftly began getting so much buzz. Swift the new programming language is considered as the result of recent analysis about programming languages, combine of several years of knowledge in designing Apple platforms. The specifications introduced out of objective-c are introduced in on a clean syntax which makes it simpler to read and manage.Playgrounds in Swift code makes work quite easy and interesting. Doing work is real time in this, when you enter a line, the outcomes instantly shows. In case you run the code over time by a loop, the development could be viewed within the time-line assistant. It presents variables within a graph at the time the view will be composed, additionally, it may play animated sprite kit scene. Interactive playground can help you in instant checking about the progress of the application development. Debugging console comes with an interactive kind of the language built in. Which makes use of Swift syntax to keep track of your running application as well as to connect with your running Apps. Writing new code lines to check out your app the way it works on a script-like environment is available straight in Apple's new programming language. The structure of the Swift is capable of eliminating the entire unsafe code. Prior to use, all of the variables will be initialized, arrays & integers checked out for the overflow & memory to automatically maintained. Syntax is tuned in order to seamlessly establish the internet. The safe patterns as well as proper managing cases in which objects are void and are crucial for the frameworks hence the use of Swift code will make it quite easy. Swift was designed to be agile and to accommodate the ever increasing need for power & speed . Making use of high performing compilers, the software has been turned into an optimized native code & changed utilize the new apple electronic hardware. The standard library & syntax were adjusted to use this particular feature and also helps reduce writing of any code. You could be certain that your application is going to run pretty fast without a lag. Swift code is often ready to be used therefore you could use that straight away to build the apps and also execute latest apps as well as increase the level of the present apps. The Swift code is available along with your current objective-c files on the same project. Using the latest operating systems to arrive, you will be in a position to submit the apps into the Mac or even iPhone app store. Install Swift programming software in order to try this out and begin building apps in an easy and interesting manner. In case you consider programming as dull or boring then you perhaps not used Swift programming yet. To get maximum benefits of mobile apps, you may consider hiring services of a certified iPhone development company. We provide iPhone applications development services. Companies hire iPhone app developer from us at Mindfire Solutions. If you are ready, please contact us today.
With the launch of various versions of iPhone as well as iOS, the enthusiasm displayed by the crowd has left no doubts in the minds of people that it is an extremely popular platform. Many users upgrade to the latest versions to stay in sync with the times. Indeed, the latest version comes packed with some really amazing features which have attracted many people towards it. The immense popularity has led to many developers leaning towards app development on this platform. However, the process is not all rosy as there are several limitations associated with carrying through the decision as well.Running of only one application at one time- It is a general rule while using iPhones that just one application can be run at one time; when you leave an application it simply quits. Although it might not seem to be a huge deal, essentially it means that you cannot do other things while the app is running. This might be an issue when browsing through websites since leaving the browser will lead to a broken connection. So there is no provision that installed apps would gather as well as send information to the users while running in the background. In fact even when some call comes to their phones, the application that was being used is exited. Some developers will find it to be problematic if they want to have location information from a user’s phone so that a track could be maintained. But unless the user keeps the app open all the time and does not work on anything other than it, it is impossible for the developer to find out. Internet usage through wifi- These days the utility behind most smartphones is to be in touch with the globe while on the go. However, with iPhones, this is not possible, since it only allows internet access through Wi-Fi. Cell networks are not encouraged which is a huge problem for many people. Xcode IDE- In this respect it might make sense to discuss about JDT tools of Android which has been described by many developers as excellent as well as standard. The great indexing of Java and rich source code model of IDE make refactoring seamless. This has made android development very easy. However, on the other hand, Xcode IDE of Apple is often remarked at for being too bad. Most people do not find it to be at par. It is not at all easy to use or time-conserving. In fact, Xcode often provides wrong content assist which suggests smaller amounts of actually available subsets. Limitations in developer agreement- Several limitations have been imposed on developers in the agreement. Only published APIs can be used and that too in the manner as specified by Apple. Another notable limitation is that data cannot be written anywhere by the applications excepting in the particular designated area. This essentially means that data cannot be modified by developers from other applications. Version compatibility- One problem that is faced by several developers is the version compatibility issue. While creating apps for a particular iOS version, it is really difficult to check whether it works on the previous version or not. With so many versions being out in the market, this problem can be a real issue. Uploading price- Yet again, the comparison between Android and iOS comes into focus. When a developer wants to upload an app, the App Store checks to see whether all standards are met or not. But the app cannot be sold before a $99 annual fee is paid; after this a digital certificate signature is given to them. However, in case of Android, just one-time fee of $25 has to be paid. Also there are no restrictions on publishing of apps; they can be published in other markets as well. Just like all other software and development platforms, iPhone is also not without its fair share of pros and cons. It is not perfect, it does include some limitations but they should in no way discourage people from using it or developing on the platform. The excellent performance and great security should instigate people to definitely use it. If you are planning to hire service of iPhone apps development company, you must evaluate them to see if they are sufficiently agile or not! We provide offshore iPhone application development services. To hire iPhone developers from us, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.
Swift can be defined as a multi-paradigm as well as a compiled programming language that has been developed by Apple. Swift is specifically designed for the development of iOS and OS X. The developers have designed the language for replacing Objective-C (O-C), which is an object-oriented language of Apple.It uses the same LLVM compiler as well as runtime as its older counterpart. That is why, while some say that Swift will quickly replace Objective-C, another school of thought says that both O-C as well as Swift can actually co-exist hand in hand in a particular application. The language also provides a seamless access to all the customary features like Cocoa or Cocoa Touch that the developers are currently using. When it comes to using, from the developers’ point of view the language should feel identical as well as familiar to O-C. Hence, those who are used to with the previous avatar will also be able to handle this new language with ease. Now let us discuss why the language has gained so much popularity amongst the developers. Swift frankly speaking, comes up with a string of added benefits, which have made a marked difference, so far as development is concerned, especially when it comes to designing or developing apps for iPads or iPhones. While for all these days, it was Objective-C, Swift is swiftly taking over as the base programming language. The introduction of this new program has given a shot in the arm to the development ecosystem of Apple. The language is all set to bring in an altogether new generation of various innovative applications that are leaving the developers overjoyed. Swift, at its very core is designed to provide a much faster as well as an easier way to the developers, particularly when it comes to designing programs for devices like Mac, iPad, iPhone and the likes. Swift is strong enough to do all the complicated trappings for Objective-C. It can replace them with much simplified syntax that is much easier to tackle, though the entire stuff feels strikingly similar to Objective-C. The language comes with other highly powerful features like Playgrounds, which is a system that provides the developers the provision of watching how the changes to their projects have an impact on the end product that they need to add for tweaking their codes. While using O-C, the developers had to wait for the compilation and running of their projects, before they got the chance to test any change of codes. This was, to say the least a cumbersome and a time consuming mechanism. Another highly interesting feature that the language comes up with is that it rectifies the focus on declaring the variable types that Objective-C comes up with. With the introduction of Swift, the developers do not have the need of specifying in a particular code, whether a variable is a text string or a floating-point number. Both Swift as well as O-C uses identical compiler. This is why an app can have O-C as well as Swift source code. This brings in a substantial benefit for the developers or programmers. Though the language is not without any rough edge whatsoever, still in general the developers and programmers are simply overwhelmed by the features as well as the technology roadmap the language comes up with. While Objective-C is challenging as well as an effusive language with a string of syntaxes, it lacked a number of features, and this is where Swift has scored over its older objective version. Thanks to these new features, Swift has made Mac as well as iOS extremely appealing, especially for the new and young developers who still looking forward to design and develop their first applications for Mac and iPhone. Before we round up, let us look at some of the salient features of Swift from a bird’s eye view. 1. It comes up with Closures that are unified with the function pointers – quite similar to blocks that you find in C or its objective version. 2. Generics. 3. Tuples as well as values of multiple returns. 4 Fast as well as precise iterations over a wide collection or range. 5. Structs that are compatible with supporting methods, protocols as well as extensions. 6. Patterns or Functional programming like filters and maps. You can hire developers from iPhone application development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules. We provide custom iPhone app development services. To hire iPhone software developer from us, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.
