Mobile
Applications
Introduction
Talking about the mobile applications, the
first thing that comes to mind are the apps
like Whatsapp, Instagram, swiggy, etc that
we use in our everyday life.
Ever thought about how these apps
are made?
Which technology is used?
Let's discuss what technologies or frameworks
can be used to develop a mobile application.
Introduction
• Mobile apps are software designed for smartphones
and tablets.
• Provide diverse functions: communication,
entertainment, productivity, and more.
• Utilize mobile device features like GPS, camera, and
touchscreens.
• The rapidly growing mobile app market has
transformed how people interact with technology,
enabling businesses to reach customers more
effectively and individuals to perform tasks on the go.
Mobile apps are majorly developed
for 3 Operating Systems
Mobile OS Market Share (Approximate):
Android: ~70-75%
iOS: ~25-28%
Others (e.g., KaiOS, Windows Phone): <1%
Types of Mobile Apps
There are 3 different ways to develop
Mobile apps: -
• 1st Party Native App development
• Progressive Web Application
• Cross-Platform Application
Development Process
1. Ideation: Define the app’s purpose, target audience, and core
features.
2. Design: Create wireframes and user-friendly interfaces (UI/UX
design).
3. Development: Write code using appropriate tools and
frameworks.
4. Testing: Ensure functionality, performance, and compatibility
across devices.
5. Deployment: Publish the app on app stores and maintain it
with updates.
6. Monetization: Options include in-app purchases,
subscriptions, ads, or one-time payments.
1st Party Native App development
• Involves creating mobile applications specifically for
a single operating system (like Android or iOS) using
the platform's native programming languages and
tools.
• These apps are highly optimized for their target
platform, providing a superior user experience and
performance compared to cross-platform or web-
based applications.
• Native apps have direct access to device features like
cameras, GPS, and sensors, allowing for seamless
integration and full functionality.
Well-known examples of native apps include WhatsApp,
Spotify, Facebook, and Google Maps.
Advantages
• Native apps offer superior performance, a
seamless user experience, and full feature
access, making them a good choice for
applications requiring high performance and
platform-specific capabilities.
Disadvantages
• Developing native apps for multiple platforms
requires separate codebases and development
efforts, which can be more time-consuming
and costly.
2. Progressive web Application(PWA)
• A Progressive Web Application (PWA) is a
type of web application that uses modern
web technologies to deliver an app-like
experience on the web.
• PWAs are designed to work on any platform
with a standards-compliant browser, providing
key features traditionally found in native apps.
Who uses PWA?
Who will need a PWA?
Who wants work on both Desktop and Mobile
What they(companies) achieved?
Decrease in page load time
Increase in user time on site
Increase in active users
Key Features of PWAs
• Responsive: Works well on all screen sizes (mobile, tablet, desktop).
• Offline Capabilities: Uses service workers to cache assets, enabling
usage without an internet connection or with poor connectivity.
• App-like Experience: Feels and behaves like a native app with smooth
interactions.
• Installable: Can be added to the home screen without going through
app stores.
• Push Notifications: Supports sending notifications to users.
• Safe and Secure: Served over HTTPS to prevent tampering.
Benefits
• No need to download from app stores.
• Easier to update and maintain (changes reflect
immediately).
• Accessible on multiple devices and operating
systems.
• Lower development cost compared to building
separate native apps.
Disadvantages
● They don’t have access to all the feature and so
the user experience is not that good
● The UI for development is bespoke i.e. the
buttons, edit texts need to be programmed which
was not necessary for the 1st party native Apps.
● The community is not that wide spread.
Cross-Platform Application
• A Cross-Platform Application is a software
application designed to run on multiple operating
systems or devices with minimal or no change in the
codebase.
Key Characteristics:
Single Codebase: Developers write one codebase that works on
different platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, or web.
Shared Logic: Business logic and UI components are reused
across platforms.
Consistent User Experience: The app behaves similarly on all
supported devices
Benefits
• Faster development and maintenance.
• Cost-effective (one team for multiple platforms).
• Easier to deploy updates across platforms.
Popular Cross-Platform Frameworks:
React Native: Uses JavaScript and React to build native
mobile apps.
Flutter: Uses Dart language to create natively compiled
apps for mobile, web, and desktop.
Xamarin: Uses C# and .NET to build apps for Android,
iOS, and Windows.
Benefits of Mobile Apps
• Convenience: Access services anytime,
anywhere.
• Personalization: Tailored experiences based
on user preferences and data.
• Efficiency: Streamline tasks like banking,
shopping, or communication.
• Engagement: Direct interaction with users
through notifications and updates.
Challenges of Mobile apps
• Compatibility: Must support multiple devices,
screen sizes, and OS versions.
• Security: Protecting user data from breaches
and ensuring privacy.
• Maintenance: Regular updates to fix bugs and
adapt to new OS versions.
• Competition: Standing out in crowded app
stores with millions of apps.
Introduction to
Android
Introduction
• Android is the most widely installed mobile
operating system globally.
• Currently, it powers 3.5 billion devices over
190 countries.
• By the end of 2024, Android held
approximately 70-75% of the global market
share.
• Android was initially developed by the Open Handset
Alliance, based on a modified Linux kernel and open-
source software.
• Google sponsored the project early on and fully
acquired the company in 2005.
• The first Android-powered device was launched in
September 2008.
The first device to bring
Android into the market was
the HTC Dream with the
version Android 1.0.
Introduction to Android
Android's dominance is due to features such as:
• User-friendliness
• Extensive community support
• High degree of customization
• Compatibility with a wide range of
smartphones
Introduction to Android
• Growing demand for Android mobile apps has led to
increased need for skilled Android developers.
• Initially intended as a mobile OS, Android has evolved
into a complete software suite for various devices,
including:
Tablets
Wearables
Set-top boxes
Smart TVs
Notebooks
Features of Android
Features of Android
• Android is an Open Source Project so we can
customize the OS based on our requirements.
• Android supports different types of connectivity for
GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. for telephonic
conversation or data transfer.
• Using wifi technology we can pair with other
devices while playing games or using other
applications.
• It contains multiple APIs to support location-
tracking services such as GPS.
Features of Android
• We can manage all data storage-related activities by
using the file manager.
• It contains a wide range of media supports like AVI,
MKV, FLV, MPEG4, etc. to play or record a variety of
audio/video.
• It also supports different image formats like JPEG,
PNG, GIF, BMP, MP3, etc.
• It supports multimedia hardware control to
perform playback or recording using a camera and
microphone.
Features of Android
• Android has an integrated open-source
WebKit layout-based web browser to support
User Interfaces like HTML5, and CSS3.
• Android supports multi-tasking means we can
run multiple applications at a time and can
switch between them.
• It provides support for virtual reality or 2D/3D
Graphics.
Features of Android
• Notifications: Interactive and expandable notifications provide
quick access to alerts and app actions without opening the app.
• Google Services Integration: Seamless integration with Google
services like Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, and Google Play
Store.
• Multi-language Support: Supports a wide range of languages and
regional settings.
• Security: Includes features like Google Play Protect, device
encryption, app permission controls, and regular security
updates.
• Voice Commands: Google Assistant provides voice control and
smart assistant capabilities.
• Hardware Compatibility: Supports a broad variety of hardware,
from phones and tablets to wearables, TVs, and cars.
Android Versions
• Google first publicly announced Android in November
2007 but was released on 23 SEPTEMBER 2008.
Since then, Google released a lot of android versions
such as Apple Pie, Banana Bread, Cupcake, Donut,
Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Jellybeans, Kitkat, Lollipop,
marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo, etc. with extra
functionalities and new features.
Major Android versions along with their
important features introduced:
Android 1.5 Cupcake (2009) Android 3.0 Honeycomb (2011)
On-screen keyboard Designed specifically for tablets
Widgets System bar and action bar
Video recording and playback Multitasking improvements
Android 2.0-2.1 Eclair (2009) Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (2011)
Multiple account sync Unified phone and tablet UI
Bluetooth 2.1 support Face unlock
Improved Google Maps Data usage controls
Android 2.2 Froyo (2010) Android 4.1-4.3 Jelly Bean (2012-2013)
USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot Project Butter (smooth UI)
Performance enhancements (JIT Google Now
compiler) Expandable notifications
Adobe Flash support in browser Multi-user support (tablets)
Android 2.3 Gingerbread (2010)
UI refinements
Support for NFC
Improved gaming and graphics
Android 4.4 KitKat (2013)
“OK Google” voice search from Android 9 Pie (2018)
home screen Gesture navigation
Immersive mode for fullscreen apps Adaptive battery and brightness
Improved memory management Digital wellbeing tools
Android 5.0 Lollipop (2014) Android 10 (2019)
Material Design UI System-wide dark mode
Enhanced notifications Smart reply in notifications
ART runtime replacing Dalvik Privacy controls (location, sharing)
Android 6.0 Marshmallow (2015) Android 11 (2020)
Runtime permissions Chat bubbles
Doze mode (battery saving) Conversation notifications
Fingerprint API & USB-C One-time permissions
Android 7.0 Nougat (2016) Android 12 (2021)
Split-screen multitasking Material You dynamic theming
Direct reply notification Support Google’s Tensor chip(pixel)
Vulkan API support for high Privacy dashboard
performance gaming Improved auto-rotate
Android 8.0 Oreo (2017) Android 13 (2022)
Picture-in-picture mode More granular app permissions
Notification channels Themed app icons
Autofill framework Bluetooth LE audio support
Advantages of Android Development
• The Android is an open-source Operating system and
hence possesses a vast community for support.
• The design of the Android Application has guidelines
from Google, which becomes easier for developers to
produce more intuitive user applications.
• Fragmentation gives more power to Android
Applications. This means the application can run two
activities on a single screen.
• Releasing the Android application in the Google play
store is easier when it is compared to other platforms.
Disadvantages of Android Development
• The development team needs extra time to adapt
the app to the wide range of smartphone screen
sizes available and to enable the appropriate
features accordingly.
• The Android devices might vary broadly. So the
testing of the application becomes more difficult.
• As the development and testing consume more
time, the cost of the application may increase,
depending on the application's complexity and
features.
