Everything you need to know about Cross-Platform App Development |
Posted: August 18, 2022 |
One of the challenges that a Mobile App development company in New Jersey faces when creating an app is to develop apps for different platforms, in addition to aligning core features and adapting to client needs. In other words, to make it work on the different platforms that people use. Easier said than done - something developers know well. What is Cross Platform App Development?Gone are the days when it was focused on one main platform and many developers mastered it. Recent market data shows that in the US alone, the consumer mobile device market was split almost evenly between the Apple and Android platforms in the past year. At first glance, it shouldn't be a big problem for mobile app developers to include one more environment in their work; but in reality, things are much more complicated. A product development company may have to choose between native and cross-platform due to development costs, timing, and skills required. It may seem counterintuitive that in a world of multi-platform technologies, a mobile developer should be faced with such a decision. However, the requirements of different native platforms require rigorous analysis from both technical and business perspectives. So what is this cross-platform app development that has become something of a buzzword? According to Techopedia, it is defined as a process related to the development of software products and services that are designed to work on multiple platforms. It involves using different methods to customize an application or software product on multiple operating systems. Ios, Android, and Windows are the main operating systems on consumer devices, but there are also open source technologies such as Linux, giving rise to open source cross-platform app development. Advantages of cross-platform app developmentWhile native app development is still preferred by most development companies, working with a cross-platform app development platform has become the choice for about one-third of mobile app developers. Reduced cost and timing is the first benefit that catches the attention of many app development startups and SMEs. As mentioned earlier, the hourly cost for cross-platform mobile app developers was quite a bit lower than for native mobile app developers. It's a trend that continues to this day. Not only are individual costs lower, but a cross-platform app development company only needs one team of programmers instead of several as with native apps. Also, the cross-platform app development framework used to build a product takes less time than building it on a native platform because it involves a single development cycle. Easier maintenance is an advantage of the fact that this technology only needs one code base, as it uses only one cross-platform tool. We'll talk more about cross-platform app development frameworks later. As a result, platform updates can be synchronized across all platforms. Code for cross-platform applications can be reused, streamlining the development process. This way, for example, in the application design phase, you only need to use one code for all platforms, saving valuable time. Another important advantage is the integration of a multi-platform application with cloud hosting. This provides great flexibility in managing the application using plugins and extensions. Cloud-native apps are easy to build with nodeJS. Last but not least – cross-platform app development provides extended consumer reach for tech products. Having an app that can easily run on all available platforms means accessing a wider market. The more people who interact with your app, the better the chances of securing paying users. But no matter how amazing cross-platform app development sounds, you also need to be aware of its downfalls to see how well it fits into your business model. Disadvantages of cross-platform application developmentProbably the biggest disadvantage is the difficulty of code design. Cross-platform app developers must consider a wide variety of exceptions when building code to make the app run on all devices and platforms. Having a single code that contains many different modifications is a serious challenge. This can lead to difficulties in finding skilled enough talent to handle this kind of coding. This is when mobile app development services come in handy as such development companies already have an experienced team so your company does not need to hire additional talent. Another aspect to consider is that cross-platform apps run slower than native apps. Although there are no significant differences, for certain user clusters speed may be the deciding factor when choosing between competing applications. Some features may not be available for cross-platform app development, such as geolocation, microphone, or camera. Native app developers benefit from the wide range of tools and resources that platforms provide to facilitate operation on their respective devices. For privacy reasons, devices may make it difficult to access some features of apps developed across platforms. Compared to native apps, for which there are plenty of UX tools available to programmers, cross-platform mobile apps make do with somewhat limited options. This translates into a degraded user experience for cross-platform apps compared to native apps. For a startup or SMB starting to build an app, how it is received by potential consumers is a key turning point. To avoid costly trial and error, applications can be tested in their very early stages without the need to create an MVP by going through a design sprint workshop. That way, regardless of the technology used, whether it's native development or cross-platform app development, you can quickly learn what you need to solve. If you already have an idea that this type of development is right for your company, we'll help you further find a cross-platform app development framework that's right for your product. When to choose cross-platform App development?Among the advantages we have already mentioned, cost and time savings are very important arguments in its favor. So if you are a CTO and want to implement your application quickly, then update it just as quickly, then this is the right choice. Compared to native application development, using cross-platform frameworks speeds up the application development process. So if your company is in the MVP stage and you need a quick proof of concept that can be easily and quickly reconfigured, then you should seriously consider this technology. Still, consider the application plan, and the complexity you intend to achieve. Some features may require a degree of finesse that can only be achieved by developing native platforms. You can also choose this type of app development if you have a team that is proficient in the languages ??required for these frameworks. Your programmers must be comfortable with the technology so that the time saved on implementation is not canceled out by the time needed to learn new frameworks. In this matter, it is also important to look at the technical support available for the cross-platform app development framework to make the process go smoothly. It is also a good time to use this technology if you need to speed up the time-to-market phase of your product. Native development, while a good choice for complex applications, takes significantly more time than cross-platform app development. If your product journey doesn't allow for delays in the go-to-market phase, you should opt for the frameworks we've described. Now that we've seen the pros and cons of cross-platform app development and the most popular frameworks, the question is when does it become an option to consider?
ConclusionIn conclusion, cross-platform app development is a good option for companies that want to have a quick proof of concept or MVP and make the product available to as many users as possible and cover all possible devices. It's a good choice if you can't/do-don't want to hire multiple dev teams dedicated to native platforms and can't afford to invest a lot of time and money into native development. For that matter, if your existing team does not have the technical competence for the cross-platform frameworks you want to work with, outsourcing mobile app development services is a good option. Whatever your choice, remember that the decision is about effort versus outcome, taking into account your product schedule, time and financial resources, and available talent. Also Read: The Advanced Guide To Cross Platform Mobile App Development (Tools + Framework)
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