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5 Huge Mobile Phone Trends Identified in 2011

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Jack/ Leave a comment /

There was very little doubt that mobile phones were going to be big news in 2011. The year gone by was building up into a big year for the mobile phones industry and mobile users and it became just that. With newer technologies being released, developers had a whale of a time creating more sophisticated IPhone apps, iPad apps Android apps, etc. across diverse domains. The chances are that 2012 promises even better things, but here we are talking about 2011.

So, why was 2011 such a big year for mobile phones? Let’s take a look at some of the trends that came into being that actually is a forecast of what one can expect in the future when it comes to mobile phones.

Improvements in Mobile Payments

There were some parts in Asia that were always comfortable about using their mobile phones for making in-store purchases. This was way before making payments through mobile technology had actually taken off. But, strides have been made over the years, and the year 2011 saw a number of shoppers take to mobile shopping with gusto, a trend manifested with the release of ‘Google Wallet’. This is a mobile payment system that enables users to store their credit and loyalty cards on their mobile devices. The additional security that it provides is a forerunner of better mobile security when it comes making payment transactions using mobile phones.

The iPhone 4S Changes the Dynamics of Mobile Technology

There was no doubt that developers were leaving no stone unturned to ensure that they take mobile technology to the next level, but there was a certain passivity that was cropping up amongst developers. The arrival iPhone 4S changed the dynamics of mobile technology and developers realized that a whole lot of technological barriers can be broken. There is no doubt that under Steve Jobs Apple was always a visionary company and with the iPhone 4S, Apple further cemented its reputation as a company that promotes smart mobile technology. Other companies have gotten their act together and 2012 will have better mobile phones coming up that will seek to take the crown away from Apple and the iPhone as a technology innovator.

Emergence of QR Codes

Before 2011, quick response (QR) codes weren’t given due importance by developers for one reason or the other, but 2011, saw plenty of digital and print marketing campaigns using two dimensional quick response codes.

What this has done is that mobile users can now get more information from the World Wide Web if and when they capture the QR codes integrated within the printed or digital material used for marketing campaigns. The use of QR codes has become more pronounced because more business are trying to make use of location based services with respect to their products or marketing campaigns.

Explosion in Mobile Gaming

There was not just a perceptible growth in mobile phone gaming, but a huge explosion in mobile gaming in 2011. Whether it was downloading iPhone apps, or mobile apps, there was a spurt of download of gaming apps. In comparison to other app categories such as search, social networking, utility etc. it was gaming apps that ruled the roost. One of the reasons for this increasing number of downloads is the fact that the smartphones have become better because of mobile OS updates and also through the use of better technology like better processors, etc.

Android OS takes the Lead

The mobile OS that walked away with all the honors in 2011 was the Android. Yes, it wasn’t the iOS but the green robot that climbed to the top of the charts in not only the US markets, but all over the world. In all likelihood, this is the kind of trend that will continue this year as well, as the system is getting better and better and has tremendous market penetration. This is not to say that the market share of the iOS dropped, it also increased its market penetration, as more and more users wanted to get their hands on Apple devices like the iPhone and the iPad. But, the Android was definitely ahead in the race and all indications are that it will continue winning the race in the near future.

There were plenty of trends that manifested themselves in 2011, and the story so far is that mobile phones and mobile apps development will keep achieving newer heights of success.

Critical Questions that Developers Need to Ask about Mobile App Development: Part 4

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Jack/ Leave a comment /

We now come to the end of our series on the questions that are critical to successful mobile development and which all mobile app developers need to ask. Hope the questions that were listed and answered earlier were of help to you.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at some other questions that are an absolute must ask.

What do I do if I get stuck?

This is a problem that is not only experienced by newbie mobile app developers but also the ones who have been in this business for a considerable amount of time. If you are stuck and don’t know the direction in which to proceed next, you need help, and not just any help but the kind of help that offers you a workable solution. If you have somebody more experienced above you in the hierarchy, you can always take the problem to him/her. There is no beating an in-person help to solve a problem. As a developer who wants to keep learning more about his domain, you must make it a point to attend developer gatherings as it is here that you can meet-up with fellow developers who are always eager to lend a hand.

But, what if you don’t have a chance to attend such gatherings? What’s the next best resource for getting help. Well, online forums are a great help. Forums like ‘Stack Overflow’ have proven to be a big help to developers looking for a solution to their problems. Also, the internet is full of tutorials and ‘How To’ literature that can help you troubleshoot effectively.

How to ensure that my Android app works on a maximum number of Android devices?

How often have we seen Android releasing new versions, one after the other, and they appearing on Android devices after only a sufficient time has elapsed? This presents a unique problem for Android app developers. What is the version that they need to use? The problem lies in the fact that Google keeps bringing forth new Android releases irrespective of whether Android device manufacturers will update existing mobile devices with the updated version of the Android OS. So, what developers need to be careful about is using those features that might not play in the devices of their target users. For this, identification of the target users is a must and what is also important is to find out the kind of devices that they use and the Android version that they are compatible with. It’s tricky, and the best way that you can ensures that your app is compatible with the maximum number of Android devices is by playing it safe. Use the version of Android OS that you have no doubt that the target users’ device will be compatible with, which invariable is an older version of the Android OS.

Why is using the ‘Storyboards’ feature of the iOS 5 a good idea?

Firstly, you must always make it a point to understand and apply the latest technology for the development of your app, whether it’s an iPhone app or any other. When it comes to iPhone application development, your use of the ‘Storyboards’ feature will make your development quicker and much easier. Its job is to help iPhone developers manage the view controllers offering users a functionality that allows them to change from one view to another with the help of navigation or tab bars. As can be seen, learning new things that will help make development simpler never harmed anybody. In fact, it make’s life a whole lot simpler for everybody concerned.
In Conclusion

The end of the series doesn’t necessarily mean that the questions have ended; it’s just that we have covered the important ones and it’s time to move on to something else now. As somebody who wants develop all kinds of mobile apps such as iPhone apps, Android apps, etc. it’s important that you keep asking questions. Don’t stop; keep clarifying your doubts and keep getting a further stranglehold on your mobile application development expertise.

Critical Questions that Developers Need to Ask about Mobile App Development: Part 3

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Jack/ Leave a comment /

In the earlier posts, we had underlined 4 questions that mobile application developers need to ask. In this post also, we start from where we left off in the earlier post. It must be noted that questions with respect to mobile application development should never stop coming. As a new developer, you must keep asking questions regarding the various facets, intricacies and functionalities of mobile application development so that you become a master at it.

So, let’s take a look at some more questions that need to be asked by newbie developers to get a better insight into mobile application development.

How will I be able to set up local and push notifications and what is the difference between the two?

If you want your users to interact with your mobile apps whether iPhone apps, Android apps or mobile applications for some other OS, you can achieve this by making use of notifications. These notifications are directly generated by apps or are sent to the devices through the web. The former are called local notifications, while the latter are called push notifications. The way local notification work is like this – They are directly generated when the user is performing a task on a mobile device and the app is working in the background; on the other hand when it comes to push notifications, the way they work is like this – They are sent to the device from the server through a network.

Seeing this from the users perspective, both a local and push notification appears the same to the users, so more than choosing local notifications, newbie developers will find it easier to implement push notifications as compared to local notifications. The development and deployment of these notifications is clearly underlined in the core resources provided by the respective mobile OS including iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry. An interesting factoid to note is that Google calls a notification, ‘Cloud to Device Messaging’.

What is the process of submission of apps to the iTunes store and the Android Market?

Once you have developed a mobile app, you now will need to submit it to the respective apps store. Bear in mind that as a developer you will first need to prepare your app for distribution and then submit your app. This ‘preparation’ process has the same steps across all mobile operating systems. These include the conceptualization, development, and testing of the app, in line with the parameters defined by the mobile OS you are developing the app for. The second text is the submission of the app that allows you to submit the app to the ITunes store, Android Market, Windows Phone 7 Apps Hub or the BlackBerry App World. You will need to follow the submission guidelines to the letter, in order to ensure that the process of submission is successful.

So, here they are. Some more questions that need to be asked by enterprising mobile application developers, who are finding their feet in the highly challenging environment of mobile application development. But this is not the end of them. We will be back with newer questions in our next post.

Critical Questions that Developers Need to Ask about Mobile App Development: Part 2

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Jack/ Leave a comment /

In the earlier blog post, we discussed two important questions that developers needed to ask before they began mobile app development. Here we take you through two more questions that are an absolute must ask, if the developer wants to develop a successful mobile application. The whole idea behind asking such questions is to ensure that developers are well prepared going into the process of developing cutting edge applications, whether they are iPhone apps, BlackBerry apps, Android apps or applications for any other mobile OS.

There are plenty of questions that mobile app developers can ask, but the key is to ask the right questions. Understanding the answers to these questions will determine whether your mobile app development will be effective or not.

Let’s take a look at some more questions

How can the diverse display resolutions be managed?

Whether you are developing an app for the iOS, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry, Android, or the Symbian, your app will be deployed on devices that have diverse screen sizes and resolutions. So, you must be able manage different display resolutions. But, as a developer you needn’t worry unnecessarily. The official guides that are available for the various mobile operating systems will offer exhaustive information on ensuring display resolution management. But, it’s also important to understand that the various intricacies of display resolutions means that solving related issues is not going to be a simple task. You need to work your way towards mastering the varying screen resolutions and densities across the numerous mobile devices.

Developers first need to take note of the fact that there are no shortcuts when it comes to mobile app development. It’s only comprehensive understanding of the specific mobile OS that will help bring forth category defining mobile apps.

Can my mobile app multitask?

Not all mobile operating systems will help you develop mobile apps that can multitask. To know whether your app can multitask or not, you need to clearly understand what the mobile OS can do and more importantly, what it cannot do. For e.g. if you are developing an iPhone app, and you want it to do something in the background, then you need a developer account registration. If you are developing an app on the Android platform, you can build apps that perform multiple activities at the same time. It’s a platform that allows different applications to run at any given time. But its design and development considerations are different from say those of the BlackBerry OS. While developing an app for the BlackBerry OS, you will need to deal with numerous platforms and related issues.

The bottom line for developing apps that can multitask is very clear – You must first understand the working of the specific OS that you want to develop the app for. Once you are comfortable with its various facets, you can think about the ‘multitasking’ angle. Developing such apps requires a high level of expertise on the mobile OS, so have patience, get a grip on the fundamentals of app development and then think about how you can take your app development to the next level.

As you must have realized, this is definitely the be all and end all of all the questions that developers must ask. We will be back with more questions very soon.

Critical Questions that Developers Need to Ask about Mobile App Development : Part 1

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Jack/ Leave a comment /

There are over half a million iPhone apps around two hundred thousand iPad apps and more than 300 hundred thousand Android apps that are jostling for space to get at least a toe hold in the mind space of iPhone, iPad and Android based mobile device users. The fact that such a huge number of apps are available means that there must be an equally huge number of developers who are building these apps.

There is no doubt that mobile application development is emerging as a highly lucrative domain and the market is full of individual developers or development companies bringing forth mobile apps founded on diverse mobile operating systems. While some of these developers and companies really know their jobs and are fully committed to doing their jobs well, there are others who are in it just to make a quick buck. Such developers want to take the easy way out and don’t undertake the process of development in the right manner. They don’t ask the critical questions that will help them start their journey as mobile app developers the right way.

Let’s take a look at some of these critical questions whose answers are like a beacon that guides developers towards mobile app success.

Should it be the iOS first or should I start off with an Android app?

Developers don’t want to offend Symbian, Windows Phone 7, or BlackBerry with this critical question, but the point is that when it comes to developers, the choice is usually between iPhone app development and android application development. Both mobile OS’s have their ardent supporters and both factions claiming that theirs is definitely the better OS to kick start the app development journey. The supporter of Androids claim that with the increasing downloads of Android apps, it makes sense that mobile developers begin with an android app. But, the problem with this argument is that when it comes to engaging the user, iOS apps are way ahead of android apps. There are other advantages of starting off with an iOS app, as it offers developers the benefit of a unified OS wherein they have to use a very limited set of hardware and OS versions for app development. For many developers, it’s a no contest really – They get started with the development of an app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Is there some way to ensure my app doesn’t face rejection on the iTunes Store?

The Android Market accepts all apps, but the iTunes Store doesn’t. Apple has stringent criteria for accepting apps, and the problem is that nobody really knows what these criteria are. So, in the interest of avoiding rejection, it’s important that the iOS app is near perfect. But, first timers might find it difficult to develop an app that is perfect in all respects. So, what they can do is try and get a few essentials right. For e.g. it’s important that app developers do not copy any feature or functionality that exists on another app. Apple want new apps to bring a unique value to their store, and rejects apps that are just a rehash of an app that already exist on the iTunes store. Another aspect that developers have to take care of is the use or private frameworks or APIs. Apple might reject the app based on the kind of frameworks and APIs used. For sure, they might work on iPhone, iPad or the iPod touch, but that doesn’t mean that they can be implemented on the app. This is why developers are advised to understand the app development and submission guidelines thoroughly before they begin development.

These are just two of the many questions that developers absolutely need to ask. Keep a look out for the next post in this series that talks about some more questions.