The primary credit for enriching and upgrading the lives of people surely goes to the introduction of mobile apps as it has brought a massive transformation on the global front. Similarly, there has been a wide scope for mobile application developers for showcasing their creativity, talent, and expertise in developing scalable and responsive mobile applications. Mobile app development technologies have undergone a huge transformation that is beyond the imagination. With each passing day, the revenues earned by mobile applications are skyrocketing. Let’s check some facts here:
As per the data, the total percentage of mobile application downloads has seen a massive hike from 2016 to 2021 as the number has surpassed 200 billion in the year 2019 only. According to the 2021 data, the total number of downloads was approximately 230 billion which is almost 63 percent more than that of 2016 downloads. All the facts and data provided show how the demand for mobile applications is rising continuously and thus expanding the mobile app development market.
Table of Contents
What is a Tech Stack?
The technology stack is also popular as a solution stack because it combines aspects like multiple languages, frameworks, and technology services and together makes a network of a website, web application, and mobile application. There is one layer of technology layered on another and thus it is called a stack. There are two parts to it i.e., frontend and backend. Before switching to the mobile app development technologies part, first, there is a need to understand what the technology stack is all about. In simple words, it is a set of several instruments, frameworks, libraries, and languages. The entire tech stack is divided primarily into two key areas i.e., server side and client side. The other elements comprise the user experience, development platform, stability, safety, trustworthiness, and many more.
The selection of the tech stack will result in how efficient and responsive your app would be. The incorrect selection of the tech stack would cost you resources, time, and money and thus it can also result in project failure. Also, it is difficult to get enough knowledge of the mobile app design and development process, so to have an in-depth understanding of all these aspects, firstly a suitable and proficient mobile app development tech stack partner should be hired.
How to Choose the Mobile Technology Stack?
Several factors are required to be considered while selecting the most suitable and adequate mobile app tech stack as the success of the application depends primarily on the selection of tech stack only. Following are the tips to choose the right tech stack for a mobile app so that you can get a scalable and responsive solution:
Platform Selection
The selection of the tech stack for an app that runs on a single platform will be completely different from the one that runs on multiple platforms. For hybrid mobile app development, there is a need to utilize a different toolset to make the application responsive and scalable in comparison with the one needed for the Native app.
Type of Mobile Application
The selection of the tech stack is very much dependent upon the type of application. There are various aspects like the platform, device, network condition, target audiences, time-to-market, and many others that are decided once the application type is confirmed. Depending upon these aspects, the software, programming languages, library, and set of frameworks are selected.
Purpose of App Development
The selection of tech stack to develop mobile app is also based on the purpose or aim behind the mobile application development. With the change in the purpose of development, the requirement of technology stacks also changes. For example, there is a vast difference when you aim to develop apps that are highly responsive with an ultra-low latency rate such as gaming apps in comparison with mobile applications with a medium latency rate. There is a need for a comparatively more proficient and robust tech stack if the app is based on hefty load processing rather than one that works with streamlined interactions.
Skillset of Mobile App Development Team
Presently, there is an extensive number of frameworks and languages available in the market of mobile app development solutions. But still, you will find a difference in the outcomes in terms of the app’s design, speed, user experience, etc. The reason behind this difference is the skill set of team members working on the project. Thus, it is suggested to select the tech stack for the app development that matches the skill set of team members as it will help in developing scalable solutions.
Community Support from Parent Company
There is a huge impact of the selected technology stack’s parent company on the mobile app development process. Some of the big brands such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Google provide great community support combined with modern development options for efficient results.
Safety & Security
While you select the technology stack for mobile app development, it is essential to check up on the offered safety and security when it comes to users’ data and private information. There are many cases of security breaches and vulnerabilities while the users use the application. It not only converts the other potential customers into non-users but also hinders the success and scalability of any mobile application. Therefore, it is necessary to have a tech stack that has strict security protocols and keep the users’ data confidential and restrict all sort of unauthorized access.
Compatibility
It is beneficial if the tech stack selected is in line with the one you are already using in a particular project. If in case the mobile app development company has already started with the app development process, then the introduction of any new tech stack would be more of a barrier in progress rather than a support. Compatibility of the tech stack is required to be checked on two aspects i.e., firstly the technology stack used in the current mobile app solution and secondly the tools that would be used in the future stages of the development process of the project.
Once you are aware of how to choose the mobile technology stack for your project, now it is required to make efficient use of it so that it aligns well with the existing mobile app structure and makes it scalable and responsive. Now, after gaining this knowledge, we look ahead to which technology stack would be best for native, hybrid, and cross-platform app development.
Technology Stack for Mobile App Development
The technology stack is a crucial and significant factor in developing innovative, scalable, and powerful applications. In this section, we will discuss which technology stack is the most suitable for native, hybrid, and cross-platform applications.
1. Native
Native apps are worldwide popular for their top-notch performance and rapid speed. These apps allow integration of the in-built features and functionalities of a device in the mobile application and that too without any need for third-party APIs. In native app development, companies offer Android app development services and iOS app development services. Let’s discuss the tech stack required for both these platforms:
Technology Stack for Android Applications
At the time of native mobile app development, if the platform is Android, then the following technologies are used:
A] Programming languages
Java and Kotlin are two primary programming languages used for Android apps. Out of these two, Java is extremely popular across the globe and Kotlin is the official one. Mobile app development companies prefer to use Kotlin features to improve the app development process to make your app scalable as the language is very lightweight and clean. It can resolve issues that may exist while using Java.
B] Toolkit
1. Android Developer Tools
These tools are used to support the Android application development process by allowing the use of graphical UI builder, debugging tools, scriptable test automation support, and emulators.
2. Android Studio
It helps mobile app developers in editing codes, performance tooling, debugging, instant deploying systems, and flexible build systems. Also, with its use, there are delivered unique, creative, and absolute quality applications.
3. Android SDK
To write programs with advanced features, it is required to download and install separate versions of SDK for each device. With Android SDK, this app count can reach millions and thus it helped the mobile app development industry to reach new heights.
Technology Stack for iOS Applications
During native mobile app development, if the selected platform is iOS, then the following technologies are the ones used worldwide:
A] Programming languages
Objective-C and Swift are two main primary programming languages used for iOS apps. Among these, Objective-C is used for offering the developers object-oriented capabilities. On the other hand, Swift is a widely popular programming language and is extremely popular across the world and there are many significant reasons when it comes to why choose Swift for iOS app development. Swift not only provides dynamic libraries but also improves the app performance and is a lot more functional.
B] Toolkit
The toolkit is used for developing both desktop and mobile applications. The most popular and widely used ones comprise Apple Xcode and IntelliJ AppCode.
1. iOS SDK
To create a link between the software application and the platforms on which the application runs, there is an API in iOS SDK. The tools offered are used for the proprietary iOS operating system and touchscreen interface of Apple. Apple had gained enormous revenues with this tech stack and successfully established its name in the custom software development and app development industry.
2. Cross-Platform
In case you are selecting both the platforms i.e., Android and iOS, then, cross-platform app development is the best option to choose as here the applications are developed using the same code for multiple platforms. For demographic extent and better reach, businesses go for cross-platform app development only.
Let’s discuss the key tech stack used for cross-platform applications:
Technology Stack for Cross-Platform Applications
In cross-platform app development, the following are the primarily used tech stacks:
A] React Native
React native app development services are in huge demand because of the reason that React Native is widely popular in building scalable mobile applications. It makes use of similar UI building blocks both in iOS and Android and supports fast and streamlined error detection. It helps to develop apps with high functionality and a user-friendly interface.
B] Xamarin
With the Xamarin framework, the developers get direct access to the iOS APIs and Android APIs. It is an open-source platform and allows to use of the whole toolkit. The significant part is that there is no usage restriction on it.
C] Flutter
Flutter is an open-source cross-platform app development framework created by Google. By using a single codebase there can be developed mobile applications superfast. Flutter app development is widely popular because there are customizable widgets, Dart programming language, unique designs, and layered architecture.
3. Hybrid
In Hybrid app development, the web techniques that are primarily used include JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS. There are majorly two parts i.e., Native shell and Backend. Such apps can run on all operating platforms. Ionic and PhoneGap/Cordova are the most significant frameworks for hybrid applications.
Let’s discuss the key tech stack used for hybrid applications:
Technology Stack for Hybrid Applications
For hybrid application development, the following tech stacks are primarily used:
A] Ionic
The web technologies used by Ionic comprise CSS and HTML5. To develop an interactive mobile application with astonishing features and functionalities, this tool is the most appropriate one. It allows access to a large set of components and a huge library of mobile app development tools. Also, the time taken for app development using Ionic is very less.
B] PhoneGap/Cordova
Cordova is an open-source framework used for running HTML and JS-based applications. There is a vast use of this framework for integrating features like speakers, GPS, accelerometer, etc. To support this, there is required a robust server as applications built using this framework perform fast. Also, there is a plugin system that restricts browser failure and seamlessly accesses all mobile devices.
Summing Up
We hope, the blog would have assisted you in gaining a good understanding of how to choose the right mobile technology stack for mobile app development. Selecting the most ideal and suitable tech stack can surely help your app gain a huge customer base and high revenue with better future growth opportunities.
If you have any sort of doubt or might have any query related to mobile application development or which tech stack to use for mobile app development, you can hire a reputed and experienced app development company. One of such companies is SemiDot Infotech which can surely help you build a scalable mobile app for your business as it has a huge experience in providing Android app development services, iOS app development services, and cross-platform app development services.
