It is very easy to see the opportunity involved with Android mobile application developmentsince it has only been a few years since the first Android device was released, and it has already become such a complex technology.

At the time, it didn’t even compare to the popular iPhone, but then again, that was just the first version of the Android device. Since then, advancements have given new meaning to the name Android. After the G1 was the Donut, aka Android 1.6, closely followed by 2.0, and here we are today with version 4.2 Jelly Bean which implements all-new camera features. “So,” you may ask, “what’s next?” Well, now everyone is waiting for version 5.0, which is coming in the near future.

Operating system: what hardware do you need?

You can make use of several different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X to develop your Android mobile apps. For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using the Windows 8 operating system.

The following platforms are supported by Android:

– Windows 8 – 32 and 64 bit

– Windows 7 – 32 and 64 bit

– Windows Vista – 32 and 64 bit

-Windows XP – 32 bit

– Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later – x86 only

-Linux

If you are using a 64-bit operating system, you need to make sure that it can handle 32-bit applications as well.

Making sure your app doesn’t crash

Your users’ phones won’t necessarily run your app on their own; they are most likely doing other work behind the scenes, like downloading files or playing music from another app. You need to know the answers to questions like these:

• Will downloading files affect my application?

• Will my application crash if the necessary Internet connection is not available?

You need to know the answers to such questions; I call this thinking outside the bounds of your application.

Not all apps are held to the same standard – there are some great ones and some lousy ones, trust me! Before you go and broadcast your app to the world, you need to make sure you know your limits. You should know that it will continue to run when users navigate the screen or perform routine tasks; otherwise, everything could be a failure.

Development of mobile applications for iPhone

An Intel-based Macintosh computer with the latest version of Mac OS is required to begin programming your first iPhone mobile app. The iPhone SDK should also be downloaded for free by becoming a registered iPhone developer.

To get started, we’ll assume you have a background in object-oriented programming and a form of C language such as C++ or C#.

The first step you should take is to come up with an idea for a great iPhone mobile app. Let’s say you have an idea for an app that calculates your net worth in euros, or a data-driven app that helps you find the best sandwich in Philly. Your next step is to think about the best mobile apps for iPhone and what makes them outshine other apps. What steps are taken by clicking on that app that will lead the user to the perfect snack in town?

Test your app on real devices

To test your app, all you need to do is launch it and check all its features.

In order for you to be able to test your new app on your iPhone or iPad, you need to be registered with the iOS developer program and you must also have a developer certificate installed on the device you are using. This is one of the biggest issues developers have run into, but Apple implemented it for security reasons: they say all apps must be digitally signed and this can’t be done without joining the developer program.

Objective-C and cocoa

Tea iOS Application development uses Objective-C, a superset of ANSI-C, with Smalltalk-style syntax, the most widely used language. You can quickly become proficient in Objective-C if you have written in any current programming language (such as C++, Java, or even PHP).

The combined name given to the frameworks made available by Apple for OS X and iOS app development it’s cocoa. Cocoa will be used throughout this book to mean the iOS-specific Apis.

Creating an engaging user experience

Mobile apps for iPhone are incredibly easy to download and this is another big factor why apps are so popular among businesses and individuals.

But it’s not just about the fact that the mobile app you need is ready to run right there on your phone; it’s (just as important) how the mobile app is designed and implemented. It has to be able to run smoothly and in an ideal world that requires minimal intervention on your part once it’s up and running.

So having the app is only part of the story, while having an optimally designed app is another thing. These first two elements refer to what I describe as content: what an app actually does.

For example, a tourist guide app might have a brilliant user interface, for example, but the downside is that it might not give me the most up-to-date information or tell me exactly when my flight is delayed from New York.

Mobile app development is quite a creative and interesting job and I would recommend it to start developing mobile apps for Android or iPhone devices.