Factors to Consider When Choosing a Mobile Platform

If you’re a developer, you might be caught in the dilemma of choosing a mobile platform. There are many options when it comes to selecting the language for development. There is a debate on whether native or cross-platform offers the best solution for mobile development.

Audio/Video Processing

Video and audio processing are the biggest challenges you’ll experience when developing a mobile platform. To be safe, you need to ensure that the app is showing the best behavior. That means you should go for either Xamin or native just to be safe.

Access to Hardware

The app might need access to specific hardware which is not available. Xamin has been shown to be more robust in development than native solutions.

Platform

The platform that you choose also matters. Before selecting the platform, you need to consider your audience and their location. If you’re targeting North American users, you might want to focus on iOS since most mobile users have iPhones. You might have limited resources, which could mean prioritizing one operating system over the other.

Hybrid or Native

For native applications, they’re primarily developed to be used on smartphones. The developer will follow the operating system's guidelines when coding the app. Hybrid applications are becoming increasingly popular because flexibility is needed, and users don’t want to be limited to one platform.

Backend

Having a backend is a good decision, given the fact that the majority of applications are API-driven. A client might be looking for a Geocoding Service to be integrated into the app, which can be made possible with APIs. Not all application functionality will need backend support. You should consider constraints such as costs incurred when setting up the backend.

Analytics

Having analytics is crucial in the mobile development world. Analytics will help you understand user behavior and poor adoption ratios. The analytics should be implemented to reflect the specific goals set for the application. It is through analyzing analytics that you can improve user engagement. You can pinpoint the pain points for users and make improvements based on available data.

Target Audience

The app should be developed with the user in mind. You need to look at the age group, location, and various factors related to the users. You might be creating an app that helps kids with their homework. Such an app will need to have a lot of visuals and illustrations as you’re targeting an audience with a short attention span. The app will look good when there is less text and more graphs.

User Interface and Design

No one wants to use an app with an ugly user interface. UI/UX could determine the success or failure of your application. You must understand the difference between a user interface and user experience. A good app will consider both the user interface and the user experience. One can’t do the other, and it will be better to neglect both if they can’t be factored into the design process.

Development Methodology

The method in place will play a significant role in the overall quality and functionality of the app. If you’re an app developer, there is a need to have a documented process that will ensure consistency regarding quality. Having a documented process also makes quality assurance easy.

Competition

It is recommended that you look at the competitors’ apps to know what is missing or what could be improved. App development is a competitive industry, and you’ll likely get hundreds, if not thousands, of apps trying to solve a single problem. The app market is saturated, and you must create something unique to stand out. There was not a lot of competition in 2024 when the industry was blossoming, but things are different almost a decade later.

Consistent

Every idea during the development process will require consistency. The industry constantly evolves, and the technology could become obsolete in a few months. You must be tracking the condition of your application. The primary purpose of the app is to support the end-user.

To sum it up, you need to stick to app development standards if you genuinely care about developing something that potential users will find helpful. Ensure you’re using the latest components and standards during development.