Currently there are two major mobile operating systems on smartphones – Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. As of now, there exist 8.93 million smartphone apps globally, with 3.553 million apps in the Google Play Store and 1.642 million in the Apple App Store. Mobile apps are developed for different purposes such as making payments, ride-hailing, ordering groceries, booking airline tickets and others. In short, mobile apps are indispensable today.
Types of Mobile Apps
Note that there exist different types of mobile apps. We explore them below.
- Native Apps
There are 2 major mobile operating systems – iOS and Android. Native Apps are designed to run on a single mobile operating system. They fully leverage the power of the mobile device. However, they work only on a single platform. You will have to develop different native apps for different mobile platforms. This entails more time, effort, and expenses.
- Cross Platform Apps
Cross platforms apps run on both iOS and Android OS. However, they are not as powerful when compared to native apps. The advantage of cross platform apps is that a single app works on both iOS and Android OS. Time, effort, and money spent is lesser for a cross platform app when benchmarked against native apps.
- Hybrid Apps
These are created by using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. They work on different OSs. Note that a hybrid app includes features of both native apps and web applications. Hybrid Apps do not have the power and performance offered by native apps. They work even in offline mode.
- PWA (Progressive Web Apps)
These are websites that have the look and functionality of native apps. PWAs can be installed on mobiles as an app. Note that PWAs are developed by harnessing web platform technologies. Progressive web apps include the best aspects of traditional websites as well as platform-specific apps. One useful property is that PWAs can run on multiple operating systems.
Top 6 Programming Languages for Mobile Apps
You may have a great idea for a mobile app. However, you need to know the relevant programming language(s) to create the desired mobile app. It is wise to learn the programming languages that help you to develop a mobile app with ease. Below are the best programming languages for mobile development
- JavaScript
JavaScript is the most popular mobile programming language today. This programming language is easy to learn and execute. There exists a large and growing community of JavaScript enthusiasts who can help you if you encounter any technical problem(s). The platform is useful for developing both the front-end and back-end of the mobile app.
An interesting statistic is that as many as 97% of mobile app creators leverage JavaScript for crafting cross-platform mobile apps. A good thing about JavaScript is that it is compatible with all browsers.
Useful Aspects of JavaScript are
- Dynamic Typing
- Light-weight characteristic
- Efficient Event handling
- Python
This programming language is one of the easiest to learn. So, the learning curve is short and easy for aspiring mobile developers. Python has the enviable reputation of being the best language to develop mobile apps.
Python makes use of the BeeWare and Kivy libraries.
- BeeWare consists of a group of UI tools that help craft native Android mobile apps.
- Kivy is open-source and useful for developing cross-platform mobile apps.
Characteristics of Python
- Powerful GUI development capability
- High level language
- Object-oriented
- Interpreted programming language
- Automatic garbage collection
- Kotlin
For your information, in 2017 Google gave official approval to Kotlin as the programming language of choice for developing mobile apps for the Android platform.
Characteristics of Kotlin include
- Concise code
- JavaScript transpilation
Note that Kotlin offers concise syntax leading to a hassle-free experience for even novice coders. There exist aspects including type inference as well as null safety for minimizing runtime errors. This platform features full interoperability with Java. Coders have the facility to use available Java libraries. There exists built-in support for coroutines. Hence, concurrent, and asynchronous code can be created easily.
- Flutter
This is a popular option for developing cross-platform apps. Flutter makes use of the Dart programming language. This framework is the creation of Google. It emerged recently and is noted for its considerable power. Applications created using Flutter work on desktop, web as well as on mobiles. It has a repository of customized widgets useful for crafting sophisticated user interfaces. The Flutter community is currently growing quickly. Flutter apps provide superior performance as well as quality animations.
- Java
Most mobile programmers would have heard of Java. This language has been around for a long time now. Java offers both power and security. It is a mature and stable programming platform. The official documentation is comprehensive and detailed. Also, there is a huge and helpful Java community at hand. Free tutorials are available to learn and master this prominent programming language. If you face a technical problem there are many forums which you can join for help. Java is famous for being object-oriented in nature. One notable feature of Java is that it is strongly typed.
- React Native
This effectively utilizes the power of the JavaScript programming language. React Native is an environment where coders can craft apps utilizing JavaScript as well as CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). A notable feature of React Native is hot reloading. Coders can view the results of changes made to the code instantly without needing to rebuild the whole app.
How to Select the Right Programming Languages for Mobile App Development
Whether you are doing Android app development, iOS app development or cross-platform app development use a programming language that you are comfortable with. For finding the right mobile app programming language you can either do research on the Internet or solicit the opinion of experienced individuals. Play around with multiple programming languages to find out which you find suitable. Realize that every individual is unique and each mobile app is different.
Why Us
CoffeeBeans has a stellar track record of executing software projects of varying complexity within stipulated deadlines. Our valued clients trust us because of our transparent and mature processes. We possess a sizable pool of talented and experienced developers. Delivering quality is the mantra we steadfastly follow. Visit our website to get an idea of our capabilities. Reach out to us for any of your software development requirements. Our leadership will be more than happy to demonstrate how partnership with us will yield you tangible and long-term benefits. As we are based in India, our services are both affordable and world-class.Our team has developers proficient in a wide range of mobile app development languages.