should i go for ios or android app development?

[hiren43]

i have both, Android and Apple. i'm even computer student from india. i'm just confused what to decide. is ios app development easy than android?

i don't even know any simple app to develop but i'm interested in this field. what are your suggestions?

[hiren43]

i forgot to add that i use windows. i don't have mac. still ios development possible in windows?

[dhicks]

i have both, Android and Apple. i'm even computer student from india. i'm just confused what to decide. is ios app development easy than android?

i don't even know any simple app to develop but i'm interested in this field. what are your suggestions?

 

You could try Adobe PhoneGap - you write your phone / tablet app in HTML, Javascript, etc (on Windows, Mac, or whatever), then distribute to both iOS and Android (and Windows Phone and a couple of others, if I remember correctly). It includes Javascript APIs to allow you to use the hardware features of the device, you aren't quite as sandboxed as in a standard browser. I'm guessing performance isn't as good as if you'd written native app code for each platform, but I'm guessing that in most instances you won't notice the difference.

[hiren43]

You could try Adobe PhoneGap - you write your phone / tablet app in HTML, Javascript, etc (on Windows, Mac, or whatever), then distribute to both iOS and Android (and Windows Phone and a couple of others, if I remember correctly). It includes Javascript APIs to allow you to use the hardware features of the device, you aren't quite as sandboxed as in a standard browser. I'm guessing performance isn't as good as if you'd written native app code for each platform, but I'm guessing that in most instances you won't notice the difference.

 

so are you saying that i only have to write code for either android or ios?

[hiren43]

so are you saying that i only have to write code for either android or ios?

 

i just have downloaded app 'adobe air' on android which is alternate of 'phonegap'. i will learn about it soon. and what API and Frameworks you would recommend me to learn before jumping into development? for both ios and android

[dhicks]

so are you saying that i only have to write code for either android or ios?

 

No, you write one lot of code, it works on multiple devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, etc).

[hiren43]

No, you write one lot of code, it works on multiple devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, etc).

 

yeah thanks. that must be complex thing

[hiren43]

No, you write one lot of code, it works on multiple devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, etc).

 

i just have downloaded app 'adobe air' on android which is alternate of 'phonegap'. i will learn about it soon. and what API and Frameworks you would recommend me to learn before jumping into development? for both ios and android

[dhicks]

i just have downloaded app 'adobe air' on android which is alternate of 'phonegap'. i will learn about it soon. and what API and Frameworks you would recommend me to learn before jumping into development? for both ios and android

 

Adobe Air's developers pages start here:

 

Learn AIR | Adobe AIR Developer Center

 

I get the impression Phonegap lets you bundle an app for sale in iOS / Android app store more easily than just developing an application for Adobe Air - Adobe Air looks to be the Flash runtime ported to use HTML / Javascript.

[hiren43]

Adobe Air's developers pages start here:

 

Learn AIR | Adobe AIR Developer Center

 

I get the impression Phonegap lets you bundle an app for sale in iOS / Android app store more easily than just developing an application for Adobe Air - Adobe Air looks to be the Flash runtime ported to use HTML / Javascript.

 

so would you please link me to 'phonegap' app? cuz i already did and couldn't find on playstore. thats why i downloaded air.

[Arthur]

link me to 'phonegap' app?

http://phonegap.com/install

 

Personally I hate apps created with crappy middleware programs like PhoneGap because they never look like native apps on any platform and often have performance issues (like jerky/slow scrolling). Both surefire ways of getting poor reviews on the app stores.

 

what API and frameworks you would recommend me to learn before jumping into development? for both iOS and Android

Objective-C for iOS and Java for Android.

 

Btw, to publish an app on Apple's App Store costs $99 USD per year, whereas to do the same on the Google Play Store costs $25 USD (this is a one-off fee).

[hiren43]

http://phonegap.com/install

 

Personally I hate apps created with crappy middleware programs like PhoneGap because they never look like native apps on any platform and often have performance issues (like jerky/slow scrolling). Both surefire ways of getting poor reviews on the app stores.

 

 

Objective-C for iOS and Java for Android.

 

Btw, to publish an app on Apple's App Store costs $99 USD per year, whereas to do the same on the Google Play Store costs $25 USD (this is a one-off fee).

 

so what do you think is better app for developing?

thanks for informing about submitting app to store.

and i know basic java and objective c. but i have to learn some specific concepts for C and Java for this. Java is endless thing to learn. would you tell me what concepts i should learn?

[TheSmartstudent]

Take a miss on Adobe Air, PhoneGap or anything like that. Maybe Adobe air for games/high media content.

 

What are you looking to achieve here? A hobby, a job, or just for the experience?

[hiren43]

Take a miss on Adobe Air, PhoneGap or anything like that. Maybe Adobe air for games/high media content.

 

What are you looking to achieve here? A hobby, a job, or just for the experience?

 

my career

[hiren43]

Take a miss on Adobe Air, PhoneGap or anything like that. Maybe Adobe air for games/high media content.

 

What are you looking to achieve here? A hobby, a job, or just for the experience?

 

job......

[TheSmartstudent]

Okay, a job in what field exactly? I'm assuming app development for this:

 

You should start with iOS. Android is significantly easier, and has lots of tutorials available, many more than iOS.

As an open source device, the Android OS is a good way to start learning how these devices think, and such understanding will look great to an employer. However, you should only do this once you have mastered general programming skills, which is a pretty cool thing about Objective C; it's prettty difficult.

 

Once you have truly mastered iOS development, move onto Android. Should be a walk in the park to learn how to develop for Android, but also learn about how the operating system works, the differences between it and general Linux etc.

 

You mentioned you don't have a mac. If you want a job in the app development industry, make an investment in one. You can find reasonably cheap Mac Minis starting at about £600 for a pretty good specification one on ebay. MacBook Airs are about £600-700. Absolutely no need for the latest model, my 2011 Air still looks fab and runs like a boss.

 

OS X is truly the best operating system for systems administrators, developers and designers. It gives you all the functional power of Linux, the simplicity and application range of Windows, packed in with a bunch of other available apps. I can't find anything worth my time (except gaming ) that my Mac can't do. They're all pretty powerful too, which is needed as you start having to compile much bigger projects. An Air with i5/i7 can get you through most things, but if you want to mess with the likes of unity, I'd recommend looking for an i7 Mac Mini or i7 MacBook Pro - You'll appreciate the extra power

[mikeyd101]

I can only really speak for Android apps but this is the way I see it:

 

Android is free to develop, I believe iApps require codeX which costs and not available for PC (you maybe able to run it in something like virtual box, but would need pretty decent spec pc).

 

Android apps can be developed on Eclipse + ADT Plugin and Android SDK/s (all free) for the numerous android versions. Also Android development is based around Java which has millions or resources for learning.

 

Another avantage for Android is that most of the devices are unlocked so you can deploy direct to a phone/tablet and test.

Edited April 21, 2014 by mikeyd101

[Arthur]

I believe iApps require codeX which costs and not available for PC

XCode is a free download on the Mac App Store. You're right that it's Mac only though.

 

Another advantage for Android is that most of the devices are unlocked so you can deploy direct to a phone/tablet and test.

GenyMotion might be worth looking at too since it is significantly faster than any smartphone or tablet, it integrates with Android Studio/Eclipse and you can easily switch between VMs running Jelly Bean and KitKat to test your apps.

[TheSmartstudent]

Too right about how great Android is for accessibility of development, Mikey.

 

To talk further about OS X in VirtualBox for xCode:

Completely possible. Before I got into the Mac realm, I was working like this. It's problematic though.

 

I'd seriously suggest that investing £1000 to buy a Mac, all the dev licenses and some good books is really worth it if you're starting a career. The Mac gives you flexibility for Android and iOS and would be great for people doing freelance work to build a portfolio, since all the great tools for other parts of making an app (design etc) are much better done on a Mac. Sure, Adobe Suite works on Windows, but it feels at its best on Mac.

 

Arthur,

Although GenyMotion is a *very* nice bit of software, and of great importance to all developers heading for Android, I'm going to add a word of caution. If your app works in GenyMotion, don't assume that means it is the same on a real device. Not many devices are raw android, even Google's own phones (Moto X/G, Nexus 5 etc) tend to have a slight difference to completely raw android, even if it isn't noticeable.

[Arthur]

If your app works in GenyMotion, don't assume that means it is the same on a real device.

Yeah. You would definitely want to test your apps on real Android devices too. I should have mentioned that!

 

Going by the changelogs of many of the apps I have installed, it seems like developers often come across quirks or bugs specific to certain devices (like Samsung's).

 

Would you recommend only supporting API level 15 (and higher) when creating apps since devices running Gingerbread are declining?

[TheSmartstudent]

Would you recommend only supporting API level 15 (and higher) when creating apps since devices running Gingerbread are declining?

 

Really depends on your audience and the app.

For a massive marketing stunt, Gingerbread support is still a must.

 

If you're looking more at something specific, I tend to put people into 3 categories:

Power Users

These people are die hard fans of their tech. You won't catch them without a device within 10 metres of them. They tend to rock custom ROMs on their phones.

 

Enthusiasts

They like their tech, and are completely fluent in using it. However, they tend to stick with what they get, and don't root, jailbreak or otherwise void their warranty.

 

Casual Users

They know only what they need to use, and tend to have an instruction manual programmed into their head, instead of being fluent in experimenting with their devices. They most certainly don't go past what they are shown how to use.

 

 

If you're aiming at the first group, you should certainly not bother with anything below API Level 16. ICS is dead in the eyes of these people, most are on KitKat, with the rest on JB looking to upgrade to KitKat.

 

For the second group, somewhere between 11 and 14. Really depends on the nature of app.

 

Finally, the last group is generally 9 or above, but with the exception that games could possibly be 11+. I tend to go as low as possible for casual users. They struggle to find the update screen for a start, and are scared by changes to routine with their device.

[plexer]

Has anyone played with LiveCode community for app creation?

 

LiveCode | Create apps for multiple platforms. Quickly. Easily. Free

 

Ben

[mikeyd101]

Apologies i thought there were costing behind XCode.

 

Why would you use genymotion over the android SDK emulator and DDMS?

 

I'd recommend supporting the earliest API level that your code allows, unless you need the newer API features, aren't they mostly forward compatible (then you'll be reaching a larger market share)?

 

I also wouldn't recommend spending loads of money until you are 100% convinced that this is a future career for you. If it is find a school / college course about software development (get some qualifications) then find a job working in that field, you can learn ALOT from working with other developers and its pretty hard to go solo (I know I've tried).

[TheSmartstudent]

Has anyone played with LiveCode community for app creation?

 

LiveCode | Create apps for multiple platforms. Quickly. Easily. Free

 

Ben

 

I suspect that this will have the issue of the apps feeling non native, but I'll be sure to give it a shot. It doesn't look bad from the website, I'll let you know what I find

 

Apologies i thought there were costing behind XCode.

 

Why would you use genymotion over the android SDK emulator and DDMS?

 

I'd recommend supporting the earliest API level that your code allows, unless you need the newer API features, aren't they mostly forward compatible (then you'll be reaching a larger market share)?

 

I also wouldn't recommend spending loads of money until you are 100% convinced that this is a future career for you. If it is find a school / college course about software development (get some qualifications) then find a job working in that field, you can learn ALOT from working with other developers and its pretty hard to go solo (I know I've tried).

 

Quite simply, GenyMotion is faster.

 

You're 100% right out about using the earliest possible, unless the app's performance/features would benefit from the newer API levels, which can often be the case. New cool stuff tends to work better than the old stuff.

 

And furthermore to the point of needing to be 100% convinced it's the right career, university/college open days are great for this, alongside taking a shot using what you have, then delving into doing something real when you're ready

[mikecampbell]

Following this thread with interest. I've been looking in to cross-platform app development and the various options. Apache Cordova (https://cordova.apache.org/) looks interesting, although apparently the docs are a little thin on the ground.