Plug vetted, specialist iOS developers into your squad, flexibly!

Apple products are proprietary technology, which means if external developers want to develop apps for iPhone then they must meet the Apple standards. IOS apps can only be distributed via the Apple app store.

As iPhone and subsequently iOS has a huge share of the mobile phone market. Therefore, businesses are keen to have their apps featured there to reach the millions of iPhone users who are potential customers.  The iOS mobile market share is huge with around 20% globally rising, 48% in the UK and a staggering 55% in the USA according to StatCounter.

It simply makes no sense to develop an application that would not include distribution specific to iOS powered devices.  Developers can create any kind of app for iOS, including but not limited to 

• eCommerce apps – Ebay and Amazon for instance
• games - Candy Crush, word games etc
• social media apps – Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok et al.
• media apps – BBC, Netflix etc
• banking apps 
• service booking apps – Restaurants, taxi’s etc
• SaaS apps (Software as a Service) 
• enterprise business apps - Marketing, business intelligence as an example
• learning apps – tutoring, universities and the like
• science apps – NASA is a superb example
• and much more

In fact, according to Apple there are 1.8 million apps available worldwide.

Why develop for iOS? The answer is simply that an app is not able to run on iOS then it can only reach half of the available market on average.   While there are other ways to develop apps that are capable of running iOS such as using a cross platform framework like React or Angular there are benefits that can be leveraged by hiring an iOS developer

iOS developers create and produce apps specifically for devices powered by iOS using the approved codebase that will provide flawless results on the intended platform. A certified developer is responsible for not just the development, but also the testing, and deployment of iOS applications. 

They work with the Apple software development kit (SDK) and one of (or both) of the main programming languages used for the platform: Swift and Objective-C.

You can learn more about both of these below. 

Swift

The Swift programming language used to develop apps, was created by Apple as a successor to Objective-C.  Although both languages are supported and updated by Apple, Swift is overtaking Objective-C as the language of choice for app development and other Apple OS products such as iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS.

As an open-source language Swift benefits from a large community of developers where solutions to common issues can be accessed by anyone.   Additionally, Apple has provided a framework for Swift called SwiftUI that makes code more understandable and easier to write.

Objective-C

Objective-C has been around since the 1980’s as a more general purpose object oriented programming (OOP) language. It is the fundamental basis of all Apple operating systems and a large part of the company’s products and services still rely on it.  

Swift has been designed to replace Objective-C and is growing particularly among newer developers, but it is supported for the foreseeable future and remains a critical element in the iOS ecosystem. 

HTML5, CSS and JavaScript skills are also required for front-end development of apps but without skills in Swift or Objective-C a developer will not be able to leverage the true power of a native iOS app.  

Below you can learn more about the benefits of building native iOS apps.

Security

By staying within the Apple eco-system and developing in one programming language, security is enhanced, compared to cross-platform developed “hybrid” apps.  Simply put, the more elements and languages involved in a development the more likely security vulnerabilities are to arise.

App Speed & Performance

There is no real argument within the developer community that native apps perform better and faster than their hybrid counterparts. Cross platform apps come with additional layers and languages which have to be run on top of each other at the same time. This results in native apps often having better performance.

When it comes to larger, more power hungry apps, research indicates that the performance gap between the app types widens showing a clear performance benefit to developing native apps.

Compatibility

Native apps speak the same language as the devices they are being used on.  This allows them to take advantage of the full functionality of iOS and the device, which leads to seamless operations with phone hardware like GPS and cameras.   

User Interface (UI)

An often-mentioned niggle with cross platform development is that it can be difficult to access the full features available when it comes to UI and user experience (UX).  Apple has strict design guidelines and developing Natively means it is easier to comply with these, while still producing beautiful and interactive apps, no matter how complex or customised the requirement.

Having seen the benefits of native app development, understanding the benefit of hiring iOS specific developers is clear. A skilled and accredited iOS app developer will bring efficiency and productivity benefits to projects ensuring positive outcomes, including post development support.

iOS developers with a proven and tested skill set also have an in-depth understanding of how the Apple and the iPhone operating system works, so they are well-equipped to solve any issues or fix bugs that may arise. Furthermore, they can provide valuable insights and feedback during the development process.

Their expertise and familiarity with the Apple SDK and the different languages used means that no matter what the scope and complexity of the project, they are well equipped to provide a clear roadmap to a successful outcome.

With their specialised skills and knowledge, iOS App developers have the skills needed to develop an app that meets specific project requirements and takes advantage of all the latest features of the iOS platform. This makes them ideal for developing innovative and high-quality apps.