March 2016 - Redbytes Software

Posted on March 30, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

The demand for attractive, innovative, and flawless apps are increasing day by day. But, for beginner developers it could still be a great concern choosing their initial platform of mobile app development.

Windows app development is a lot more comfortable and organized as compared to development in other platforms. It is better and easy with the availability of a wide range of tools for development. The best thing is that the most popular Windows app development tool, MS Visual Studio offers Android and iOS app development support.

Windows is the Right Platform for Beginners

It is the best platform for amateurs to start their journey. Unlike in Windows, the IDE for Android is too slow. Android plugin and toolset has got a lot of bugs and lacks many features compared to Windows. Also, Android emulators will take too much time to load up in contrast to Windows emulators which loads at lightning speeds. And the IDE’s for Android apps are built for single use – making Android apps alone.

Some Benefits

Given below are some of the top benefits in using Windows platform for development.

You can use C# and C++ for development. C# is a very flexible and versatile language as it fixes java’s weaknesses and offers further functionality.
Virtual studio is a lot more stable and mature IDE.
Visual studio allows you to build not just Windows phone apps, but Windows desktop apps, WPF apps, games, console apps, Android apps etc.
It alerts about errors in the code without having to run it. Also, it provides instant context-aware help while coding.
XAML gives a more natural interface.
In Windows, UI creation will be a direct procedure using it’s drag and drop tool.
Microsoft’s design guideline is stable, unlike the one with Android, which constantly changes and requires you to redesign your app often.
A large number of tutorials are available on the Microsoft virtual academy and MSDN library.
Another cool feature that comes with Windows 10, is the universal nature. With Windows universal app development, the single app you develop will be supported on PCs, mobiles, Kinect, as well as Microsoft band.

Some Concerns

If you think whether opting the Microsoft ecosystem is as lucrative as choosing Android, the answer would be a clear No. There are several factors that pull MS backwards. Windows app market share is so low that it is barely visible.

PCs are no more hub of computing technology. The present and immediate future belongs to mobility. Google and Apple have long established their kingdom on the mobile platform. Unfortunately, there were not much conscious effort taken by MS under Steve Ballmer to win over the mobile platform.

Another thing that makes Android important for a developer is that Windows phone development will make you bear the extra costs. Annual fee payment for Windows is $99 compared to Android, which is cheaper at 25$ for lifetime.

It is a fact that Windows can come nowhere near in terms of popularity and market share of these blue chip companies. So, there are fewer developers and fewer devices which lead to less demand and uncertainty. Yet, constant attempts are being made for a comeback under the leadership of Satya Nadella.

What’s Best to be Successful as a Developer

For beginners, the best advice is to start with Windows app development. Learning Android can be inevitable as you progress with your career. But to get there you should learn the patience and knack to go forward.

Windows IDE is the best learning platform, supplemented with the wide collection of tools available. It will boost up the passion young developers have.

Posted on March 29, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

ITunes and Play Store along with other major app stores categorise thousands of apps under the section, learning apps for kids. As a parent, you could be mesmerized by the wide choice of educational apps that are available in these digital stores. But, have you ever had a second thought about whether you are going to spend money on something that could be valuable for your kid’s educational needs?

This article will give you a fine idea on what has to be your considerations and not as a responsible parent, while selecting the same.

1. Minimalistic Distractions

Parents readily find it satisfactory and relaxing to choose an app that offers too much gameplay or noisy stuff thinking that these kind of apps could keep their children interested for long.

Although learning apps for kids should have a sufficient amount of entertainment value, it will be unwise to include too much distractions in them. Unwanted elements could keep your kids very far from reaching the goal. The best tactics will be to provide entertainment in an amount as much as would be necessary to keep them on track.

2. Avoid Inappropriate Content

Not many parents will give enough attention into checking whether the app content is appropriate for the age, individual ability, and cognitive development of the child. It is unfortunate that there is no regulatory systems that are in effect, which monitors the quality of the educational apps at present. As a result, anybody could make claims and is not required to answer to an authority. So, the responsibility to choose beneficial learning apps for kids lies in the hands of the parents and teachers alone.

It is advised that the apps should be checked properly to ensure it being fit for use by children. As children often imitate what they see and hear, it is very important that the apps should be devoid of violence or other kinds of information that may spoil your child.

3. Choose Apps that Encourage Social Involvement

Guidance is always part of the learning process. Choose apps that promote a good amount of parental interaction and team play. Your child will learn more when there is competition and support from peer groups.

4. Say No to Apps that Try to Market to Your Child

We are all happy with free for use stuffs. But, never take that approach with your child’s learning. What comes for free, has got its disadvantages.

Almost all of the ‘free’ and ‘lite’ apps that are available in the market do make efforts to market to your child. Offering in-app s, advertising for attractive paid apps, and restricting part of the content only for premium users are common marketing strategies used.

5. Look for Ratings and Reviews

Taking advice from teachers, parents, child psychologists, and interaction specialists is a crucial step during the educational app development process. This is because a lot of factors like content appropriateness, psychological influence of the content, average learning pace at the age etc. are to be considered before deciding the information that should go into an app.

So the parents should not blindly fall for the promises and claims given in the app’s description. Instead, they should check if the app has succeeded in building trust among the public. Each should be based on the popularity of the app. Look for brands that are already established in the field.

Though learning is something that is not detachable from one’s childhood, too much emphasis on the matter is also not good for a child’s overall progress and development. At times, children should be allowed to enjoy non-educational content too.

Also Check : Latest Updated Educational Apps Directory List

Posted on March 22, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Right from inception of an idea to making it into what can be vaguely called as a properly functioning app, the whole mobile app development process is not painless and straightforward. Be it windows, android or iPhone app development, the toil and determination that needs to be put is very much demanding.

Many things need to be foreseen, so as to avoid risks that may come up due to negligence or time constraints. Unattended minor difficulties during the initial phases can become your serious concerns during the end phase of development.

The major drawback is that the developers don’t decide how the apps should be designed all by themselves. It is a group decision where client preferences are given prime importance.

An idea that is too complex for code development

The initial task carried out after conceptualizing an application is creating its design. This is usually done in graphics editors such as Photoshop or prototyping platforms such as Marvel. Usually, an impressive design is created for demonstration purposes and then it is agreed upon by both parties viz., the mobile app development company and the client.

Read also:5 Reasons Why Mobile Game Development Companies Fail to Win the Global Market

The real peril surfaces when the design is converted into codes. The model created can pose many problems in getting materialized. For e.g.; the representation can include too much animation that will demand a lot more of the development time and considerable increase in the project budget.

Designers design with a market-oriented approach. It is mainly aimed at convincing the customer, without any consideration towards the coding process. The ways and methods used for creating designs and implementing code for the same design are totally different. What looks easy for designing may not be so for coding.

Distinction between a prototype and an actual app

A prototype of the app is necessary, mainly due to its contribution during the mobile app development process. It serves as a model of what the app should look and function like, as a final product.

Although, creating the prototype model has its own advantages, the snags too are many. The most unfavorable thing is that once the actual product is completed, there is no significance for the prototype of the app, and it should be literally just thrown away. This is serious for a mobile app development company, since the development of the prototype in itself is a time consuming and costly process.

Circumstances come too often, in which coding can’t be done due to the complexity of the designs. Once there is any need for improvement or reconstruction in the design, the time and effort of the designer in building the former prototypes is wasted.

The large gap between using real data and assumed data

The user inputs that are used during the app design and implementation period are always unsophisticated numbers, names and other such data. This prevents from getting a clear idea about the app behavior and responses, when they get into the hands of users once the app is launched.

But the real picture is much more consequential. Most of the behavioral pitfalls will actually be evident only at the time of beta testing or most probably after that. What this means is that, your app needs updating even after releasing it to the public. This can shoot the overall development cost accompanied with considerable loss of time and effort for the same project.

What is desirable?

There are a lot of persons involved in the conception and design phase of app creation – the designers, developers, clients, managers and marketers to name a few. Not everybody has got coding knowledge. Most are not even aware of the app development processes.

So the important step that a mobile app development company should take would be ensuring that everyone does have a basic understanding of the actual process. There should be collaborative effort to analyze the possibilities and impossibilities under the given resources.

Posted on March 22, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Apple unveiled smaller iPhone SE with the same processing and graphics performance of the larger flagship 6S, but with a lower price tag. The announcement was delivered at an event conducted in San Francisco on Monday, introducing SE along with the new iPad Pro, successor to the iPad Air 2 and several bands of the Apple watch.

Apple said that it is going to be the “most affordable” iPhone that apple has ever produced and “the most powerful 4-inch phone ever”.

iPhone SE is packed with 4K video capture capability from the 12 megapixel iSight camera. Launching at a starting price of $399, the iPhone SE will be available in 110 countries by the end of May.

The new 9.7-inch diagonal screen iPad Pro corresponds to the original iPad screen size unlike the previous version that featured a 12.9 inch display screen. It will come in 3 different storage sizes with a mammoth 256 GB version memory. Selling prices will begin at $599 (32 GB), $749 (128 GB), and $899 (256 GB).

“We believe that iPad is the perfect expression of the future of computing,” chief executive Tim Cook said about iPad Pro.

iPad Pro will be available from the early April. The device comes with 40% lesser screen glare and 25% improved brightness. iPad Pro uses four-channel light sensors to adjust the white balance in response to the ambient light. It will be released in four different colors : silver, gold, black and rose gold.

Posted on March 21, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

With abundant growth opportunities and involvement of multinational corporations, the track for mobile game development is lighted up. Asian countries are listed as toppers when it comes to playing mobile games throughout the globe.

A lot of mobile game development companies worldwide focus on the Asia-pacific market to pluck the fruits of their labor. Unfortunately, every release wouldn’t make it right away. Here, we are discussing about the top factors that hinder a mobile game from going viral in a foreign soil.

1. Failure to Plan Ahead and Do a Market Study

Every business ‘s success is the result of devising its own unique strategic plan and the effort taken towards its proper implementation. Each market will have its own peculiarities. The possibilities in each country can be largely varied. International promotion is a lot of hard work in itself.

You should study each market that you are planning to target individually. The tradition, language, culture, social acceptability, etc. will be different from country to country.

Public preferences may depend on factors like the additional gaming peripherals, existing trend for the type of game, cost of the similar products available in the market and much more. For e.g., in some countries there could be a greater demand for single platform games and in many others the preferences may alter.

So you should thoroughly evaluate the scope for your game’s survival in the new location. Analyze whether you are aiming for an already saturated market. Get an understanding about the budget at hand and decide if simultaneous release to numerous markets is a viable and profitable option.

2. Earlier the Better

Mobile game development cost is an important factor that affects profit. The most adopted formula of maximizing profit is to think of ways to cut down cost. One way is bringing to the table a plan that could accomodate localization from the beginning stage in development. The coding can be done from inception taking steps that will reduce bug fixing and modification later.

Localization is not just about translation of the language content. Everything from costumes to food to culture should be localized as a part of adapting the game to target the customers of a particular region.

3. Teaming Up with the Local Channels

The major part of the success of your game depends on the marketing strategies that you build. The markets on the opposite corners of the world can highly contrast with each other. If you aim for a neighboring country, it might be possible to take some advantages there, as too many similarities in the distribution channels may be found.

Recommended read: Mobile Game Market – Facts

It is easier said than done to study and devise all the necessary strategies that could concord with the unknown market demands in a new place. So, most international companies partners with local residents or companies who know how to play the game well and emerge successful.

4. Pricing Your Game

Once you’ve got your game adapted for localized distribution, the next thing that comes to your mind would be “PROFIT”. The common mistake that game development companies or single developers commit is pricing the game based on their country’s standard.

When the targeted country has a lower currency rate and per capita income, what you price could be way over the top for gamers to afford. The end result would be dissatisfied users and negative ratings. So when you aim the overseas market, your monetizaton model should be a fair one.

5. Testing Challenges

Even though you have got years of experience in testing mobile games, you could just stumble when it comes to testing adapted games. The nature of different languages are different. Sometimes, mere translation of a game to any other language with a long sentence structure can badly affect the UX. So, it is necessary to test the game all over again after localization on different devices.

The games should also be tested for compatibilty with additional accessories that are foreign to you, but popular in the targeted country. But as aforementioned under the heading “earlier the better”, localization is not just about translating the contents. Conformance to content regulations and recognition to cultural differences are important aspects that should be considered for scrutiny.

Posted on March 17, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Ranging from the demand and supply gap to available budget and marketing plan to sheer luck, there are many factors that contribute to the success of a mobile application.

Mobile app development companies should adhere to the industry’s best practices and ensure quality control standards are given necessary importance. This can make the difference between your app’s failure and success.

Here are the top reasons that concludes why mobile app development fails.

1. Absence of Purpose

All apps should have a solidly defined and useful purpose first of all, in order to target its market and be successful. Be it for entertainment or staying connected, apps should address a real-world situation.

Apps like Baby Shaker is a clear waste of money and time which will only earn you defame and rejection.

2. The Complexity of Apps

Don’t design your mobile app like your website. Developing good mobile apps means you go forward with simple tasks, well written functions, minimum navigation and enough white spaces.

Do not try to solve too many problems with a single app. Stick to the priorities and give specific reasons for users to open your app. Simplicity is the key to app success.

3. Study Your Market First

One of the most common reasons that mobile app development fails are because of poor or lack of any market research and failure to understand the potential audience expectations.

When you set out to popularize your product on an over-saturated market, it is undoubted that you are going to face a lot of challenges and risks on the way.

If what you build and give is just a copy of an already popular app, you are at imminent danger. A good app will provide users with something new; like a great idea, a new perspective or a new solution to an unsolved problem.

There should be something that is interesting for the customers who have landed on your app for the first time to stay on it- something that will compel them to use it over and over again. It is important to build what people want, and not what you want them to use.

4. The Problem of Resource Scarcity

Apart from the acquisition of budget, there are still many other affairs that mobile app development companies need to look into while developing your app.

The app development costs are huge and can range from $1K to 15K for basic apps. To complicate things up, finding talented workforce is a Himalayan task.

Experienced mobile app developers are too picky about the projects they wish to work with, as the market bears a high demand for their services.

When in-house developers are not available after signing up for a project, they will be forced to settle with less talented or beginner level developers.

5. Security Concerns

Monitoring whether all the security protocols are met is a headache that mobile app development companies face throughout application development. The app should be carefully tested for any security vulnerabilities and issues must be rectified.

There is a high risk for failure, unless apps ensure a safe a secure experience for their customers. 2019 is predicted as a year when more businesses are going to adopt better security practices.

Read also:Top Emerging Trends in Mobile App Development

6. Why Customer Feedback is Valued So Much

It is very important to track the feedback you receive from customers and take immediate action on any grave problem.

Even if you employ the most extensive and rigorous testing procedures, it is only natural for minor bugs and errors to show up during the alpha and beta versions or when the app is finally released to the public.

So the app behavior should be monitored soon after your app is launched.

As per statistics, over 75% of mobile apps are downloaded once and then never used again. If you receive a lot of negative ratings and reviews and are still not keen on taking any corrective measures, it will eventually lead to a very low number of app downloads.

For e.g., if your app is too slow to load or is too hard to use, users will turn away and look for other faster-loading and easy to use app alternatives.

The more frequently you release updates, there are more chances for its success. It is very rare that users will give a second chance for an app. Mostly, they will only keep using it if they have no other options available.

7. Spreading the Word about Your App

You may be relieved after months of hard-work, dedication and testing that you’ve finally transformed your app from a bare idea in your mind into a proper money making business. But that belief is very far from reality.

What your app needs next is the right kind of exposure to keep it well ahead of competitor apps. No, your app is not alone in the market.

8. Ignoring the backend support

You need to have a robust backend support to make your app more stable. Scalability is yet another feature to consider when looking for a robust backend.

In fact, a scalable backend service will adapt according to the traffic influx over a period of time. One of the finest examples of a scalable and strong backend is Twitter.

9. Making apps so complicated for users

While enhancing the user experience, app creators usually make it a complex affair for the users. If a user cannot locate the right buttons in your app in one attempt, then definitely the app is not serving its purpose.

Nowadays, people around the world are busy. No one have the time to sit back and learn how to use your application. If you want them to make an effort to do that, then you are certainly investing in an unsuccessful app.

You need to ensure that the design of your mobile app justifies its business value. In order to make an app compatible with the user, you need to analyse your target audience’s intellectual understanding and their compliance towards changing trends. Design intricacies also cause mobile app development, fails.

Read Also:Top 10 Reasons For iOS App Rejection From App Store

Conclusion

The most harmful mistake that could be made while marketing is giving your customers the impression that, “we are selling this app to you because we want your money”.

Even though monetary benefit is the sole and ultimate purpose behind most of the app development endeavors, it is not fit for you to openly advertise the idea.

The market is saturated, and marketing is a tough job. You can’t risk all your investment money with poor marketing efforts. The best thing to practice is make avail of every possible and available method for putting your app in the limelight. Before enter into mobile app development, aware of these reasons why they fails.

Posted on March 14, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

In 2016, the global app economy is expected to raise up to $143 billion. The average number of app submission per day in the iTunes App Store for the first month of the year 2016 is 2,261.

It could really stress you out waiting for Apple’s approval when you have already spent months or years of development time before launching your app. One critical error, and you have to start over again with app store submission.

It is important for an iOS app development company to have a clear idea about Apple’s technical and design criteria for app review. Following are some of the most common reasons associated with app rejection that should be taken careful note of in order to avoid approval delay.

1.Say no to crashes and bugs – Apple is renowned for rejecting apps on the basis of crashes and bugs present. Sometimes, iOS app development companies do not make proper use of the testing facilities available. Apple suggests the application to be thoroughly tested before submitting it for the review process.

2.Privacy policy – Apps that try to use private data without acquiring previous consent immediately falls outside the list of apps that can be approved by Apple.

A privacy policy should be in place to use account information of users.

Read also: Is iPhone App Development Profitable?

3. Quality user interface – The apps should follow the guidelines for user interface given by Apple. What Apple recommends are clean, refined and user-friendly interfaces. Follow Apple’s design guides and UI Design Do’s and Dont’s before coding. They have directions for formatting contents, touch controls, spacing, resolution etc. For more excellent tips and concepts, Apple recommends to read their article titled, iOS Human interface guidelines.

4. In sufficient information – Incomplete and defective information could be a reason that will get you rejected by Apple. All missing information should be updated before submitting for review as specified in the App Review Information section of iTunes Connect. Proper and accurate details should be given for your application features, procedures, special configurations, contract information, and other required particulars. Demo videos are encouraged for complicated and perplexing concepts.

5. Advertisements – If your app makes room for advertisements it will be using IDFA, which is an identifier for advertisements used by Apple. It should be properly indicated whether your app use or don’t use this identifier. If you haven’t specified that your app uses IDFA, but it does, your app will be rejected from being submitted to the store. Also, the ads should be checked for any working error.

6.Compliance to specifications and standards – The apps submitted should comply to several standards and specifications provided by Apple Store Guidelines. Applications should not contain defamatory or offensive content. For e.g., apps should not contain references that may defame a religion, or culture or ethnic group.

It should abide by the legal terms and conditions as per Apple’s trademark list and copyright guidelines. Imitation of names, icons, and themes of any Apple products are highly discouraged.

7.Flawed descriptions – You should be careful to provide descriptions that could accurately match with your app’s functionality. Irrelevant descriptions could give you hard time getting inside the app store. Don’t copy the name and description of other applications.

8. Do not mislead users – Always remember to publicize only what your app provides. If your app mislead users by advertising features that are not included, it is certain to get discarded.

9. Avoid duplicity – Do not submit similar apps for review repeatedly. Apple suggests you to combine all of them into one. Also your app shouldn’t look like duplicate copies of existing successful apps. Even if you’re going for an old idea, something new should be offered like a fresh function or design.

10.Maintaining lasting value – Sometimes, without any visible reasons your app may be disallowed to the app store. An app without much functions or engaging content are the ones that may not interest users for long. Apple doesn’t find such apps to be of enough value to be approved.

The bottom line is that iOS app development companies should take every measure to get approval in the first chance by adhering to Apple’s review guidelines, thereby preventing additional costs and delay in product launch.

Posted on March 10, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

We played brick games earlier and now we love the games on our mobile phones. Currently, the total number of mobile devices worldwide are around whopping millions.

Mobile games have come a long way from the first one of its kind, Tetris aboard Hagenuk MT-2000 cellphone in 1994. The assortment of functions new gen mobile games incorporate are enormous. You will just go wow playing them!

Major speed increase and simulation of real world ecosystems are just two colors in the big picture. Hardware enhancements and improved tools of technology in mobile game development make way for exceptionally brilliant game features such as cloud gaming and virtual reality. The demarcation line between real world and virtual world games is fading nowadays.

The journey is unending and the scope for improvement is immense. Mobile game development companies are blooming up globally. There are tremendous opportunities for game developers and testers. In fact, the race is on to catch young talents.

This infographic contains a few informational facts about the mobile game market at present.

Posted on March 10, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

What experience does to your career is amazing. But it doesn’t come without its challenges. You fail more times than you succeed. Yet, every failure is your stepping stone to success.

Nevertheless, it will save you a good amount of time and money, if you stick by these golden advice for beginning with mobile game development as a career. Otherwise, you might learn it the hard way.

1. Don’t be Biased

We are easily motivated by success stories. It will make you optimistic. The more you hear about them, the more you want to get out there and achieve it yourself. Well, this temptation is at the same time good and bad for you.

We already saw what’s good in it. The bad thing is that you are blinded from perceiving the reality. You wouldn’t stop to analyze the failure stories or associated risks. Ultimately, things might turn out very bad for you.

For a beginner in mobile game development, the first few years are very important. It is the time to take advice, learn from own and other’s experiences, and reflect on oneself and one’s work. But most importantly, it is the time to practice patience.

2. Avoid Too Much Expectation in the Beginning

The beginners in mobile game development often only have the few basic skills that is needed for game development, combined with lack of any significant experience. They start their career with high hopes and great expectations.

Conversely, what actually happens is that soon after they start, they get defeated too easily and too frequently. This is because the awareness they have regarding the effort that is to be put behind the actual process is too little. Often, these successive failures will lead to disappointment and drain confidence.

It’s always better to start on smaller projects or concentrate on a certain division of a large project in the beginning. This way, it is easy for a beginner to tackle the problems that they come to face and progress forward.

3. Don’t Make a Simple Idea into a Complex One

The subheading speaks for itself. Never try to add inappropriate and useless content to your game. For example, do not complicate a kid’s game by adding too many buttons or violence and horror elements suitable only for the adults. The logic behind including the different components of your game should be to improve the user experience in the end.

4. Don’t Keep Prototyping Outside of Your Big List

Prototyping helps to save your valuable development time. Before starting anything, you have a complete working model on your hand.

It is a phase is where you can try out all your wild and creative ideas from your imagination and see if they fit into your game like a jigsaw puzzle. You can invite others to play your game and have their say. This feedback will be a useful resource while making improvements to your game.

5. Document Everything

Getting agreed upon an idea finally is a fairly complex task- you spend hours discussing, researching, experimenting and just in plain thought. It is not easy to remember everything that you’ve come across.

Recommended read: Mobile Game Development – It’s Past, Present & Future

Sometimes, even losing a single solution may disrupt your entire work. Also there is the risk of losing important information while the idea gets transferred from one person to another. This is where the importance of a proper documentation lie.

6. Don’t Skip Planning

Good planning is unavoidable to maintain the pace of your project’s progression. Planning allows you to allot specific time for all the things that needs to be done. You can focus on writing codes or fixing bugs at the right time.

Absence of a plan can get things messy and eventually you’ll end up taking too much time and spending too much budget on your project.

7. Market Early

Marketing should not be set aside for the last month of the release. It is never too early to start getting some good fans for your game. In fact, you can begin with basic marketing steps even before you actually develop any codes. Take the word out as early as possible, and you’ll save some bucks here.

8. Generate an Early Feedback

Most developers are of the habit of seriously thinking about play testing their game only by the end of their project. This is a very bad idea.

Show your game to people outside of your team and friends circle from the beginning itself. As soon as you build the prototype, it’s time for your game to get some attention and feedback from a large audience. You may even attend events and festivals and show your game to folks there. People can find out mistakes in your game that you can’t find for yourself. And the end result – scope for improvement and success.

9. Follow People with Similar Interests

As always, networking is an important part of the game. After all, you need your connections to get to know what’s happening in the industry. They help to know what’s trending and new, different views, ideas, and options and thereby benefits mutual growth.

Posted on March 7, 2016 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Educational apps are gaining prominence day by day, and a lot of schools are now seriously into developing kids educational apps.

Before moving directly into the cost estimate of an average educational app, it is important to get acquainted with the factors that affect cost of a project.

Is Every App Educational as it is Claimed?

Not really. Educational apps are not meant to be just a showy display or a mere kid’s mobile game with a lot of entertainment extravaganza. Though the fun element is something crucial to the success of an kids educational apps the people behind its development should know where exactly they should draw the line. The objective of the app should not be obscured by the overflow of non educational stuffs that go into the app.
An ideal educational app for kids will be a balanced amalgam of fun with education, a treat to the kids hiding the learning burden.

Read also:

How to be Successful at Educational App Development?

Educational app should contribute to all areas of a child’s development including creative, analytical, physical, social, and emotional development. All the phases in the app’s development should be continued taking advice from specialists such as a child psychologist, a child interaction specialist, a creative designer, a teacher and so on, when necessary. Each of the app elements should be designed taking into consideration the psychology of how kids learn.

Important Features of a Good Educational App

All beneficial educational app for kids will have several indispensable characters. Some are:

Short and simple apps.
No unnecessary distractions such as ads, pop-ups, links, social media, etc.
Adults control the levels in the app/ Locked menus and settings.
Speech included in aid of kids who are not yet fluent readers.
Music with a mute button.
Minimum number of buttons to reduce unintended actions.
Advancement should be flowing and mostly linear. It shouldn’t require kids to jump to and fro between pages. If that’s the case, they may lose focus easier.
Appropriate feedback should be given. Proper encouragement for incorrect answers is as important as positive feedbacks for achievements.

Importance of UX in a Kid’s App

When making an kids educational app, it is not enough that you focus on the graphics, sounds, and story. The picture is a whole lot bigger.

Designing a kid-friendly user interface that will not distract the kid’s attention, but keep them interested in the app is of prime importance. As it is mentioned earlier, the number of buttons made available on the screen should be limited and distraction elements such as social plugin, banners etc. should be avoided. This is because generally, kid’s are of the habit of touching everywhere on the screen. Accessibility of the buttons that are not strictly part of the app can be restricted to adults alone, by using specific unlock gestures or the double-tap-unlock method.

The Cost Factor

The cost of developing any kind of mobile app is just the same as developing for the web. There is nothing easy or cost saving about building a mobile app as some may believe.

The most basic apps with standard UI components and custom graphics such as a calculator or a small utility app can cost you between $ 1K to 10K.

What determines the cost factor greatly is the amount of time and effort that is invested in building the app.
If you want the same app to be attractive and more functional with interactive design, innovative methods of task completion, cloud services and customization features, the cost could shoot up to $2K to $25K. This means, the more complex the app is, the more you will be required to invest.

Other than complexity and app design, three important aspects that may affect the overall cost of production are the following:

Platform: Cost can vary depending on the platform you choose to use i.e., whether you want single platform (iOS, Android, Windows) or cross-platform app development.

The app development company or individual developer (Freelancer) whom you choose to work with: Based on this aspect, the costs may vary widely. So it is important to choose the right application development company for your development needs. The problem with hiring freelance service is that you should have a decent knowledge about the technology used and the workflow. Otherwise, you will be risking the success of your project.

Geography of your app development partner: The location of the developing company/developer has a dramatic effect on the cost of your project. Outsourcing is a common strategy taken in countries of the first world to drop app development expenditure. In hourly rates, development cost in a country like India or Pakistan can be $10-20/hour, whereas the US development companies charge between 120 to 160 dollars per hour. In the case of freelancing, cost in India and Pakistan usually range between $5 to $15 per hour and US at $150 per hour.