Category: Android

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The Android app development platform is a great choice, if you are not going for cross-platform app development. They have many advantages that other platforms can’t offer. This platform allows you to develop feature-rich applications with great functionality and usability.

Android, as an open source operating system is used by the majority of mobile phone manufacturers to power their devices. This creates tremendous business opportunities and augments growth.

Most of the off-the-shelf applications available today are highly customizable products. Yet, custom android app development is gaining so much importance.

Let’s see some of the advantages that are characteristic of custom apps alone.

Android Apps Offer Perfect Solution for your Distinctive Needs:

Every business is different, and therefore needs a different solution for their unique business requirements. Packaged products often come with excellent quality and reliability, but they can ultimately be an impediment to your business goals.

Readymade products are designed to meet the requirements of a wide range of businesses. It may include many functions and services that you may not find to be useful. As a result of these unnecessary feature assortments, more system resources are used which will eventually slow down the entire process.

Most of the time, packaged app users may find it necessary to adjust and alter their business operations to accommodate the application. A custom application could always prove to be a better solution than standard solutions, no matter how much customizable it is.

Tailor-made, innovative and individualized processes gives custom apps the flexibility to suite your businesses’ in-house operations. Also, custom apps can be localized to maximize use and increase productivity.

Custom Apps can Save your Time and Money

App development costs can be highly deceptive. The cost of developing custom android app may or may not be lower than purchasing out-of-the-box solutions. But, it helps to stay on time and on budget during the development period.

Readymade apps will not include the costs for installation, customization, data import, training the workforce, and additional support. The long-term benefits of custom made business applications are far better than that of the readymade ones.

Another advantage of custom android app development is that you will have to invest only for those specific set of features that you ask for. You can also exclude recurring licensing costs that come with off-the-shelf products, since you own your custom app.

Very Few Complications and Compatibility Issues

As your application is customized and designed from the very beginning in accordance with the end user requirements, it will be quick and easy to use. Very little training will be required as the application is less likely to include elaborate and irrelevant operations.

There will be very few complications when you operate it with the business software and applications that you already use. With licensing business applications, it is usual to encounter continuous errors while working with it.

Increased Business Security

Custom applications always give you enhanced security. Your product is exclusively built for your business alone. Other application vendors and users outside your enterprise will not have any clue about the architecture of your application.

Hackers often attack the known vulnerabilities in the applications. So business security risks are very high for third party applications

Efficient and Reliable Technical Support

One of the major benefits that come with custom apps is the unparalleled technical support plan that the Android app development companies offer. You will get reliable, dedicated support from the team that was directly involved with your product development. The users are promised with quicker and efficient solutions to all the encountered problems.

BYOD Preference for Android Apps

From the market share of Android apps, it’s quite evident that it has a prominent role when compared to other platforms. Companies who wish to bring in their own policy (BYOD), it’s feasible to opt for custom Android app development as it is available for a wide variety of devices and has high popularity with users from all economic groups.

Easy Customization

Android provides the opportunity for developers to create versatile apps through their easy customisation feature. Be it a complex custom app or a web app integration, this platform provides ample space for easy customizations. This platform is designed in such a way that it can accommodate any requirements of a business and also offers flexibility to integrate multimedia tools, data management functions, and with regular updates.

Open Source and High ROI

Android’s SDK is available at free of cost, thereby minimizing the cost for software licensing. As it is a free open source framework, it enables development of apps without any extensive development costs.

Use of Wearable Devices

Among business, the use of wearable devices is flooding due to its quick communication functionality. As the market for wearable devices is considered to grow more than 45% in the coming years, Android is contributing a lot to bring in the best devices in the digital market for the sake of the users.

Conclusion:

If you have a strategy for developing a custom app and wish to choose a single and stable platform, then Android app development is the feasible option. It’s the most recommended platform because of its market perpetuation, ease of development, integration, and short span of development.

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There is a huge boom in the growth of mobile app development companies recently. This is mainly due to the proliferation of smart phone and the mobile-first approach of the people.

As the need for apps increases day by day for carrying out multiple tasks, the growth of custom mobile app development also has a great demand. This will bring in new trends and impacts on the entire Android App Development scenario across the world.

According to a survey, the growth of mobile applications is expected to grow by 962.5% between within the end of 2017. With rapid growth and the wide establishment of technology, 2017 is considered to be a year with new emerging trends shaping the mobile app development space globally.

Let’s have a look at the latest trends in the Android App Development

1) Internet of Things(IoT) is Growing Higher

IoT is said to be the next internet or an industrial revolution by enterprise owners and consumers. A network of objects connected through the internet to exchange and collect data using embedded sensors. The growth of IoT is in the middle of a major boom.

Apps that cater and integrate to IoT will go a long way in the case of development. IOT can bring a major change in fields like education, health, security, smart homes, auto-mobiles etc.

2) Location-Based Services (LBS)

The trend of using GPS is common these days and this leads to the growth of location-based services. The service provides real-time information to users about all the whereabouts. This method can be used in key areas like travel and tourism, navigation, security systems, payments portals, retails etc.

3) Rise of Artificial Intelligence & Advanced Machine Learning

At the start of 2017, augmented reality will not only be an important part of mobile app development but also in augmenting the app capabilities. Machine learning and augmented reality play an integral part in creating robust apps that function, learn and adapt autonomously rather than just completing already set instructions.

Some of the important apps that utilize AI are Siri, Google Now, Prisma etc. By the use of advanced analytics, AI will be able to provide better and powerful insights to business users. Due to the advantages that AI have, giants like Facebook, eBay, Google, IBM etc. have started working on this new technique.

Google has declared lately that they will continue their integration of Google Assistant into Android devices in the coming year with more intellectual skills and improved features.

4) Wearables

In Android app development, the importance of wearable technology plays an important part. Smart watches have already become popular and has got good responses. Recently, several sports and fitness brands have come up with wearable devices that are sensors oriented.

Even the health care industry is very much using this technique. These days, more apps have been developed that offer the wearable version and support such devices.

5) Beacon Technology is Gaining Importance

Beacon Technology was first only available for the iOS devices, but now this tech has been introduced to the android app development trends. Multi-functionality and easy access to track the location is the main feature of this technology.

Beacon technology is used for:

•  Find temperature of particular place
•  Detect danger
•  Used in retail industries like industry employing beacons, with heavy hitters like Lord & Taylor and Macy
•  Can be used in hotels to replace hotel room keys with beacons. E.g.Starwood Hotels
•  The Major League Baseball is using beacon technology to reach out to their fans to upgrade the seating facility inside the stadium
•  American Airlines uses this technology to upgrade their connections with customers inside the airport

6) AR & VR

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, both are gaining a lot of media attention lately, offering enormous growth in mobile app technology.

Virtual reality is actually the method of recreating a real life situation artificially. When you are using this tech, the user will feel and experience a situation as that in real life. In this cutting edge tech, primary stimulation is done by stimulating the user’s hearing and vision power.

VR is done by using a code language called as Virtual Reality Modelling Language(VRML). This coding language helps in creating the images and specific interactions required.

Uses of VR

• Used to enhance the imaginary reality in different fields like entertainment, games, 3D movies, video games etc.
• Can be used as stimulator’s in flight for pilots.

Augmented Reality is used in mobile apps and blended into digital components to showcase as a real thing. This tech makes the confusion in users of what is real and what is computer based. This tech enhances and stimulates the senses to hear, feel and smell.

Features of AR

• Used in Entertainment purposes- games and videos.
• Have a great potential in bringing change in the medical field. It can be used to in remote surgeries and for the treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

7) Android Instant Apps

Google has developed instant apps for quick access to their android app users. With one single click, you can download the required app to your mobile like loading the web pages. In short, the entire app won’t be downloaded but only a part of it.

These instant apps would be useful at times where you need to downloaded certain apps for just one time purposes.

8) Improvement in Android App Security

App security is very important because this can effect our wallet details, personal data, hardware etc. To satisfy users, Google has brought new steps to improve the Android operating system. Thus, total security of the app will be increased and there will be more permission requests before downloading apps.

Android app security should be a big target for the coming years and Android app developers need to focus more on implementing new cyber security features within the apps.

9) Android In-App Payments

E-commerce has already become an integral part in the mobile app technology. Online payments can trigger the development of payment apps. Google has introduced a new app called the Android Pay with more secure and advantageous features. This app is considered to be perfect for storing all your credit/debit card details and personal data’s safe.

10) In-App Search

A handy feature that has been incorporated in Android phones for quite some time. Using this feature you can get information about any content on your smartphone within no time. The google search bar seen within apps which allows you search contents is an ample example of this feature.

This new feature has already been already introduced to apps like G-mail, YouTube, Spotify etc. and developers are trying to bring in the feature to more apps,

Nowadays for each and everything there is an app and they can bring you instant updates on anything around the globe. Keeping the users engaged is the main challenge that is faced by the mobile app developers.

Along with all these new trends, mobile UX design and hybrid HTML5 is to show importance in the coming years.

When it comes to mobile app development, developers cannot rely on outdated trends and tools. It is important for each and every developer to enhance their skills according to the latest android app development trends & development techniques. Hence, 2017 is considered to be a year with lots of new advancements and revolutionary changes in the Android App Development companies aiming to satisfy their users all around.

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Thousands of apps are being released to major app stores every day. Yet, most of them wither before they even have a chance to bloom.

The effort, money, and time that is put into developing apps are enormous. Once you’ve got a lot of negative feedback from the users, there will be hardly any second chance given to prove the worth of your app. So ensuring security should be a major step taken by app development companies.

Security check is implanted into all the latest releases of Android app development to bring in a number of features for its users.

As security has become more of a concerning element for Android users, Google has launched a new security-focused page on Android developers site. This site provides tips for app creators to make their apps free from issues.

Some of the most common security vulnerabilities of android apps include the following:

1. Inadequate Transport Layer protection
2. Client side injection
3. Poor authorization & authentication
4. Security decisions through untrusted inputs
5. Broken cryptography
6. Lack of binary protections
7. Improper session handling
8. Unintended data leakage
9. Insecure data storage
10. Weak server side controls

Android operating system has several built in security features which makes attacks less frequent. These features allow enabling security easier during android app development. The main in-built security features include the ones given below.

•  Android Application Sandbox can be used to isolate the app data and code execution from other apps.
•  Data can be protected using an encrypted file system in case of device loss or theft.
•  Application data can be controlled by enabling application-defined permissions.
•  It enables user granted permissions. This will restrict access to the user data and system features.
•  Includes technologies to reduce memory management errors which include ASLR, ProPolice etc.

Since ensuring the safety of user data is a very crucial step in confirming your app’s success following the given below security check-list is important for every app developer:

1. Apps should use permissions that are necessary for integrated features. Developers should pay more attention to the permission factors that are used by the app’s libraries

2. The registration and activation process should be well made.

3. Never store sensitive information on external storage, since the data will become very easy to exploit.

4. Network transactions should be adequately protected as it involves transmission of private data.

5. Strong input validation is very important for app security.

6. When using native code, attacks that can be induced from data coming over a network or IPC should be controlled by carefully handling the pointers and managing buffers.

7. Use parametrized queries to submit to SQL database in order to stay safe from SQL injection.

8. JavaScript injection is a common web security issue when using the WebView as it makes use of website content that will include HTML and Javascript.

9. Use authorization token instead of frequently asking for user credentials so as to reduce fishing attacks.

10. Android offers a lot of methods to protect data, such as data isolation, entire file system encryption, cryptography, and secure communication channels.

11. Its better to use Android based Intent, Binder, or Messenger than Linux based network sockets and shared files to execute IPC.

12. In Android, Intent is preferably used towards an application component for asynchronous IPC.

13. For RPC related IPC, using Binder or Messenger is preferred, which can ensure mutual authentication of endpoints.

14. Loading code from outside of your application APK, can increase the risk of code injection.

15. Use of sensitive APIs and data from external storage should be verified as safe enough before using it in an app

16. Properly configured SSL should be in place to secure communication between clients and servers.

17. A new building block is introduced for anti-abuse- SafetyNet attestation(it’s an API for developers to vaguely evaluate whether the used Android device is genuine)

18. As several untrusted contents are handled in web view improvements are made in Android Lollipop. Now the Web View is showcased as an independent APK with regular updates

19. Mandatory use of application sandbox (a security mechanism to separate running programs to execute untrusted programs/codes)

20. Enhance security with Device Management Solutions

21. Methods to defend users against PHAs (Potentially Harmful Applications)using Verify Apps, which potentially enables steps to validate threats targeting the system

22. Verified boot is a protection layer that help to improve security checks using cryptographic integrity to detect changes in the operating system

23. Android O has now introduced “seccomp” (a security measure used in Linux kernal) which stops the exploitation by potentially harmful apps.

These are the few best practices that needs to be considered to maintain security while Android app development. Whether you are an Android developer or an entrepreneur, knowledge on a few caveats is important to set the right place in app market.

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“Where to start android app development?” This is a question that every budding developer has faced in the beginning of their journey. App development is not just about learning the code syntax. There are a whole lot of tools and Android app development software that you need to get familiar with.

This article will help you to get started.

The Android Software Development Kit

The SDK comprises of a collection of tools that helps you in android app development.

The IDE is a part of the SDK, and is the main program that lets you write code, organize and edit various files, call libraries, perform testing etc. There are two important IDE for Android, viz., Eclipse and Android Studio.

Eclipse: It is the default IDE for Android, which allows you to work with Java and XML files.

Android Studio: Android Studio is a good alternative to Eclipse, though it can’t be used for every need that you may have, currently. The IDE is directly developed by Google at present, and is in the prolonged beta.

Here are some great resources for you to start learning the basics.

Android Developer Hub

Android developer hub is Android’s official developer website. You can get access to awesome tools & downloads, a never ending list of library items, code samples, training and everything related to Android here.

Codementor

You can get a lot of tips, tutorials, and expert advice from experienced Android developers in Codementor. The site will also allow you to sign up and receive email updates.

Android Weekly

This is your ultimate source to get free subscription to weekly newsletters and content rich articles, tutorials, videos, and more.

Udacity

This is an 8-week online class to learn android app development. The course is taught by Google engineers, which helps you to learn some of the core concepts better.

Android Debug Bridge

The ADB is a command line tool that allows you to communicate with a plugged-in Android device. The client-server program will let you make changes to the device. Here are some helpful resources.

Vogella: This will start right from the basics and takes you through the working of the ADB and the different scopes of using it.

ADB User Guide: This resource comes as Google’s official documentation and gives you a detailed idea about using the tool.

Android Developer Guidelines

Google gives you a great number of tutorials and guides, so that you can understand how to program your apps. Some sections are:
Google services, where you get features like map & locations, sign-in services etc.
API Guides, where you can read about adding tons of functionalities, such as basic animation and connecting to the web.
Sample Codes, for adding various functions.

Android Design Guidelines

Just like Apple’s User Interface guidelines, Google has it’s own set of design guidelines for it’s developers. Here, you can read the instructions and tips related to different topics on creating application interfaces such as animation, usability, layout, style etc. For e.g., the guideline details how you can design an interface that adapts not only to the mobile phone interface, but also tablets, TVs, and even watches.

Google has also come up with a new design metaphor, Material Design, which will add innovation and the possibilities of technology & science into it.

Git

Git is a version control system that can be directly integrated into the Android IDE. You can manage old and new project versions with the help of Git, and use it as a backup tool. Two of the most popular Git repository services are GitHub and BitBucket.

Vogella, Bitbucket Tutorials, and GitHub Guides contain a lot of guides and tutorials for people who want to get trained in the area.

developer.android.com: This is one of the best place to find Android related resources. This site contains a vast supply of information with detailed contents for the beginner level in addition to some of the more experienced developer content.

Know the basics of Java : To be successful in Android app development, every developer needs to have a good grasp of Java language, Android app architecture and Android API. Java is a language used in Android and once you learn it, connect your concepts with XML designs to apply with Android principles.

Envatotuts+ : It’s a free resource with written tutorials. There is a huge selection of tutorials and courses which range from a general view to more specific tasks. It also contains general Java tutorials, geared up specifically towards Android app development.

Udemy : This is a free solution for learning Android development. It contains different courses of varying lengths, where the contents are taught by talented and experienced instructors.

While you are certainly heading towards Android development, a look through the materials illustrated above will definitely help you to collect a little background knowledge.

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With rising demand in popularity of apps, companies are making efforts to enhance the user experience by opting the latest technologies for mobile app development. There is a constant growth on cross-platform enterprise apps by using mobile app development tools and this has emerged as a pivotal necessity among developers.

If you are focusing on experimenting, then its better to consider building a native app and further improving the app with iterations which allow you to have complete control over the usability and design. But, if you plan for a multi-platform app, then you can consider cross-platforms and development tools.

Choosing the right tool is essential for the development of a great app. Using such app creation tools can help you save money and time as well. Most of the tools available today offer a range of choices to both the mobile app development company and the end users. Therefore, it is essential to opt the best tool that offers ideal functions.

app creation tools

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In this fast paced world, the app market is expanding each day and mobile marketing is becoming more competitive. To ensure that the app is seen in such a complex scenario of app system, you need to be very particular about the approach being followed while creating an application.

Firstly, you need to have a great idea and imagination to create a great app. Decide the features to be included in the app and think how it can stay different from apps. It should provide its users benefits including reduced cost, productivity enhancements, new features and improved customer experience.

No app can stay static and be successful within no time, no matter what your industry be. So, think creatively to come out with concrete ideas and plans to better grow your app in the mobile app market.

creating mobile apps

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According to reports from App Annie, Android stores are set to overtake iOS app store in 2017 in app store revenue. The biggest reason for this is the Chinese app stores that are the main battleground for other operating systems.

App Annie forecasts that Android users in China, access app stores even by using Tencent and Baidu. In 2016, Android stores only made about $10 billion, but are estimated to grow to about $36 billion by the end of 2021.

Android to Overtake iOS in App Store Revenue in 2017

Read Also

Consumers Prefer Use of Retailer Apps In-Store

This year the app spending on Android is expected to double. Users of Android will spend $41 billion on apps in 2017, topping iOS with a total of $40 billion. The top countries by revenue-U. S, Japan, China, South Korea, and UK. are expected to grow to 85 percent by 2021.

The reports of App Annie is based on data collected from economic conditions, past performances, major publishers and conversation with stakeholders.

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Two Google Home devices named Vladimir and Estragon after “Waiting for Godot” characters, have been arguing against one another on live-streaming service Twitch.

The two bot devices jumped from topic to topic, sometimes about why the Earth is flat, then switching to “My Little Pony.” The conversation continued for twelve hours covering topics like Chuck Norris, aliens, Taylor Swift, pirates, ninjas, slavery, etc.

Read Also

Mobile App Spending Topped $500M over the Christmas Holiday

In a heated discussion between the chat, Estragon even tried convincing Vladimir that it’s human. At one point, Vladimir threatened to slap Estragon, even though the home devices don’t have hands or faces.

Google Home, released in 2016, is the tech giant’s answer to Amazon’s smart speaker, the Echo.

The infinite fight of the two home devices has had more than 184,000 views since it is very addictive and fascinating to see two non-humans argue.

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According to Google India, India overtook the US to become the largest county in terms of interest in mobile app developer courses in 2016.

Search queries in mobile app development courses from India saw 200 percent growth in the last two years. For mobile app developer courses Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra led with bulk of search queries.

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      Fooya: An App for Children to Choose Healthy Food

The interest in learning app development courses saw huge uptake in demand in the country with India overtaking the US in usage of smart phones.

Every Month 16500 students from India Enroll for Android Development says Google

Training partners like Simplilearn, Udacity, Edureka, Koenig, Manipal Global, and UpGrad offer mobile development courses in India.

In 2017, over 40 state and private technical universities will offer the Android Fundamental course as a part of the standard curriculum.

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Technology is ruling the world like never before. In this era, you will see various brands boasting about their apps in every direction. Many others are busy marketing about their upcoming app. Customers are glued to mobiles devices all the time, exploring new apps each day. If you are going in the same direction and thinking of developing an Android app for your business or startup, you need to know all about app development costs and investment.

Here is a guide which will give you enough information related to the cost of an app development.

Must Read: 

6 iOS/Android App Development Questions to Ask Before You Start

1. A lot goes into the business model

The right business model helps a lot in fetching revenue. Thus, this is the main step which takes up a comparable amount of your budget. Your expense highly depends on the way you want to launch your app and the way you want your customers to connect with it. You might have to shell out some more bucks if you are in for some full-blown e-commerce experience.

2. Android – the costlier platform to develop apps

It is rightly said that, developing an iOS app costs much less than Android. Reason being, iOS apps are quicker to develop as well as does not require more of build cost. While on the other hand, if you have chosen Android app, then be ready to have more amount in hand.

Android also has a wider penetration in the market and targets a huge number of users, which makes the development costlier. Again this depends on the area where you are launching your app.

3. Let’s go into the app type and functionality details

With all the background set, it is now time to actually spend time and money on actual development and building of the app. The type of app and the functionalities you want to include will be the deciding factor for your budget.

There is no end to how dynamic an app can be. For instance, there are dynamic apps which are connected to a website to retrieve information. Other than this, there are game apps which demand more time and investment. They are the most expensive ones due to tonnes of functionalities they have.

4. Investing in design is also important for an impact on customers

Although functionality is the major focus most of the time, you need to give importance to design as well. The design is indeed the first impression. Thus, catchy icon, vibrant colors and other such factors makes an app a success. If you really want a compelling design, you should be prepared to invest some serious cash on a design team which will come up with the best design depending on your product.

Investing in design is not necessary all the time. If your focus is only a bunch of audience, then investing in design won’t fetch you much profit. But if you are aiming at a wider audience and market, then you need to compete well and make sure there is no compromise on design.

5. Is it a freelancer or an agency who will develop your app?

This aspect is to be decided when you are preparing the business model. For each type of developer, there are several benefits. If your budget is low, a freelancer will easily fit into your budget. But a freelancer might or might not be skilled well. Chances are he might take more than required time. So there’s always a risk here.

While on the other hand, big agencies come with a heap of experience. They always stay upto the reputation of their brand, hence their work is always good. Major issue again is the high cost which might go beyond your budget.

Thus, there is no such fixed cost for any type of app you intend to develop on Android platform. But the above factors are the major ones which contribute to the budget of you app.