AGCS (Alexa, Cortana, Google, Siri), as I fondly call these services, certainly have taken over my life. I talk to them every day. I take their help in research. I tell them to remind me of important tasks. I even ask them turn on / off different appliances at home. And they never complain! Now who yells at me or more importantly who do I yell at?
The last few years have been a point of inflection in the area of personal assistants or PIP (Personal Informational Programs). They have gained a voice of their own – to say the least. Voice enabled assistants or voice assists are an evolution in human-machine interactions. When I say, “I speak with Alexa,” people are no longer surprised. They are just confused – am I referring to Alexa service or to a real person! Now that’s what I call the first step in machine takeover – the blurring!
Some serious business:
At Anteelo, we have been experimenting with Alexa for a couple of months now. What started out as an exploratory process (Who and What is Alexa and How can I have a communication with her) has led to a more objective driven program. We like to call this Voice Enabled Insights (VEI).
By integrating Alexa with Tableau, we have managed to provide a short synthesis of how the business is performing. And the best part, the insights are refreshed every morning. Operational managers can now have free-wheeling conversation with this voice enabled feature, enhanced with tableau. What a way to consume your morning coffee insights! The icing on the cake is that our system also crawls the web to provide competitor information so you cover the complete landscape. And the, if you want to discuss, you can ask humble Alexa to schedule a meeting with your required stakeholders (let’s say territory manager) through O365 integrations.
So far, we have taken a small step towards a future that is closely integrated, connected and alive all the time – thanks to voice enablement. Looking into the future, imagine a situation where a patient’s family speaks to the panel and ask for the patient’s condition! They are received with prompt information on the room, current health parameters and in-operation status, if the patient is being recorded live. No more long waiting time and anxiety attacks at the help desk.
How about doctors? They can optimize their time by getting critical patients conditions and issuing necessary instructions to nurses, in near real time. The same goes for any enterprise where there is a lot of personal interactions between service provider and consumer.
Now that we covered the most important aspect from personal standpoint – ‘Health’, let’s move to industrialization and the phenomenon of IoT. There have been rapid advancements in the areas of machine to machine communication and the so-called intelligent machines. Add a larynx (voice-enabled feature) to this combination and I can simply step up to a panel and enquire: what has been the output so far, are there any issues with the systems, and issue commands to reroute if there is a line fault. All of this without even lifting a finger, literally “speaking”!
In most cases, what we discussed is the benefit of the voice-enabled feature in a B2B or B2C scenarios. But this is not just it. The corner room assistant can help provide on-demand and interactive directory services, serve as a knowledge bank, and project manage. She can facilitate efficiency, timely decisions, and can also gamify training using skill and stories based mode for self-learning. Simply put, all we need to be is creative; the tools are already getting quite smart to say the least.
It is a given today that Alexa and other services are changing the world and how we interact with it. With time to act constantly getting shorter, these disruptive innovations will play a greater role in how connected we are. Voice enabled insights, while not new in concept (remember IVR’s), is beginning to gain popularity owing the rapid propagation of machine learning and artificial intelligence. They are simply becoming more human in their interactions. It would be wise to get on the race sooner. But here’s the deal, start out on the journey in incremental ways and then scale. Soon there will be a time where we will adjectivize and say, ‘Just Ask Alexa!’
Starting a mobile app centered business is tough. There are so many questions and doubts that you, in your role as an entrepreneur, have to answer and find answers to. Although things do get a lot easier once you get the support of a partner-like sound mobile app development company, there are a number of factors that you still have to get a grasp on your end for android vs iOS.
While we have curated a mobile app development for startups guide to help you get started with the complete A to Z process of getting your idea on mobile, in this article, we will help you get an answer to the question that worries every entrepreneur who is new to the app industry – android vs iOS for startups.
But before we get on to that, let us give you some ideas and tips on mobile platforms that startups should choose in 2021.
Let’s begin with why one should opt for mobile by joining either Android development or iOS development.
Let’s start looking at the smartphone (iPhone or Android) and app market scenario by first looking into the basics of each – number of users, downloads, revenue, and user retention scenario.
Graphs indicating each of the pointers will help give a clear idea of how both the app stores are performing on an individual level – something which will help businesses take a sound decision.
iPhone or Android? Smartphone Users Graph
These numbers are a clear indication of how big the smartphone industry has been and how it is only going to grow both android and iOS in demand and acquisition number in the coming time. With the number of projected mobile users about to reach 5.7 Billion in a matter of two years, it is beyond time for startups to make a decision related to iOS versus Android and a presence on mobile and reach these billions and then some more users.
Android vs iOS: Market Share
The android and iOS market share division factor when making a choice of iOS vs Android for startup is calculated in terms of total number of users on both platforms. While the graph above shows the obvious – Android development has a greater market share than iOS development, let us still throw some light on it. With the number of Android devices being 10X more than Apple flagship devices, the number of users are by default inclined towards Android as compared to iOS app development.
This difference in market share makes Android a preferable choice for Startups that are keeping visibility above any other business-y factor.
iOS vs Android App Revenue
One of the biggest deciding factors when it comes to Android vs iOS for businesses is the revenue that each of the avenues is able to generate for the startup. As a startup that is about to make an entry in the mobile domain for the first time, it is almost a necessity to base the platform choice on the basis of the potential of revenue they would be able to generate.
While iOS has over time positioned itself as the platform that businesses head to generate revenue, Android developers are soon catching up with their monetized app. But overall, Play Store will still take up more time to come up to App Store level.
Android vs iOS: User Retention
For an entrepreneur struggling to find the answer to which one is correct in iOS vs Android for startup, it is very important to maintain a good user retention number; as it will be the only sign to judge whether or not your app is performing good and is liked by users across the world.
There are a number of factors which contribute to soaring app uninstall rate. Reasons which mostly revolve around the kind of experience you are able to offer through your mobile app.
But in spite of what reasons there are behind growing app uninstall rates in the industry, the fact that users behave differently between one platform to another remains. While Android users are more loyal, Apple users are less forgiving and tend to leave app very soon after a bad experience – something startups need to plan in their incredible & result-driven mobile app design and development in much detail.
Now that we have looked into the market scenario of both the platforms, it is time to attend to the question that every startup willing to make a presence on mobile is seeking answer to – Android vs iOS development for startups.
Android vs iOS: Which Platform Should Startups Go with as Their First App Choice?
The answer to which platform should startups choose out of Android and iOS development is in no way a Yes or No type (and yet, the wrong answer can turn out to be one of the most deadly mobile app development mistakes). There are a number of factors that startups will have to consider when making the choice.
Let us see what those factors are which help decide the platform startups should go with for their first mobile app launch – iPhone or Android.
Where is your audience
Even though 80% of the world’s mobile app market is dominated by Android, some of the most presumed revenue generating nations like the USA or Australia come under Apple’s dominance. So if your audience belongs to the western nations, take help from iPhone app developers but if the world is your audience, go with Android developers.
Who is your user
The choice of app platform goes beyond geographical borders. There are a number of traits that separates iOS vs Android demographics.
iOS users usually have a lot higher income, come with greater education levels, are more engaged with the app, and lastly are willing to spend a lot more on the app.
Android users on the other hand, come with their own share of characteristic traits. They usually belong to the 25 to 45 age range, are more spending conscious, tend to be late technology adopters, and in general are more impatient as compared to Apple users (something that has changed in the recent time).
In-app purchases
If your app’s business model has in-app purchase at the center, it would be preferable to go with App Store instead of Android Play Store. While the average per user in-app purchase per app in the case of Apple is $1.08, in case of the same number gets reduced to $0.43.
Talking of in-app purchases, the difference can be seen on a geographical level as well.
On a global level per user app spending is $0.50, in Asia the number is $0.70 and in North America, Europe, and Latin America, the numbers are $0.61, $0.26, and $0.16 respectively.
Fragmentation
Talking of fragmentation in terms of the variety of devices your app would be able to reach, the one platform that emerges as an unprecedented winner is Android. Because Google has partnered with a number of device manufacturers, there are now thousands of devices under Android umbrella as opposed to Apple.
If you are looking for a platform that would help your startup become a household name by taking it to the masses minus any specific demographic challenge, Android app development will be your answer. But if making a presence among an elite concentrated group of users is what you are aiming for, go with your team of iOS developers.
Ease of design & development
The question on which is the most preferred choice for startups – Android vs iOS, has a solution that is different on both Android and iOS development front.
While in terms of designing, Google Material Design has a greater impact on user experience, mobile app developers feel that when it comes to coding mobile apps, Swift is a much easier language to get started with as compared to Java.
However, design and development is one factor that depends less on the platform and more on the skill of your partnered mobile android app development company. When you associate with a brand that specializes in the development of both Apple and Android apps, it doesn’t matter which platform requires less developmental efforts as both are done within equal efforts.
Release cycles
Talking of Android release cycle vs iOS Release cycle, the updation of apps in case of Android is generally restricted with the partnered OEM devices and the OS versions that they support- an issue that Apple and its concentrated list of iPhones and iPads never have to face.
What this means is that while with iOS you can focus on giving the support of new OS version in your present app with much ease, the level of fragmentation that Android comes with makes releasing new OS versions very difficult.
Now that we have seen the factors that would help decide which platform to go with for your first mobile app, the sad truth remains – There is no yes or no answer to which platform should startups go with between Android and iOS.
But while it will be difficult for us to get you an answer to ‘Android vs iOS: Which platform should Startups Choose’ let us get you the answer to the Why and When.
Difference Between iOS and Android Development
There is obviously a comparison between iOS and Android app development that is generally seen by developers during the process toward creating mobile applications. Let’s have a look at these differences
Programming language
The Android and iOS development operating systems are each customized in various programming languages. This is actually the greatest difference where iOS applications run on Objective-C/Swift, while Android applications run on Java.
The programming in iOS and android platforms utilize different technology stacks. The former vigorously depends on Java or Kotlin as an alternative, while the latter one has an exclusive language intended for application advancement – Swift.
Now you must be thinking which stack is quick and easy to dominate? Most of the app developers discover that an iOS application is simpler to make than the Android one. As the Swift coding involves less time than getting around Java since this language has high clarity and readability.
As Kotlin grows further, in future it is considered to be a prospective Java replacement due to its natural, current, and easy to read features.
Thus, programming languages utilized for iOS have a shorter learning curve than those for Android and are, hence, simple to dominate.
Testing
Every application’s QA testing phase is important for the mobile application development process. The same applies to games and different sorts of software. One should make sure that the application he is creating works perfectly. The iOS simulator and the Android emulator are examples that are frequently used to test this.
A definite difference is that the iOS simulator is a lot quicker than Android. In any case, the Android emulator has the near benefit of being a powerful virtual machine including CPU, which makes it more practical than its iOS equivalent. The iOS simulator often neglects to deliver precise and realistic portrayals of Apple devices.
Therefore, it is important to complete several tests on real smart devices to see the application’s interaction flow and detect potential bugs.
Interface
This is where we come over the visual contrasts when we develop an application for an Android or iOS user. At the technical level, the app developer will assemble XML documents onto Android interfaces. These are basically the same as iOS’ XIB documents.
The nature of iOS animations is superior to the one from Android. Google has attempted to fix this through the preview of Android L and by building up an application design pattern known as Material Design. Meanwhile, Apple has consistently been focusing on delicate, complex, and amazing animations by taking care of its user experience cautiously. Google, on the other hand, chose to fcus on the hardware rather than these perspectives.
Design
For Apple, the content of the application has importance over design. Therefore, clearness and the wide utilization of white space is advisable. The most widely recognized tools utilized by UI designers are shadows and gradients. All things considered, the application’s design ought to convey a feeling of depth and multi-layers.
Android designs come from real inspiration and motivation. Thus, colors and motion are two characterizing factors. Android designers work with a more extensive scope of tools such as light, motions, shading, color, etc.
When Should Startups Choose iOS?
You should place your startup’s first mobile app on iOS by investing in a sound reputed iOS app development company if you wish to come in the sight of the app store’s target demographics. Also, if you are not convinced of an app’s ability to be liked and moved to the home screen, the less fragmented world of Apple might come in handy as you won’t have to invest time in preparing your app for multiple devices.
The benefit of concentration and high revenue-generating capability together makes iPhone app development advantageous for businesses.
When And Why Startups Choose Android App Development?
You should go with Android first if your audience is not concentrated on any one specific location. Also, if there are a good number of customization elements in your mobile app, go with Android. The benefit of reach and customization that the platform offers, makes it almost necessary for Businesses to have an Android app.
When And Why Startups Choose IOS App Development?
You have to remember that in the debate between Android vs iPhone: Which Platform should Startups choose for First Mobile App have a third option as well, one which ends the confusion between iPhone or Android – Launch app on both Android and iOS.
While the option should be chosen as a solution by companies who have enough monetary and time resources, you should invest in mobile app development companies that specialize in Cross Platform app development to grab the opportunity to enjoy the best of all.
Now that we have seen it all – The factors that affect the Android vs iPhone choice for startups and the situations when one is deemed preferable than the other – it is now time to answer a very futuristic, logical question – When should a Business Move from one Platform to Another.
When Should Your Startup Extend from One Platform to Another?
The answer to this lies in – When your app has taken all the advantage of the current platform it is on. If your app has reached a position where it is now getting constant revenue from the App Store, expand it to the Play Store to get greater reach.
If your Android App has gained enough followers on the Play Store, increase the scope of monetization by taking it to the App Store.
Hopefully, our little pocket guide was able to help you get an answer to which platform your early-stage startup should choose. If we have left a scope of confusion, reach out to our team of mobile app strategist and our iOS and android app development company in USA to get the answer.
The newspaper sales have gone down ever since the media decided to have their own news mobile apps. To be precise, 7% drop in sales in 2015 and the percentage is predicted to be even more in the present. According to a survey, an average user spends 2 hours on phone to check news updates.
Mobile phones have been around for a while now but mobile apps have taken over the human lifestyle. In America, only 2% of the population said they read printed newspapers and find it useful. The majority of the population either don’t read the news more often or reads it on a digital platform.
In India, the readership of print media has decreased as per May 2017 reports from the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). Same is the case with countries such as UK, Germany, etc.
The stats above shows the readership of some popular news channels such as Buzzfeed, CNN, Fox News, etc. All these stats prove how fast the newspaper mobile apps are becoming a choice over the print media. However, for some news channels, the cost of news app development is often a matter of concern. To clear any doubts and to learn how much does it cost to build a newspaper app, we have curated this blog.
The ROI From News Apps
Whether you are going to make your own news app or get it developed by news app builder, you have to know the benefits you will get from the news app. It does not matter how much money you have put in the news app development as long as it gives a good return on the investment.
Subscription
Just like you have a subscription for your printed newspaper, you can apply the same method to deliver quality content to users in exchange of a fee. News apps like NYTimes have this method where they offer a certain number of free article to readers and if they wish to read more than that, they have to get a subscription.
Advertisement
Businesses have spent more than $100 billion on mobile advertisements. For any news company having a mobile app, this becomes a great source of income. Having personalized ads for businesses will get you started. It will also be a good option to choose the ads as per the reader’s interests to increase the possibility of viewing the ad.
Campaign for Sponsors
Running a personalized campaign for sponsors on your news mobile app is another way of revenue. Tickets to shows or events can be sold on the app. This can also be done for a specific location or a particular group of people having similar interests.
More reach and readership
It is sort of a given that with mobile apps the reach will increase. However, with the reach, the readership will also increase. Countries like Sweden, South Korea and Spain have larger news app users. The format in which the content is displayed on apps is so much more appealing than that on print media. The use of GIFs and high-quality images increases the chance of readership.
So, now you know the ROI from a news app. Let’s move on to further sections of news app development and the involved cost in newspaper app development.
Which is a better choice, Android or iOS?
This is the most common yet the most crucial question when it comes to news app development. The debate between Android and iOS is ongoing ever since both of these became the top platforms in the development world. When it comes to the security of the app, iOS has been a more secure platform. But Android has a larger audience so if you are going for news app development for the first time and want to get more audience immediately then Android is a choice.
There is also an option to go for a cross-platform news app development which will expose you to a larger audience. Cross-platform app development will not only reduce the cost of developing a news app as compare to news app development cost for two separate apps but also decrease the time of newspaper app development.
But if you wish to go for one platform only, a newspaper app for iOS will be cheaper as compared to Android news app development. If you are wondering how to make a news app for iPhone, then you can contact our team for any assistance.
Since we are talking about news mobile app development, location plays a key role. Locals are likely to be more interested in your app than far-off readers. Choosing the platform that most of your local readers are on is the best choice. To make things more simple, just go for a platform that is the most popular among your readers.
What Features Should Be Included in News App Development?
Assuming that you are a first timer while getting a news app developed, we shall discuss what features contribute to making a successful newspaper app. If you are planning to build the app yourself, this 76 point checklist for app development will answer all your ‘how to develop news app’ questions.
Before we head on to news app development cost, let us see the features a news app must have:
Login or Registration
This feature is very important. The users must be able to create a profile by logging in through their email address or their mobile number. Users should also be allowed to log in using any of their social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Allowing these social media accounts to link with your app is a wise choice as the users can easily share any news on such socials.
User Profile
A user profile needs to be filled by the users that will include data relevant for you. When a user has a profile it becomes easier to suggest content according to their interests and past search results. These profiles can also be used to create engagement on any of the news content, eventually increasing the reach.
Filter Search Option
This feature is seen on many apps and has been loved by users. Having a filter in the search bar allows users to search specific news as well lets you know what kind of content your readers are looking for. A search can be filtered according to location, keyword, date, or latest trending news.
Push notifications
As per the graph above, 6 out of 10 people like to read news on their mobile phones. So, to keep your readers up to date about when a news a posted or what’s the latest news update, push notification can be used. This feature sends a notification the mobile devices of the readers, letting them know what’s up in a fraction of second. This feature is also said to be one of the marketing tools as it helps in user retention.
Filter the Feed
Filtering helps in what the users want to see and do not want to see. Usually, this is done by having a ‘Don’t show this to me’ option on every news post. The more optimised feed a user will have, the more time they will spend on the app.
Offline Reading Option
Most users prefer saving an interesting piece of content for later and for the same offline reading option should be used. This feature allows users to save content to read in an offline mode. This feature helps when there is no internet or the internet connection is slow.
All Types of Media
Words are not enough to make a piece of content interesting and that’s when images, videos, and audios come into the picture. The app should support all types of media including GIFs, PDFs, Slides, etc. This gives more flexibility to deliver the right message and express properly.
Like, Comment and Share
This is the most common feature in any social media app and should not be eliminated in a news app. The option to engage and the ability to share a piece of news makes the whole user experience a fun one. The share option should also allow sharing on other socials like Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
These were some of the features that a news app must include. Now we come to the most awaited section of the article and that is the cost of developing a news-based mobile application.
How Much Does It Cost to Build A Newspaper Application?
News app development cost depends on certain factors. These factors are:
A choice between Android and iOS
Development type: Native or Hybrid
Number of features added
Hiring a development company or a freelancer
Outsourcing or in-house news app development
These points affect the news app development cost. However, the general MVP cost estimate for news app ranges between $18,000 to $20,000 for a basic app.
If you wish to add any additional features, the cost may rise. A high-end news app allowing more user action costs around $35,000 to $45,000.
This is not as scary as it sounds because the better the app, the more the ROI on the app.
However, if you know how to develop news app for Android or iOS then you shall only pay for the tools you will be using. There are some app development cost calculators that can give an estimate of the development cost.
Our team of developers knows well how to make a news app for Android and iOS. Contact our mobile app development agency to get yourself a brilliant news app.
We are just 2 months away from entering the age of next technological revolution – the onset of a wireless network which will help combine data computation with million of devices in a matter of a few seconds. Imagine it like this – Till the time you blink your eye, millions of data would have transmitted from your system to millions and millions of connected devices in the world. The facility that will make it possible – after being talked about and dissected at great length – is finally here. The powerful technology that is on the brink of altering mobility that we are going to talk about in much detail in this piece is 5G Wireless Networks.
Seeing the potentialities that 5G technology comes powered with, it will be naive to call it just a network. 5G will be the underlying fabric for a complete ecosystem that is made of completely connected devices and is capable of overhauling business and economic policies 180 degrees – The reason why 5G has found its place in the list of Top 10 tech trends that will go mainstream in the near future.
The transformative technology has seen interest coming in from not just businesses but also in the charts estimating a number of subscriptions. The paradigm shift that 5G technology is poised to bring is going to having a lasting effect across a number of industries in ways that are going to open doors of innovation and transformation to an extent that things that were always assumed to be too far fetched or ones belonging to a Steven Spielberg sci-fi movie. A shift that will be faster than the time you take to get 5G technology explained.
We are going to look at the impact of 5G on a number of different industries in this article. But since the most direct impact of a high internet connectivity can be seen in a mobile app economy (and because mobile app development economy is our expertise) we will be majorly focusing our attention on the 5G impact on Mobile Apps.
But before we move on to the 5G impacts on Mobile Apps, it is imperative to get you acquainted with the power of 5G – something that you will only be able to understand when you know how different 5G is from 4G or through a comparison between 5G vs. LTE vs. 4G
How is 5G technology Better Than 4G?
A lot faster fiber comparable sped minus wires
Lower latency – meaning lesser delay and interference
Greater wireless power to allow more devices to connect on an IoT network
A uniform experience with a greater variety of coverage option and condition
Greater opportunity for wireless connectivity
But what do these benefits mean for mobile apps?
Let’s Find Out.
What Does 5G Networks Means for Mobile Apps?
1. Greater Speed
The high download speed that will now be tagged with 5G technology will not just make it easier for the users to download apps in a few second irrespective of what the MB size your app is of.
Apart from taking benefits in terms of high app download speed, the speed factor seen in mobile apps with 5G will also come in handy for mobile app marketers who are relying on in-app download based monetization plans as one of the ways they can earn from mobile apps.
While this is about the perks that mobile app market will enjoy because of high download speed, there is another category of speed that affects mobile app retention to a huge extent. In fact, in the world of entertainment apps, it is one of the main reasons behind users abandonment after first app visit – App Streaming Speed.
5G mobile apps will remove the mere concept of streaming lags.
2. Faster File Transfer
With great speed comes faster transfer of files, money or simply anything transferable. The power of 490 MBPS browsing speed and 100 MBPS download speed ripples down to speedier file transfer.
The revolution that 5G mobile app is going to bring in the file transfer feature is going to advance a number of mobile app categories that have based their business model around transfer of data or money from one account to another.
3. Low to Zero Latency
There is nothing more annoying for a mobile app user than an app that takes ages to respond to their one action.
Latency is something that the mobile app development economy is not a stranger to and a victim of. But with 5G mobile apps, the time it takes to react to the users’ prompt becomes even more faster than real-time. An event which comes in very handy in AR/VR based mobile apps.
4. Greater User Experience
While the three factors mentioned above are sufficient in themselves to improve the user experience to a huge extent, one of the biggest perk of high 5G internet speed is clarity.
You must have noticed the difference between watching a video or hearing music on 2G network over streaming the same over an LTE Network. It is only going to advance now. The effect of app UI gets elevated to a very huge extent when used or streamed on a 5G network.
Now that we have given you a sneak into the myriad of benefits that your mobile app is just a few months away from availing, it is now time to look into the industries that are most likely to be touched from this revolution called 5G.
Industries That Are Going to Witness the Maximum Benefit from the Onset of 5G
5G wireless networks will be unleashing a massive amount of revenue opportunity – approximately $12.3 Trillion globally – across a wide spectrum of industries, according to IHS Economics. An amount that is equal to consumer spending of all of the USA in 2016.
5G is expected to create millions of jobs universally, with the mobile app developers being identified as the core career groupings who stand to benefit, in addition to the content and infrastructure providers.
While there is not even a single industry that is going to go untouched by the advantages that the higher than ever seen before internet speed is going to bring, there are some industries that will show the first sign of adoption and innovation. Industries that will in many ways become the torchbearer of 5G Power adoption in the mobile domain.
Let us look at some of those industries that are going to be the fastest recipients of the 5G benefits in the mobile domain.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The faster than real-time communication speed and long battery life – the two benefits of 5G wireless networks are perfect condition for Internet of Things growth
According to a recent survey by Gartner held between several representatives of different economic sectors, it was found that over 57% respondents considered IoT the most promising 5G mobile apps niche.
5G will allow the mobile app developers to work in those IoT areas which makes it crucial to keep a difference between 4 milliseconds and 40 milliseconds.
Smart Cities
With 5G finally here, creation of smart homes and heck, Smart Cities a reality now. A reality that is equipped with millions of sensors working in real time.
Smart Cities are undoubtedly a unique platform for businesses as they will now be able to connect multiple devices with a single mobile app.
The perks will most be enjoyed by someone who own multiple businesses as Smart City will help them offer every single sphere of their service offerings to the user of tens of connected devices in one stroke.
Even if you keep the profit and business side away, imagine what 5G powered Smart Cities would do to city’s safety quotient.
AR/VR
The time when AR/VR used to be an upcoming trend will now finally stop. Now, users will see the advent of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in almost all phases of life around them.
From attending a live event in LA while being at home in Canada to seeing the history of every room and turn of the monument, AR/VR will now finally go mainstream with 5G.
While the examples that we gave above are more inclined towards entertainment, there are a number of other industries – Healthcare, Education, Army, etc that will witness the benefit that the platform where Reality and Virtual surrounding is same.
Logistics and Production
Use of 5G mobile apps will help in improving remote control of the machine in complex industries. Stability of the automation system will grow and alongside an enhancement of the product quality.
Three-dimensional printing along with 5G and robotics even allows designing of smart plants. Remote controlled machines significantly reduce risk factors for people who are working at difficult production facility.
Healthcare
All the various healthcare obstacles will cease to exist once 5G comes into the picture. Challenges like remote patient monitoring and doctors not being able to attend to patients on time are ones that would not exist once 5G meets healthcare applications.
Along with this, wearable devices connected with medical apps will be able to keep better details of the patient’s records and then give reports in real-time as well.
So here were the industries that are going to get affected with 5G onset. But, is the soon to be true future really that perfect?
Well, no.
Like at the beginning of every technology, implementation of 5G also comes with its share of challenges. Let us look at what they are –
Challenges Associated with Implementation of 5G in Mobile Apps
1. Security Issues
With greater speed will come a greater increase in the number of connected devices and networks – something that will create loopholes in terms of security.
2. Establishment of 5G Based Business Model
The network speed which 5G is anticipated to be launched with, will demand business models that make the most of its potential, something that the mobile app strategists will have to give a lot of thought to. It is not just the strategists but also the OS ecosystems like Android 11 which are looking to help businesses adapt the 5G technology.
3. Multiple App Versions
With 5G coming into practice, the app audience will be get divided to poles apart. There’ll be those who have devices fit for 5G and then those who are still working on 2G or LTE version devices.
Want to find solution to these challenges? We have them. Get in touch with our team of Mobile App Strategists to know how to prepare your app to be a part of the 5G race even before it’s here.
In this age of mobility, it is not only difficult but also impossible to live without our smartphones. The reason behind this dependability is the mobile apps that have made human life so simple. These apps are changing the very way we live our everyday lives. And in order to get things done, we need lots of mobile applications. This has resulted in pressuring mobile app development companies to build more useful enterprise mobile applications. According to research conducted by Gartner, it was said that by the end of 2017, the market demand for enterprise application development shall outpace the need for the organizations to develop the apps. Also, the sale of mobile phones is expected to surpass 2.1 billion units in the year 2019. The numbers are huge and will keep getting bigger and bigger. This only shows how beneficial having a mobile app, be it iOS or Android for your business will be in the future. There are numerous advantages of mobile apps for industries, be it small or large.
These app development services are utilized for the promotion of services that an industry provides, therefore, the app must have an innovative approach for targeting potential customers at the earliest. Increased revenue, the growth of industry and brand awareness are some advantages of having a mobile app. All of these added to the other key everyday advantages makes mobile apps not just important for businesses but also makes them a necessary part of the modern day lifestyle.
Industries that Benefited from Mobile Apps
According to research, industries are putting most of their investment in going mobile, the reason is quite obvious. Going for app development services, many industries have seen growth and an increase in profits. Here are some of the industries that used their mobile apps for business and got amazing results:
Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry has been using mobile apps for a long time now and the impact of apps on the healthcare industry is huge. Apart from quick checkups and storing patient information in one tap of the screen, there are many other ways apps are benefiting this industry. Virtual assistance of doctors, identifying the disease through images and much more has been made possible because of mobile apps.
Travel Industry
The travel industry is using apps to get more customers and also using it to provide better services to them. The travel apps are revolutionizing the travel industry by giving special services to customers, allowing apps to check in and check out without ease, getting combined bookings done and much more. All this is changing the face of travelling and apps are becoming the best travel companies for travellers.
Restaurant Industry
Restaurants are one of the most successful industries of all times and with the help of mobile apps, they have been able to excel at their services. Restaurants need well executed mobile apps to allow customers to reserve seats, place orders, find good places to eat and anything else that enhances user satisfaction. The apps are even used to showcase restaurants based on the review given by previous customers. And the biggest benefit of mobile apps for restaurant industry is that they gathering a massive audience through apps which increases the profits.
Entertainment Industry
The entertainment industry is no longer limited to a TV screen but has rapidly shifted to mobile phones and tabs. The reason for this rapid shift is an increase in mobile users. Mobile apps let viewers view any type of show, at any time of the day and at any place. From live streaming to news updates, everything is available on apps. They say mobile is the new TV and it has become possible only through apps.
All these examples show the benefits of mobile apps for business. However, these are not the only industries that benefited from their mobile apps. There are others such as social network, e-scooter, etc. that have gone mobile and are seeing an immediate increase in their business revenue. Some restaurant businesses like DoorDash have a business model that’s completely based on mobile apps.
Why Does Your Business Needs a Mobile App?
Ever since mobile apps have become a lifestyle necessity, the apps are constantly improving in ways to provide the most out of them. Every mobile app development company that develops apps for industries is bringing changes that benefit the users as well as the business. However, there are already many advantages of mobile apps for industries:
Audience building
With the increase in mobile app usage, industries are taking the benefits of mobile app application development to increase their customer base. Interaction with users becomes easier with the help of mobile apps. Audience building is one of the most important benefits of mobile apps for small businesses in the industry. Since they are just starting, gathering customers through a mobile app is a great strategy.
Creates brand awareness
Mobile apps are a one-stop point for getting all the relevant information related to the brand as well as showcasing the products and the services. Newer products and services are showcased on the apps and promoted via ads. This will increase the sales of the product while keeping the promotion cost lower.
Analytics for business strategies
With the help of mobile apps, businesses can track important analytics such as the number of visitors, users most viewed product, time spent on each section of the app, and a lot more. Analytics are crucial for marketing and advertising as it makes sure that the targeted audience is right.
Competitive advantage to businesses
There are still many companies within an industry that don’t use their mobile app’s full potential and there are some companies that don’t even have a mobile app yet. This certainly plays the benefit card for businesses that are working hard with their mobile apps for business. Although the competition is still quite low in this area yet it is a big advantage.
Helping small businesses in the industry
Mobile apps for small businesses can be a godsend keeping in mind the fact that using apps as a tool for growth is extremely cheap. Most businesses are skeptical because they don’t know how much does it cost to make an app and eventually assume it costs a lot. However, that’s not the case. Once it is developed, a mobile app for business is the best tool for growth.
Ease of payment
Industries like eCommerce, travel, etc. often require online payment for their products and services. Secure payments are one of the reasons why your business needs a mobile app. Apps can be developed with secure payment options gaining the trust of customers who find it hard to trust websites for making payment. Secure payment option is the most profitable benefits of mobile apps for small businesses.
Sales and Business Growth
The industries are usually focused on exploration of newer avenues in the marketplace for the implementation of mobile application development strategies for their campaigns. With the increasing number of mobile users, there must be an increase in sales while satisfying the user requirements. The mobile apps are very effective in ensuring progress levels within a short span of time.
Retaining Loyal Customers
Another useful advantage of mobile apps for business is that it offers a hassle-free experience on the customer support request. Businesses can retain their customers with the help of attractive offers such as discount coupons, vouchers, etc. Uber’s business model allows it to offer discounts to mobile app users and so far has been proved to be the best strategy.
Deliverance of Powerful Messages
Powerful messages are delivered to the customers at the best possible rate so that the business organization saves money. These messages are effectively delivered for the conversion of the visitors into potential customers. An irresistible offer, when notified with the push notifications message of the mobile app, is an effective way for business promotion.
Mobile apps are supremely beneficial in fulfilling user expectations. Customers are usually happy when they discover an app that is easy to connect and offers customers the necessary tools for an easy use of the apps.
How to Get Started with Getting Your Mobile App Developed?
The desire to get a mobile app developed becomes easier if employing an app designing company. The mobile app development companies will first and foremost try to evaluate the business requirements of the clients while working closely with them. This is done to understand what the client is looking for in the app, in the best way possible.
Apart from proper functioning, the mobile apps that are developed must also have an attractive look. Multiple programs can be integrated easily with the affordable rates offered by the app-developed services. Before developing an app, one must be absolutely clear on the purpose that it has to serve.
However, most of the time the cost of the app becomes an issue. Majority of small businesses are unable to find how much does it cost to make an app and that prevents them from getting mobile apps for small business.
It is a common practice to find an app development company near to the location of the business to have a proper meeting. Other avenues to find and hire the best app developers are through the internet, meeting their essential needs, for striking a perfect match for their business.
If you are willing to get a mobile app developed for your business then contact us at Anteelo. We have an exceptional team of mobile app developers that build apps for clients to increase their revenue as well as business reach.
One common question in the minds of the app developers is ‘What is the right framework for mobile app development?’ and that is exactly what we are here to discuss in this article. It has been a while since the first set of frameworks were introduced in the tech world and today there are numerous mobile app development frameworks.
The doubt arises when it comes to choosing one of the best frameworks for your mobile app in this pool. Quite often, the app developers need to transform an iOS application into an Android application. So it becomes crucial to choose the right frameworks which enable them to convert an application in one ecosystem into another. The purpose of choosing any of the cross-platform mobile app development frameworks is to make the work of an individual developer or a mobile app development agency, easier and the experience much more flexible.
So without further delay let us look at the top 10 Most Popular Mobile App Development Frameworks for 2019 to 2020:
1. Adobe PhoneGap
The PhoneGap framework for mobile app development enables people to see changes instantly. Moreover, it is a cross-platform development framework which allows app developers to develop in Javascript, HTML5 and CSS. This is the reason why it is one of the first choices for those developers who are interested in building hybrid apps.
The apps that are developed using Adobe PhoneGap not only ensures high-quality performance but also allows mobile app developers to develop apps without any hardware limitations. Other than the usual Android and iOS platforms, it can develop apps for Windows, Blackberry, Mac OS, Ubuntu and Firefox OS. Additionally, the developers can extend its functionality by adding plugins that are associated with this framework.
2. Ionic
One of the 3 Of The Best Frameworks For Mobile App Development in 2018, Ionic is the best framework for mobile app development and also it’s free. It is quite popular among the app development frameworks. Ionic is basically a front-end network, which helps to build native-like mobile apps with HTML, CSS3 and Javascript. It works in an optimized manner on the latest mobile devices available and provides the best possible environment for the app to hit the market in the desired way.
An Ionic market is an online place where templates and projects developed by other developers can be downloaded. The Ionic lab components makes sure of it that you test your app in the most popular among the platforms, Android and iOS.
The mobile app development framework has other advantages such as working with powerful SDK called Angular. Because of its ability to build native like mobile apps, Ionic is a great framework for PWA development. It works well in combination with PhoneGap, Trigger.io and Cordova projects along with the accessibility of efficient core architecture, fitting simple to complex types of apps.
3. Xamarin
Xamarin is owned by Microsoft and is based in San Francisco. With the help of C# codebase, app developers can use Xamarin tools to develop for Android, iOS and Windows apps. These codes can be shared across multiple platforms including Windows and Mac OS.
In fact, it is also one of the 5 Must-Try Open Source Mobile App Development Frameworks, even when the React Native vs Xamarin comparison is in the picture.
4. Intel XDK
Intel XDK is a cross-platform mobile app development framework for every app store. It helps you build apps with plugins, responsive apps, interactive apps and web services for any device. This mobile app development framework helps developers with development, testing, emulation, debugging and finally publishing the app. They have been making developments in the framework lately and now they have software support for IoT apps and Node.JS.
Intel XDK provides you with a live preview of the changes you are making while app development. There is also an option of drag and drop to create apps which is easy although it does create numerous unnecessary codes.
5. React Native
React Native is one of the best frameworks for mobile app development and is giving competition to Xamarin and Native Scripts. It was developed by Facebook and is used by Airbnb, Instagram, Tesla, Walmart and many other Fortune 500 companies. It uses the same UI building blocks that Android and iOS do. This is why it becomes difficult to differentiate between an app built using React Native and an app build using Objective-C.
There has been debates on React Native vs Ionic quite often since both are top preferred frameworks. But one of them is more liked. Because of its rich UI, React Native framework gets so much attention by the developers. It helps you build an actual app with great performance using JavaScript framework which has changed the scenario of the development world.
6. Flutter
Flutter came unannounced and made its place as one of the best hybrid mobile app development frameworks. What makes Flutter app development unique is that it uses 2D rendering engine known as Skia to create visuals. These visuals are made to look like Material Design and Cupertino style widgets but in reality, they are not. The framework allows ease of testing to developers without restarting the project if any error occurs.
Flutter, even though backed by Google is not just a Popular Android App Development Frameworks for Mobile Apps it is also for iPhones. This framework lets you build cross-platform apps for iOS and Android that can be run on any device. It uses the programming language, Dart.
7. Corona SDK
Corona SDK provides 10 times faster development than any other mobile app development framework. This is because Corona backend is supported by Lua which is a light-weight programming language that focuses mainly on speed, flexibility and ease of usage.
This framework for mobile app development will be great for those who want to code fast and still maintain the quality of apps. The framework is absolutely free of cost and can be used to build in all platforms supporting Windows and Mac OS X.
8. Mobile Angular UI
Mobile Angular UI is a great hybrid mobile app development framework. It is especially good for those who prefer Bootstrap and Angular. Mobile Angular UI is a combination of Bootstrap and Angular framework that lets you build using HTML5. In one of our previous blogs on React vs Angular: Which is The Best JavaScript Framework we discussed why it better to use AngularJS over react native when it comes to performance boost. Angular gives a good server side support and supports complex apps with ease.
This framework for mobile app development allows developers to use fastclick.js and overthrow.js for a smooth mobile experience. This framework is free and available to be used under the name of MIT.
9. Native Scripts
Listed among the best Android framework 2020, Native Scripts is backed by a Bulgarian software company, Telerik. It was originally created by Progress. The apps built with Native Scripts use the same APIs as if they were built using Xcode or Android studio.
The official website of Native Scripts continuously provides resources and tutorials for budding developers so that they can learn to work in this framework like a pro.
10. JQuery Mobile
JQuery is an HTML5 framework for mobile app development. The greatest advantage lies in the fact that just one version of the code is developed and it can run across all devices. Irrespective of whatever is built using this framework, either website or app, it runs not only across all devices but also runs in a variety of Operating System such as Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows and Firefox Mobile as well as Kindle, Nook and MeeGo.
It is possible to download JQuery either as a custom download or the latest stable version. JQuery was listed in the top 15 JS frameworks prediction for 2019 which proves it to be an ideal choice when there is a need for rapid development of apps with the plugins that come with the app.
So, these were the top 10 mobile app development frameworks but that is not all. There are many other frameworks that are being used to build great mobile apps. Let us look at them briefly.
11. Framework7
This is a free framework for mobile app development which can be used to develop hybrid apps for Android and iOS. It uses HTML, CSS and JavaScript with ease during app development. It provides some extraordinary features such as supports multiple viewing, library agnostic, native scrolling, caching, browser history, etc.
This framework also helps in building a quick prototype for an app. This comes as a great advantage to mobile app development companies when they have to show the clients a rough idea of the project.
12. Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator Titanium uses a mix of both PhoneGap and Xamarin. This framework uses JavaScript to write codes and supports Android and iOS platforms. However, it does not come with CSS and HTML. To use Titanium start with the Titanium studio which comes with its own Titanium SDK and platform-independent APIs.
It uses Alloy to develop faster. This also makes it easy to reuse the apps which reduces time and cost.
13. Sencha Touch
Sencha Touch is usually preferred by enterprises as it has a wide range of products to work with. ExtJS is the main JavaScript used for development and gives a rich look and high performance to the apps. It has ready to use tools for all platforms including Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry. For ease of development, Sencha Touch also provides a drag and drop option for visual app builder. It is one of the best frameworks to achieve a high performing app with great visuals.
If you wish to learn more about frameworks that mobile app development companies are using today then contact our team at Anteelo and we will guide you through the entire app development process. We will be more than happy to provide you feedback on your app ideas.
The ionic framework was created by Drifty Co. in 2013 and by 2015 Ionic developers had reportedly created over 1.3 million applications with the SDK. Two years of time and Ionic frameworks rooted itself among the developers of the entire world as a breakthrough technology and it never went back. But what is the ionic framework and what was it that made it such a such a big hit in the PWA development industry such a short span of time?
As the definition goes – Ionic is an absolute open-source (100% free) SDK for hybrid mobile app development. Ionic app development suite provides tools and services for the development of hybrid mobile applications using technologies such as CSS, HTML5, and Sass.
Any kind of mobile applications can be built with these web technologies and later distributed through all the native app stores. The best apps made through Ionic framework are progressive web apps which are, as their name suggests, truly progressive.
So what are progressive web apps which have been continuously called the saviours of mankind and a lot more? In case you still don’t have a clue about the concept, head on to our article – This is What Google Wants You to Know About Progressive Web Apps
We know about Native apps which look and feel like Apps – they load offline, send push notifications, so on and so forth.
We also know about Mobile web apps, which are basically restricted by the properties of the browser and they do not do things like running offline and sending push notifications but they are smaller in size and do everything else a native app does, but only being online.
Progressive web apps, the concept coined as future of mobile apps, bridge this gap created between Native mobile apps and mobile web apps.
On the whole, a PWA provides a collection of technologies, design concepts, and web APIs which work in tandem to give the user an App-like experience on the mobile web.
Progressive web apps are proving themselves to be the future of mobile apps, standing right beside Native apps. In fact, in many ways, PWAs are points ahead in the PWA vs Native Apps comparison.
Now that we have looked into the concept of PWAs, let us get in-depth of what makes Ionic framework the best choice for a team of progressive web app developers, starting with the detail of what Ionic framework is.
Heads up: The answer to this goes beyond the fact that Ionic app development use the technology of service workers. They power the offline functionality, push notifications, background content updating, content caching and lot more.
To explain it more technically, a service worker is a worker script that works in the background, independent of your ionic web app or Progressive web app and runs in response to the event like network requests, push notifications, connectivity changes and much more.
What makes the Ionic framework awesome is that until the introduction of the framework, mobile app developers had to use Native coding to build Android, iOS or Windows apps. And each of these platforms required an independent, dedicated development. With the coming of Ionic, developers could build almost native-like mobile applications which worked on all technology stacks and different platforms alike, these were called the Hybrid apps.
What’s more is, in a survey taken from Ionic in 2017, it was revealed that the hybrid approach to developing mobile apps had gained ground over Native coding of apps. What’s unbelievable was that, according to the report, in a span of two years, the percentage of developers building exclusively with Native development tools dropped to 2.9 percent from 20 percent. Let us try to unravel the reason behind this popularity of the framework in making Ionic app development mainstream.
What is Ionic Framework?
We have already established the fact that Ionic is an open-source SDK for Hybrid mobile app development, but what makes it so popular among the mobile app developers is the plethora of features it carries along with it.
Ionic app developers work with over 120 native device features such as HealthKit, Fingerprint Authorisation, Bluetooth, along with Cordova plugIns and typescript extensions, it allows mobile app developers the utmost ease of developing advanced applications.
To list down the key features of the framework –
First and foremost, it provides all the functionalities that found in native mobile development SDKs. That simply means that the developers can create their own apps and easily customize them for any OS – Android, iOS or Windows, or deploy them through Cordova.
Ionic comes loaded with a very powerful CLI, providing the developers with the ability to build and test Ionic application on any platform
It provides the ionic app developers elements and ways for interaction using Angular.
The collection repeat feature is Ionic Framework’s smoothest solution for scrolling huge lists without any performance hits. It creates a scrollable container with which the app developers can interact by using a native-like delegate system.
It is based on SASS and thus it provides a load of UI components for creating really advanced, robust applications.
Now that we have looked into the features of the Ionic framework, let us get back to what we gathered here for – To know what makes Ionic the best choice for PWA development.
Progressive web apps with Ionic – Why?
Let us start with some stats here,
The best western river north hotel reported a 300% increase in revenue with their new PWA.
Tinder Cut load times from 11.91 seconds to 4.69 seconds. Also, The new PWA is 90% smaller in size than Tinder’s native Android android app.
Facebook, after expanding to PWAs witnessed a steep rise in its engagement rates and download count.
Uber’s PWA was designed to be faster even on a 2G network. The main app is only 50K gzipped and takes less than 3 seconds to load on 2G.
Pinterest’s new PWA saw them an increase of 60% core engagements along with a 44% increase in user-generated ad revenue and an increase of 40% in the average time spent on their site.
BookMyShow’s PWA takes less than 3 Seconds to load and increased conversion rates over 80 %. On top of that, their PWA is 54 times smaller than their Android native app and 180 times smaller than their iOS native app.
Yes, you have seen some big names mentioned in the above-written pointers. All then switched to PWA with ionic frameworks. There are also names like, Starbucks, Lyft, Twitter and Forbes who have seen a significant increase in the user engagements with their progressive web apps.
Why should one use the Ionic framework?
Ionic allows the mobile app developer to use a combination of programming languages such as CSS, HTML5, and JavaScript for ionic mobile app development. The unification of these three languages is potentially potent enough to make any ionic app development company deliver you with the best user interface for your targeted Audience. So, if you have got a very visually appealing App assignment to take on, go for Ionic. (combination of CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript)
Secondly, it is very easy to move platforms. That’s it. Unlike in the case of native applications where you need to code separately for all the platforms and operating systems, the Ionic platform provides the liberty of easily deploying code on any OS or platform. (Easy to move platforms)
Thirdly, the ionic framework is supported by Angular, the most common framework that is used for developing highly interactive mobile apps. In fact, the component API of Angular is the foundation of the Ionic framework. Besides, HTML’s sentence structure extensions given by Angular.js makes it very easy to incorporate user-friendly advanced features to the app. (Fully supported by Angular.js)
For the pool of Cordova plugIns. For those who are new to this, Cordova is a set of command-line tools and plugin bridges and it helps the developers in building native applications by calling the native code from JavaScript, adding platforms, running and building applications. And since Ionic is an HTML5 framework, it requires a native partner like Cordova to ensure its own functioning as a native application. And since Ionic framework comes equipped with Cordova plugins, it becomes easier for ionic app builders to access native features such as camera, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. (Flooded with Cordova native app plugins)
Finally, for the Ionic platform’s powerful CLI (Command-line interface). The ionic framework comes with CLI which makes it possible to create, code, test and deploy Ionic apps to the platform of your choosing. The CLI gives the ionic mobile app builders, the functionalities that are found in native SDK, which includes a built-in development server and debugging tools.
Moreover, this new CLI installation reduces over 90 MB of dependencies and thousands of legacy codes and even allows a much faster installation time in addition with a smaller footprint. This means an overall better speed and performance and more guidance and feedback during app development. (Powerful command-line interface)
What are the alternatives to Ionic application development service for PWA Development?
Xamarin: It is a Microsoft-supported framework for cross-platform mobile app development that uses C# and native libraries that are wrapped in the .NET layer.
React Native: It is a framework that allows the building of close-to-native mobile apps using JavaScript and React.JS.
Summing up, progressive web apps have rooted themselves among big brands and are running smoothly through ionic framework building. So much so that along with their native apps, they’re facilitating their users with an Ionic web app which can smoothly run on slower networks.
Although, many others continue to successfully use it for developing “native-like” apps and deploying them on app stores without any glitch. This is a testament enough that people are liking what they’re getting and there is no stopping them.
Who doesn’t know about Blockchain? Blockchain technology which was earlier seen as the driving force behind cryptocurrencies has now entered into every business vertical and process. The technology has transformed the complete economy and made it imperative for everyone to look ahead to a decentralized future. It has come up as a major disruptive emerging constituent of the contemporary internet-enabled era of technology.
But, what’s more interesting is that this technology has proven to hold the potential to be the catalyst for other technologies. Aka, help other technologies bring out the best of their possibilities.
Now while, we have looked into how it helps Artificial intelligence in our blog, titled: Blockchain and AI – What happens when the technologies merge, let’s talk about the alliance of blockchain and IoT, aka, Blockchain of Things here.
To start with, let’s take a quick recap of what the terms ‘Blockchain’ and ‘Internet of things’ mean.
In a hurry? Jump directly to –
A Brief Introduction to What is IoT and Blockchain
IoT challenges that blockchain resolves
Use cases of Blockchain in IoT
10 Blockchain of Things Projects Transforming the World
Challenges Associated with Merging Blockchain and Internet of Things
A Brief Introduction to What is IoT and Blockchain
When talking about the Internet of things (IoT), it is basically an ecosystem that connects digital devices and objects to each other for interacting and transferring information in real-time, and that too without any human intervention. The technology is gaining huge momentum in the market, a result of which is that it has been predicted that there will be around 75.44 Bn IoT-connected devices worldwide by 2025.
Likewise, Blockchain is termed as a shared digital ledger that records all transactions in public/private peer-to-peer networks, such that every member of the network can access the records but can’t change them anonymously.
Now as the definition of the two trending technologies is cleared to you, let’s look at what challenges the IoT ecosystem is facing and what are the benefits of merging Blockchain with IoT.
IoT Challenges that Blockchain Resolves
Despite the growing advancements in this ecosystem and businesses & investors showing an interest in learning about IoT trends, the market is still suffering from various issues. A few of which are as follows –
1. Poor security
IoT enables multiple devices to access, exchange, and share data within the ecosystem. However, in the absence of human supervision and any authentication standards, it becomes much easier for hackers to hack any of the devices and use them as an entry point in the network and steal private and confidential information. In other words, the following types of security concerns are possible to exist-
Software attacks – The connected device is infected via some kind of malware such as viruses.
Physical devices attack – This involves unauthorized device control.
Network attacks – Here, wireless vulnerability and denial of service attacks are considered for ruining the IoT ecosystem.
Encryption attacks – Activities related to password cracking are brought into practice in this scenario.
Blockchain, in this scenario, helps with keeping a real-time track of the history of all the connected devices and sensor data, checking for content duplicacy from harmful data sources, and providing consensus algorithms into the process to ensure identity verification and security advantages.
What’s more, blockchain acts as a decentralized database, making it difficult for anyone to gain access to sensitive information by hacking a particular centrally controlled system.
2. No liquidity
Though IoT has come up with innovative ways to make communication possible between industrial and domestic appliances, devices, and machines, the technology is still naive in terms of empowering machines to order their own replacement supplies and parts. This is yet another area where the potential of cryptographic blockchain for IoT can be applied.
3. Lack of trust
Another challenge prevailing in the IoT marketplace is lack of trustability.
Since every digital device can connect in the IoT network and gain access to information independently, there is a higher risk of collusion and distrust. The top IoT development companies fill this gap and add trust to the ecosystem with the involvement of blockchain in the IoT ecosystem. Aka, the technology having the characteristics of transparency, immutability, and decentralization.
4. Lower scalability
Since IoT systems operate via centralized architecture, it is becoming increasingly tougher for one to connect billions of devices into the same network. An impact of which is rise in network issues and hacker attacks.
Blockchain technology, here, introduces smart contracts in the networks that enable devices to function anonymously and securely by creating agreements that executes only when a specific task is completed.
5. Higher processing overhead cost
Currently, various third-parties are being asked to check and authenticate each micro-transaction to ensure security in the IoT network. This is not solely a time consuming process, but also an expensive affair.
Blockchain-based smart contracts mitigate these challenges by introducing the power of automation and eradicating the third-parties dependency.
Now while we have studied what Blockchain means to IoT, let’s take a look at some of the Blockchain of Things applications across industries.
Use Cases of Blockchain in IoT
1. Supply chain and logistics
As you might have been already aware of, a global supply chain entails many stakeholders like brokers and raw material providers, and multitude of payments and invoices. This makes the process complicated, time consuming, and with less-to-no transparency. Besides, the risk of delivery delays is also common.
Here, the adoption of blockchain in the supply chain management process introduces transparency, ease of payments, and saves time & cost by removing intermediaries and decentralizing the ecosystem. The technology empowers the businesses to enjoy a secure data exchange and a tamper-proof repository for cargo documents and shipping events, eventually resulting in less delays and frauds.
Whereas, IoT enhances traceability throughout the shipment process by empowering machines to share details in real-time across the network.
This way, the combination of Blockchain and IoT (aka Blockchain of Things) helps companies cope up with the challenges related to supply chain and logistics.
2. Smart Homes
Various smart home organizations are embracing Blockchain technology to make the data gathered and shared by smart devices immutable and prevent the risk of hacking.
They are also turning towards the idea of collaborating blockchain and IoT technology to provide users with an opportunity to share specific areas and devices with others safely and securely with giving them access to everything. For example, Comcast employs a permission-based ledger that enables smart home product users to grant access permissions remotely to others from their devices, such that these permissions can be revoked at any point of time. This could be particularly useful in situations like giving a virtual key of your house to a friend.
3. Healthcare and Pharmacy
Another industry that is revolutionizing with the adoption of Blockchain and IoT is Healthcare and pharmacy. The two technologies are helping the industry mitigate their traditional challenges like lack of data security, longer waited time, data inconsistency, and higher attached cost.
While the former technology eases the clinical research and drug development, supply chain management, and patient medical verification impact by introducing the power of decentralized distributed ledger and immutability of data, the latter ensures end-to-end connectivity and data sharing in real-time.
Likewise, Blockchain speeds up the processes by replacing third-party intermediaries with smart contracts. Whereas, IoT makes it possible for healthcare practitioners and pharmacists to get familiar with any uncertain medical signs and prepare for new chronic diseases quickly and efficiently.
4. Automotive
Automotive is also one of the business verticals experiencing the impact of blockchain on IoT. The industry depends on the two disrupting technologies to leverage a wide range of benefits such as –
The two technologies are easing the process of finding a vacant space for parking and is automating the payments via crypto wallet; making it termed as smart parking.
Using RFID tags, car manufacturers are finding it easier to ensure proof of provenance for the spare auto parts and track the exact location of any particular car in the IoT-connected world. Whilst, blockchain is helping with storing and sharing this information globally in the form of a public distributed ledger.
Blockchain of Things (BIoT) is also making it possible for customers to claim for insurance immediately and effortlessly using the power of smart contracts.
Learn more about the use of blockchain and IoT in the automotive industry via this video –
5. Fintech
Again, Fintech is also experiencing a significant change in its working environment with the advent of Blockchain and Internet of Things.
When talking about the role of Blockchain in Fintech, the technology is helping with reducing paperwork, making data immutable and publicly accessible, performing transactions in the form of cryptocurrencies, identifying money laundering issues, and much more.
At the same time, IoT is changing the fintech scenario by offering a myriad of benefits such as immediate support and personalization services, introducing smart banks and ATMs, enhancing spending visibility, and assessing risk related to insurance and loan. An example of this happening is Hyundai, who showcased its ad in IIFA, is developing a platform where Blockchain supports the payments that happen between the devices, making the web of devices immune to hacking and malware attacks.
6. Sharing economy
Another industry that is gaining a huge momentum on integrating IoT with blockchain is the sharing economy.
The technologies are enabling companies to consider each property and device, be it house, car, washing machine, or bed as an IoT-connected device and share or sell on lease to others in the network without involving any third party intermediaries. Something that you will be able to understand better by looking into the working of Slock.it, a real-life use case of blockchain and IoT in the sharing economy.
With such potential, the Blockchain of Things (BIoT) market is growing exponentially. It was recorded to be valued USD 113.1 Mn in 2019 and is anticipated to be worth USD 3,021 Mn by 2024, growing with a CAGR of 92.92% during the forecast period.
Seeing this, if you are eager to harness the power of the convergence of blockchain and IoT in your business, it is likely that you wish to come across some existing projects so as to be fully sure about the investment.
Taking the same into consideration, let’s take a look at the existing projects working with the alliance of blockchain and internet of things.
10 Blockchain of Things Projects Transforming the World
IOTA
Waltonchain
IoTeX
Ambrosus
IoT Chain
Moeco
Power Ledger
Atanomi
FOAM
Chain of Things
Now as you know the types of BIoT projects ruling the marketplace and the type of competition you are going to face, it is obvious that you would be eager to connect with a reputed blockchain app development company and enter this space.
However, it is not easy as it seems. When talking about merging the two most disruptive technologies into the traditional business model, developers face various challenges that often delays the process or demands higher fundings.
So, with a motive to make you aware of those challenges and support your development team in the right way, let’s wrap up this article focusing on the same.
Challenges Associated with Merging Blockchain and Internet of Things
1. Scalability
The foremost challenge being faced in Blockchain and IoT convergence is the ability to scale the requirements of services over a dynamic network of devices. The consensus mechanisms followed by the blockchain technology saves us a lot of time and offers services like information neutrality, authentication, and fault tolerance. However, it also leads to issues like unsustainability of processing a wider network of nodes for every transaction, limited bandwidth, cloud-based architecture, and traditional data storage structures.
2. Varied Processing Time
In an IoT ecosystem, a wide range of devices with varied computing capabilities operate. These devices have different potential and thus, run the encryption algorithms at differing speeds. This makes it difficult to maintain a particular processing power consumption and time.
3. Wider Storage Requirements
Blockchain technology reduces the need for a central server to store transactions and device IDs. However, it demands storing data on the nodes, which increases the size of the ledger. This makes it difficult for smart devices to manage the data.
4. Legal Issues
Since the convergence of blockchain and IoT is still a new territory to explore, IoT manufacturers and service providers have to follow certain legal compliances. This is yet another challenge that scares off various businesses from introducing blockchain into their IoT-powered system.
5. Interoperability
Another challenge faced during the blend of blockchain and IoT is interoperability. This is so because the integration of private and public blockchains, maintenance of common standards for compliance, and integration of multiple open source platforms is still not possible.
6. Security
Blockchain-based architecture serves the world with a promise of data security. However, it is still challenging to meet other blockchain for IoT security parameters like privacy, authentic identity and prevention of data theft, unless a new design consideration is considered.
Mobile apps and digital transformation have brought a major disruption in our everyday lives. They have made various activities simpler, faster, and secure – including making payment.
Today, there are endless Peer-to-Peer (P2P) payment applications in the marketplace that enable users to transfer money to others via credit/debit card or other contactless ways. These applications, not just aid in preventing visiting ATMs and banks, but are also emerging as the perfect companion in the field of splitting rents, sharing dinner bills, and splitting vacation bills.
A result of which is that the global P2P transactions are expected to hit USD 369.8 Bn by the end of this year, while the number of users is anticipated to be around 8 Mn by the next year. In fact, the global P2P payment market is said to be worth USD 3217.34 Mn by 2024.
This sudden rise in the usage of P2P apps over traditional ways and the revealing statistics have encouraged finance business leaders and mobile app developers to look forward to investing in Venmo-like P2P payment app development. A detailed study of which we will be doing in this article.
But firstly, let’s quickly refresh our basics.
What is Peer to Peer payment?
Peer to Peer Payments or P2P Payments is an electronic transfer made by one individual to another with the help of a mechanism that is called P2P Payment Application. Through these applications, every individual account gets linked to the other user’s digital wallet. As soon as the transaction occurs, the account balance in the application records it and pulls money directly from one user’s bank account or app wallet and sends it to others.
When talking about it in detail, every P2P payment app falls among one of the three prime categories, with each having its own benefits and set of market leaders.
Types of Applications to Look at Before Investing in Peer to Peer App Development
1. Standalone Services (PayPal and Venmo)
These types of online mobile payments apps do not rely on banks. They have their own mechanism of storing and dealing with money, without any link to any financial institution. They all have the Wallet feature which makes it possible for users to store money before offloading in some bank account or sending it over to their peers.
PayPal’s user base, since its inception, has grown to more than 202 countries where around 286 Mn users make 36.9 transactions per year, on average via 100 different currencies. Something that is enough to direct entrepreneurs and developers towards PayPal or Venmo like P2P payment app development.
2. Bank Centric (Dwolla, Zelle, and Popmoney)
Another app category to consider for taking advantage of P2P payment application development is Bank centric apps.
These mobile apps involve banks as one of the parties when doing transactions. While most of the banking institutions have their own apps, there are peer-to-peer payment apps that facilitate the fund transfer through its partner bank and credit unions. ClearXchange, which owns Zelle is developed by the top US banking institutions like BB&T, Chase, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, making it one of the safest platforms, matching the safety standards of that of a banking establishment. These apps draw from and deposit directly into bank accounts instead of a stored currency account.
3. Social Media Centric (Facebook Messenger, SnapCash, Google Pay)
Social media centric apps are yet another type to consider when planning to develop mobile payment apps.
These types of mobile applications, launched by social media giants, enable users to transfer money using their credit/debit cards without exiting the platform. A few types are SnapCash, Softcard, and Google Pay.
Now while this has given you a clear understanding of what exactly a P2P mobile app is and what are the different types of mobile peer-to-peer payment apps, let’s move to the next step, i.e, the features to see when it comes to develop mobile payment apps.
Common Underlying Features in every successful P2P Payment Apps
There are some features that we, as a leading financial app development company, incorporate in the P2P payment app development process, every single time. These are the ones that you should have in the apps that you are all set to offer to the flourishing Fintech world.
Unique ID/ OTP
Every Fintech app has an OTP or unique id that is sent to and verified by the sender before the money is deducted from his/her account or wallet. To make apps even more secure, some P2P Payment Service Providers even ask for the OTP every time one opens the app.
Technical Frameworks used – Third party SDKs like: Twilio, Firebase, Nexmo, Digimiles
Notification
This peer to peer payment app feature allows people to inform when the payment has been initiated and when it has been received. Using this, users are notified of any of their account or wallet activity. For apps that have extended their services from just peer to peer transactions to individual transactions like bill payment, ticket booking, etc. this can be used to notify the users of the upcoming bill due dates.
Technical Frameworks used – Rest APIs, Chrome notifications, Amazon SNS, Firebase cloud messaging, and APNS.
Send Bill, Invoice
There should be a feature to scan and send the bill to the person who needs to make the payment. Along with that, both the parties: Sender and Receiver should be able to receive a generated invoice of the transaction, which should be saved in the app itself.
Technical Frameworks used – Rest APIs, Bamboo invoice
Transaction History
Transaction history is again one of the important features to consider when looking into how to build a P2P payment app. This feature would give the users the summary of all their past money transactions made through the app.
Technical Frameworks used – Rest APIs
Chatbot
To build a payment wallet app like Venmo, considering chatbot as a prime feature is also a profitable decision.
This feature helps in dealing at various points of disputes that can come up when transacting funds through an app, from a lost internet connection in the middle of the transaction to the wrong deduction of amount from the wallet or account.
Technical Frameworks used – Third Party party SDKs – Zendesk, Microsoft Bot Framework, LUIS, Wit.ai, Api.ai, Chatfuel, Facebook Messenger Chatbot, and Amazon Lex
Transfer Amount to Bank
Generally, users look for a way to transfer the amount that they receive through the apps to their bank accounts. While every app has its own set of business model, this is one of the most preferred features of the P2P Payment applications.
Technical Frameworks used – ACH, Dwolla
This is about the features that should be added in the apps. But along with the must haves, there are scenarios that should be avoided as well. While most of them are not in your hands, there are some technical issues associated with peer to peer app development that you can easily overcome by being cautious.
So, let’s move to the next step related to how to design a P2P payment system like Venmo.
Different Challenges in Developing P2P Payment App
Even though the world is now moving towards the digital money era, there are some challenges that the industry that persists and should be overcome for a P2P Payment App to survive in the mobile payments market. Let us look at both technical and non-technical challenges that are still staring at the P2P Payment industry –
Starting with Non – Technical first
Regional Limitations
The major players of the P2P industry are restricted in their geographical limitations. It is still not common for a P2P payment app development services provider to enable fund transfer between two nations. As the Fintech industry continues getting overcrowded, it is very important for a brand to expand their geographical reach in order to come out as an industry leader.
Lack of Open Loop Solutions
Presently, when making payments through P2P Apps, both the parties – one making the payment the other receiving it, should be on the same platform. While it is easier when we are transferring funds between people we know, there are times when we take or conduct one time payments with people we don’t know. The open loop platform enables the users to conveniently accept and transfer funds from/to anyone – eliminating the need for the involved parties to be connected through one platform or give-and-take personal information.
The cases of dispute
There are a number of disputes’ points that are associated with P2P Payment Apps. Suppose you initiate payment to someone and instead of going to him/her it goes to someone else or what would you do when an amount is debited from your wallet or account but the person it was supposed to reach, hasn’t received it. Like these, there are a number of things that can go wrong within the minutes of money leaving your wallet and reaching somebody else’s account. It is important that you keep a note of these issues before getting involved into the process to create a custom P2P payment app.
Slow changing Mindset
While people are adapting the methods of online payment and the increasing number of P2P apps, the industry is still growing at a slightly slow speed. People are still more comfortable in using cash and cards instead of mobile apps and the reason behind this is not the UI or accidental lagging, the reason is being unsure of the safety measures these apps follow to save confidential information.
While these were the non-technical issues hovering around the industry, let us now look at the technical challenges that can hinder P2P payment app user journey –
Now, the Technical ones
Security
One of the biggest technologies-related challenges that P2P app development companies face is security. Going by the track record, hackers have been able to get into some of the most secured institutions and platforms like NIC Asia Bank and PayPal. The high level of vulnerability has made Security one of the biggest challenges in the Mobile P2P Payment industry. With the huge number of confidential data being stored in one place, it is imperative for the P2P Payment service providers to create a secured data record management system.
Comply with PCI DSS
It is imperative for every brand dealing with confidential banking information to follow the PCI DSS Compliances. To be eligible for the certificate, the P2P Payment service providers should meet these criteria –
Develop and Maintain secure system and network
Have a vulnerability management system in place
Create strong access control standards
Safeguard confidential information
Continuously test and monitor networks
Maintain and update all information security policy
Currency Conversion
Another challenge that the P2P Payment Service providers face is calculating and converting currencies in real-time. With 180 currencies across the world, it can get difficult for the service providers to create a mechanism that keeps everything on track.
Along with this, the money conversion and fund transfer need to be done in the shortest time possible: an event that is easier when banking institutions are involved, but a little complex when it comes to a digitized market.
What’s the next level?
There are continuous symptoms of growth for blockchain and cryptocurrency use inside the mobile payments industry. The working behind bitcoin has even become one of the most talked-about topics in the current times. Companies like Movile have already realized the scope of using bitcoin within in-game micro-purchases. Bitcoin has even become an alternate mobile payment coinage in some developing economies such as Brazil.
Let us look at what Blockchain and Cryptocurrency is all about –
Blockchain technology
The Blockchain is an unsigned online ledger, which makes use of data structure to ease our transaction processes. It allows its users to edit the ledger securely without involving a third party.
While the bank’s ledger is linked with a centralized network, Blockchain is completely anonymous thus protecting its users’ identities. This anonymity makes the technology a secure way to do transactions. Blockchain is always implemented on distributed networks. The algorithm that it uses lowers the dependency on people to authenticate the transactions, giving Blockchain the potential to unsettle the prevalent financial systems.
The electronic record of transactions is incessantly maintained and then verified in the ‘blocks’ of records. Finally, the meddle-proof ledger is then shared between the parties on their computer servers by taking the help of cryptography.
Blockchain is expected to lower down the inefficiencies and costs involved in dealing with the financial sector.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that exists and operates in digital peer-to-peer networks. It is not a string of data like your regular MP3 and Video files that can be copied. Cryptocurrency is actually an entry on a global ledger known as Blockchain.
How does it work?
When you are sending someone cryptocurrencies, you are not sending them a series of files. Instead, you are writing down the exchange in the ledger, a.k.a. Blockchain. Now even though Blockchain is a decentralized record, there’s no group of people who update the ledger, like what happens in banks. The mechanism is completely decentralized.
There are people who volunteer to keep the track of transactions and continuously maintain them in ‘Blocks’. So now when you want to transact currency, you will have to announce it to the table so that people who are maintaining the ledgers can update them.
Fintech along with its continuous advancements is all set to make Peer to Peer Payment much stronger and easier to adopt, giving a push to companies to get involved in the P2P payment app development process.
If you are looking forward to having a scalable mobile app for your business, hiring an app developer, who is perfect for your business, is important. There is an exponential demand for mobile app developers. So, if you have a list of developers (meaning you are the lucky one), the next most important step is to shortlist the best developers for your project. However, to find the best one, there is a need to consider some important things. Anteelo, a renowned company, pays a lot of attention to those factors that help you in making the best choices.
Some Fruitful Ways for Finding the Best Mobile App Developer
1. Checking the Portfolio
Checking the profile of the shortlisted mobile app developers is the most important thing. This is because it will help you in knowing past projects and case studies. In simple words, you get to see a clear picture of the capabilities of app developers. If the portfolio section doesn’t meet your requirements, then move on to the next one on the list.
At Anteelo, you get the access to company’s Portfolio right on our website.
2. Usage of Technologies by Developers
Nowadays, several apps are using AI-based chatbots, the retail sector is embracing AR, VR, and beacons to deliver immersive user experience. In addition, these technologies streamline business operations and offer several other benefits. Hence, your chosen developers should have experience in using at least one of these latest technologies.
For clients thinking about working with Anteelo, here are the mobile & web app development technologies we work around.
3. Niche Specializations
There is no denying that industries like logistics and healthcare demand an effective approach for mobile app development. This means there is a need to consider the experience that the mobile app developer has in your industry. In other words, the developer should know all those rules and regulations that determine the functionality of a mobile app.
4. Passion for your Project
This criterion plays a vital role in defining the success of your app. To hire a mobile app developer, you should be certain that he/she is passionate about developing a mobile app for your business. This is because such developers will be able to develop the best app that suits the requirements of your business.
5. Consider the Whole Package.
Developing a mobile app is not just about coding. In fact, it is also about creating a functional design and giving a great user experience. This means that while looking for an app developer, you should see whether he/she is able to perform several functions such as usability, design, and testing. ‘
We, at Anteelo, work very hard to provide clients with the experience they deserve.
6. Developers’ Capabilities
Without truly innovative and useful features, it is difficult for your app to grab the attention of users. Before hiring a mobile app developer, you should ask about the special features he/she can provide. In other words, you should find out the capabilities of the developer before finalizing him for your project.
Anteelo’s team of mobile app developers are skilled to offer a range of different mobile app design and development services.
In addition to the above-mentioned points, you should not forget to focus on all the important aspects of your business. This will help you in having a better shot at hiring the right app developer for mobile app development services.
There is no exaggeration in saying that the realization of your vision is often in the hands of your developer.
So, choose carefully and have an app that lets your customers buy your products or simply have a look at your services. Having prior knowledge about how to find the best developer or how much does it cost to hire an app developer can considerably shorten the total lead time of your project.
Mobile apps and digital transformation have brought a major disruption in our everyday lives. They have made various activities simpler, faster, and secure – including making payment.
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