Mobile app developers are professional programmers specialising in the creation of software systems for mobile devices. Native mobile app development means programming for mobile platforms, and demands the use of special programming languages.
Mobile app developers can be divided by specialisation into two groups:
iOS Mobile Developers code using SWIFT and Objective C;
Android app developers work with Java (the official language of Android Studio), Kotlin, Python, BASIC, PhoneGap, etc. and work within the Android Native Development Kit (NDK), SDK (software development kit), Android OREO, etc. – the alternative environments for Android programmers.
Based on the differences in the Apple and Google guidelines, the knowledge base of iOS and Android developers and the general logic of the programming approaches vary widely.
In a large number of mobile app development agencies, iOS development experts and Android programming gurus work in separate departments, each polishing the nuances of specific mobile apps for their particular platform. The growing popularity of smartphone and tablet apps is pushing mobile development towards becoming one of the most in-demand professions in the world.
2. Where Can I Find Mobile App Developers?
The best way to find a reliable developer is to approach one of the leading mobile app development companies. According to independent research, the UK leaders are:
Hedgehog lab
Fueled
Magora
Lexel
Brightec
Mubaloo
To get a full picture of the market and quickly compare these developers’ skills and proficiencies, check out the independent client reviews on the international IT company aggregator: Clutch.
If you’re looking for a cheap full-stack JavaScript developer or need a freelance programmer for a small project, you can start your search on a freelance ordering platform like Upwork, where you’ll see structured lists of candidates with their skills, references, project histories and rates. This is a good place to hire cheap mobile software specialists. You have the option of offering hourly or fixed-price remote jobs. The website also features a time-tracking tool to ensure guaranteed payments.
There are also free networks like People per Hour, Toptal and Guru, but you should assess the candidates very carefully. Pay close attention to the quantity of implemented jobs, client feedback and the percentage of the candidate’s executed projects.
When it comes to remote candidates, there is no guarantee that – and no way to control whether – the job will be done well. Of course, you’ll get your money back if things go wrong, but valuable time could be lost.
Cooperation with leading app development companies is the best value for money solution for developing apps, as collective work on these projects will bring better results within an agreed time frame and budget.
Design Community
The network of designers can be a great resource for finding professional app creators. The designers’ society share their portfolios, providing illustrative demonstrations of their proficiency and expertise in designing the interfaces for smartphone screens.
Check out Dribbble, the platform where a vast community of designers gather. Behance is also a good place to find inspiration and the right destination for choosing freelance programmers. We can guarantee you’ll find great staff for your project on one of above-mentioned sites.
3. Should I Hire a Freelancer or Work with a Company?
The answer depends on whether or not you can control the development process yourself and whether you have the requisite technical background and management skills. However, even with serious technical support, hiring a freelancer is always a risk. It is very difficult to manage people who live in remote locations.
On the other hand, a software design company will provide not only developers, designers and QA specialists, but also project management services. They have detailed working strategies, comprehensive communication and quality assurance standards, as well as workflows that can help you achieve your goals.
Unless the task you need completed is both small-scale and straightforward, we recommend to choose only those companies with a proven track record.
4. Who is the Best Mobile App Developer?
At first glance, finding a developer doesn’t appear too difficult. However, once you’ve found someone, you'll need to make sure that the app builder meets your expectations. Don’t take the cheaper or faster offer. Once you have a candidate list, pay attention to the following parameters:
Rich portfolio. Experienced mobile app developers are ready to offer you examples of their previous work, including those not included in their portfolio. You should be able to find these apps on the App Store or on Google Play.
Impressive company website. The best app developers with old-fashioned, ordinary sites cannot create great products. If they don’t care about their own online presence, they most likely won’t care about your app right from the beginning.
High quality standards. Top iOS or Android developers have certain quality standards to ensure the success of your project. These standards and regulations should be combined with a set of tools, techniques and methods to achieve a consistent, stable architecture, reusable code and excellent UX design.
Flawless interaction. Communication is the most important aspect of working with a remote team, combining many online tools and reporting methods to ensure transparency in the development process. A good team will provide daily chats, weekly status reports, group and personal calls and demos at the end of each iteration.
Good reputation. The best developers always take care of their ratings, so check whether a company takes a leading position in independent review rankings like Google Business.
To become a mobile app developer, I recommend to begin with a mathematician’s, or at the very least a technician’s, level of knowledge, as well as some software development skills. This can be accomplished by pursuing and obtaining an associate's or bachelor's degree in computer science or a similar discipline such as information system management.
For current students, I recommend reading this article on Quora.
For graduates with some programming skills, the practical steps towards mobile app development specialisation could simply be participating in one or more coding programmes that train aspiring programmers and turn them into professionals.
Here are six basic steps you need to take to become an app developer:
Choose the platform you’re going to work with (iOS, Android, Windows or even web development). Learn two or more programming languages, preferably on-demand ones, depending on your choice, e.g. Swift, Objective-C, Java, JavaScript, Node JS, C ++ or C #, SQL, PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails;
Learn the principles of secure and stable UX/UI design;
Familiarise yourself with the platform guidelines – visit the Apple and Android developers’ websites;
Read about the general principles of software development as well as the logic of software architecture;
Engage with and understand certain development methods (Agile, Waterfall and such applications as Scrum, etc.);
Start developing on your own and practice your skills;
Apply for an internship at a development company to get some good practice and a team to back you up.
This provides a basis for anyone who wants to become a mobile software programmer.
A good start to an app developer’s career is to have some experience with HTML and knowledge of other high-level programming languages. In this case, your progress will be faster and within 3-6 months you can become a mid-level specialist. Starting from the ground up, you’ll need more time and patience to get a foot in the door in mobile app development. People who work hard can achieve the minimum experience necessary to be invited to an IT company within a year.
6. How to Become a Freelance App Developer?
If you’re planning to become a freelance developer, the first thing you need to do is find an app development challenge that can be solved. Here are the most effective strategies for finding new projects:
Recruitment Agencies: They connect you to employers and in many cases offer full-time regular positions, but many people focus on or include some contract tasks that can be performed remotely.
Check freelance platforms such as Freelancer, Upwork and Developer as a Service (DAAS) platforms such as Toptal, X-Team, Alt Tab and Crew.
LinkedIn: Keep your resume up to date, participate in groups related to your experience and / or preferences, write articles and connect with people you know. People will start to find you when they’re looking for development teams.
7. How Much Money do Mobile App Developers Make?
The mobile application industry has evolved into a challenging and highly competitive market with a wide range of income levels. Global revenue from mobile apps in 2018 stood at $90.5 billion.
The average salary for a UK-based mobile app developer in 2018 is £29,594;
The median for US mobile app builders is $110,000 / year;
The typical salary for a development contractor in India is about $5,000 per year.
Comparison of iOS and Android rates:
iOS programmers earn up to $140,000 / year;
Android app developers make up to $154,000 per year.
iOS Developer Salary
The UK and Australia, with average hourly rates of $110, are in fact the only countries where hourly development rates exceed $100 per hour. The spectrum of hourly rates for mobile app development in different countries is predictably dominated by North America, with professionals in the field demanding $150 per hour whilst, at the other end, developers in Indonesia are ready to write code for $10 per hour.
Android Developer Salary
We can see similar figures across both iOS and Android, with hourly development rates being highest in North America – an average of $168 per hour – compared to $110 in Australia and an average of $26 per hour in India. South America and Eastern Europe are slightly higher than India – $35 and $36 / hour respectively – while developers in the UK have a working rate of about $70 / hour.
8. How to Be a Successful App Developer?
If you want to be a successful developer, you should never stop educating yourself. You can consider training camps and professional training schemes for mobile application development. When looking for specialised training camps on relevant topics, tools and mobile development languages, visit communities of advanced app designers, as they are constantly looking for the latests trends and technologies.
There is no better way to develop skills and knowledge than through actual development work. This is equally true for proficiency growth. If you can’t find a job and get paid for your mobile development proficiency progress, start developing something for yourself.
Motivated by a real task, you’ll be ready to join online courses or work with tutor. Such an intense form of learning can help you accelerate in 8 to 12 weeks. Your own goal will push you to ask questions and to contemplate and analyse the existing code and solutions. If you’re really motivated, you can train on your own. To get support, you should be able to find development communities and gain access to seasoned professionals who are well-versed in value-added mobile app development.
Here are some reliable sources:
Stack Overflow is the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their programming knowledge and build their careers.
Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace with over 80,000 courses and 24 million students. Learn programming, marketing, data science and more.
Coursera:100% online learning from the world’s best universities and companies
A learning platform will also help you understand how other programmers work internally and give you the opportunity to explore developmental features around them. This includes not only help files, examples and training materials, but also developer forums and other online communities for various tools and languages.
Stack overflow is a sizeable store of open source repositories for shared and freely available code. Analysis of these materials not only shortens the learning curve, but also provides sufficient learning opportunities (as well as helping you avoid reinventing the wheel).
Do not put a stop to the self-development process, even after years of practice: add a breath of fresh air, join hackathons and IT conferences, become a speaker at the app development congress – take on a new challenge every year to become a great professional in app development.
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