The
worldwide smartphone market grew around 13% in 2015 Q2, with massive
shipments of 341.5 million, according to data from the International
Data Corporation (IDC), a global quarterly mobile phone tracker.
Although Android took the lion share with 283 million units shipped
which covered 84% of the market share in the third quarter of 2014
yet, iOS drew more money to iOS developers. It is probably because
Android phones are low-end. Experts also credit Apple’s huge share
of developers revenue to the fact that iOS is frequently updated.
The
major redesign of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, along with the incorporation
of iOS 8 (mobile) and OS X Yosemite (desktop operating systems)
earned high marks for Apple in 2014, along with the advent of the
Apple Watch, iPad and iPhone lineup.
Some of the major trends in iOS app development:
1.
Wearables and Smart Devices
In
2015, Apple launched its watch. It has given an enormous opportunity to the iOS Development Company
to develop applications for iPhone, iPad and its wearables.
There are many apps which are solely ruled by the iPhone. This gives
the clear path for developers, or app development companies to update
or extend their apps for Apple’s wearable device.
As
if now, most of the wearable device applications are focused on
healthcare and fitness industry. But with the improvement in
development, many companies are bending towards wearable devices to
compete with the changing demand.
There
have also been some speculations suggesting that the next-generation
Apple TV will feature a full App Store. To prepare for this, app
developers need to shift their focus from smartphones and tablets to
wearable device and Internet of Things applications.
2.
Beacon Technology
Beacon
Technology is the bridge between online and offline. It is a low-cost
piece of hardware small enough to attach to a wall or countertop that
use battery-friendly, low-energy Bluetooth connections to transmit
messages or prompts directly to a smartphone or tablet. This
technology extends location services in iOS devices.
Apps
using iBeacon technology was rising the previous year. Many retail
corporations, airports, museums, etc. had become iBeacons user.
Android is also expected to follow the suit in 2015.
3.
Application Security
Mobile
app misconfigurations can challenge various security issues.
This
can be a primary concern for smartphone and tablet users as they are
increasingly shifting their personal and business data into these
devices. Nowadays companies and consumers expect heightened security
measures to guard their data.
So,
to protect users’ sensitive information, developers need to take
some serious steps towards enhanced iOS app security to provide
better risk assurance.
Challenges
with the Recent Trends
These
latest trends are undoubtedly quite impressive. But if we see the
other side of the coin, there are many challenges that the iOS
developers are facing. Let us see what challenges should the iOS
developer work upon:
1.
Beta Users Testing
It
enables users to check the app’s functionality and recognize any
failure conditions, unique to an application.
2.
User Interface
People
adopt iOS devices mostly due to its clean design concept and
excellent user experience. However, it becomes challenging to create
an attractive user interface. The user interface displays the core
features and functionality in an intuitive process flow. It is bit
challenging to manage the limited amount of screen space with the
increasing business expectations from the iOS application.
3.
App Store Approval
Be
sure to know the Apple App store’s guidelines before you begin with
iOS app development task. Read and then implement all the listed
rules and regulations so that applications get approved in the App
Store at one shot.
4.
Weak Network
The
speed can be a major concern for the users. Therefore, it is
necessary to pass your iOS application through a test done by the
Network Link Conditioner that helps you in stimulating.
5.
Flaw in Performance and Memory
Performance
and memory constraints is another hurdle faced by iOS developers.
Notably, iOS developers find difficult to manage memory within an
application. One can have a risk of the application being deleted if
it becomes a source control.
The
hurdles as mentioned above are bit challenging for iOS developers. To
overcome these challenges, the developers should show the maturity by
handling challenges with minimum investment and compromising the
final product.
