Android vs iOS

Mobile App Development is definitely one of our key strengths. Our Minders develop apps on both Android and iOS. Whether to build for Android or iOS (or both) depends on our Partner’s business and several factors. Critical among these factors is knowing the target audience, the customer demographic, and understanding the adoption and usage of different devices in regions where the business operates, which is an ever-changing picture.

Another consideration is functionality and the richness of the user experience; these influence the choice of platform and technology decisions to elect native development or a cross-platform approach and which language or framework is best. Then there's a budget to consider - whether it is affordable to support multiple variants to maximise reach and an optimised user experience. All of this requires making the right decisions at the right time, something we love helping our partners with!

There are distinct differences between the app submission processes for both Android and iOS. This blog covers some insight into the mobile app development process and draws attention to the differing submission requirements; of course, we’ll give you examples of projects Mindera has worked on for both platforms. We also have an in-depth article on our app development process.

The Mobile App Development (MAD) Process

Mobile App Development is an entire process from ideation and design all the way to development and execution. It really and truly involves the need for a deep understanding of what mobile apps are as well as the end users of the product. You might think that mobile app development and desktop app development are similar processes; however, things such as functionality, reliability, accessibility, usability, and responsiveness in relation to user requirements end up being completely different in both product roadmaps.

Mobile app success depends on many factors, including technical expertise, marketing strategy, and engineering capacity. It must be sensitive to constraints in budget and meeting specific deadlines that are important for product release. Our agile way of working, team autonomy, and self-organisation help navigate these obstacles. Choosing the right product management methodology really impacts the journey the team will embark on from the get-go.

App Development Steps

Naturally, there can be a lot of overlap between developing an app for Android and developing an app for iOS. So, we’ll give you the most straightforward breakdown of app development steps before going into some examples. As this is a basic introduction, it isn’t an exhaustive list that includes everything that goes on behind the scenes.

1. Define app requirements and scope

Understanding our partner’s needs and goals for their app is super important. We learn the ins and outs of who our partner is and their goals in our ‘Sprint 0’ process. Here, we build on their ideas and become an extension of their business, gathering detailed information on their product's requirements, features and functionalities.

2. Design and wireframing

Once we clearly understand business goals, we craft a visual plan of the app's layout using wireframes or mockups. Here, we consider UI elements to make the product user-friendly and will frequently meet with our partner to get their feedback on the process.

3. Development, development, development!

Our engineers work their coding genius in various languages and frameworks, for example, Java or Kotlin for Android and Swift or SwiftUI for iOS. The wireframes are carefully refined and referenced so we can implement the required functionality. Applying agile practices, we constantly test, iterate and refine as we go.

4. Testing and Quality Assurance

Of course, it’s essential to test the products you’re developing thoroughly, and we do just that on various Android/iOS devices and by using tools to help with automation. In this stage, we can identify any bugs, crashes or issues and work on them accordingly. We also look at app performance, security, and responsiveness.

5. Client review and feedback

Regular review and feedback with the client, often daily, is crucial, and we actively encourage this at all stages of development. After all, our goal is their goal; we want the product to be as polished and perfect as possible!

6. Deployment and Launch

To launch, we need to prepare the app for app store submission, including creating app icons, generating necessary certificates, etc. For Android, signed APKs must be generated and reviewed before the app can be published on the Google Play Store or other relevant platforms. For iOS, the necessary certificates need to be generated, and then the app has to be submitted to the Apple App Store for review.

Apps are then monitored post-launch for further bugs that may arise, and user feedback is gathered for future updates.

We are presenting a very simplified overview, and more steps can be involved in the iOS process due to security features and guidelines from Apple. Moreover, this approach is not limited to creating brand-new apps; it is equally applicable to improving existing app versions. This iterative cycle can be applied repeatedly for every new feature developers introduce.

Though similar, the process is also adaptable to the client's goals; for example, when a Minder joins a client with a mature project, the app development brings focus on areas like new features, technical debt, solving bugs and issues, roadmap challenges, etc.

We’ll expand on the app submission process specifically below.

App Submission Processes

Android

Let’s look into Android first, perhaps the “simpler” and shorter process.

The first thing to consider is that with Android, developers have the challenge of testing the app on a wide range of devices due to a very diverse Android ecosystem. Luckily, Android Studio has an emulator which makes testing easier. A representative set of devices can be selected that cover different screen sizes, resolutions, and hardware capabilities.

Although a bit of a pain point for Android developers, by testing on devices with varying specs, engineers can identify and address any issues that may arise on different hardware. They can also distribute a beta version of the app for further testing by sharing the APK file with testers or by using beta testing platforms like Google Play’s beta testing program. This broad device testing approach improves the chances of catching a wider range of bugs or issues so these can be resolved before reaching a wider audience. Firebase can also be used in the testing process, where apps can be uploaded to Firebase and distributed without any kind of review on Google’s side.

Generally speaking, the Google Play Store offers a more lenient and quicker review process compared to Apple. Android apps also have greater flexibility when it comes to their distribution. Engineers can publish an app directly on the Google Play Store or alternative stores, as well as on websites. This offers much more control over app distribution.

Apple

While Google emphasises automated checks and algorithmic reviews for app submission, along with more flexibility, Apple’s review is more manual and often takes longer; this affects how long it takes for the app to reach the user.

Compared to Android, there are fewer distinct device configurations, making testing for a wide range of devices less of a concern for an iOS engineer. Apple runs a comprehensive simulator within Xcode (their development environment), which is fantastic for emulating various iPhone and iPad models. Therefore, different screen sizes and resolutions can be tested without needing the actual device. Apple also provides a TestFlight platform so engineers can invite specific users to try pre-release versions of the apps. There is a well-defined set of guidelines and security steps involved with Apple!

Security and privacy are critical in this app submission process. To get an app published on the App Store, engineers have to submit the app for manual checks to make sure Apple’s guidelines are met. A project might take a week for review on Android and sometimes up to three weeks on Apple. Usually, the app isn’t approved for the store in the first call; the process is more iterative, where Apple will give feedback, which the team then work on until it is accepted. Incidentally, the three-week timeline is more for the first submission of an app; when the app has been in the store for a while, the submission time for any new versions can be as little as two or three days. Apple’s guidelines cover user data protection, app behaviour, and adherence to the Human Interface Guidelines.

Account deletion

Since July last year (2022), all the apps in the Apple App Store need a button so the user can delete their account immediately. It adds extra steps for our engineers as Apple has to review our code; interestingly, we don’t have this barrier in Android development. However, ultimately, it is better for the user as they get a high-quality and privacy-secured app that they can delete whenever without the need to contact customer support.

Mindera Case Studies

Below, we present a couple of examples of some of our client work on mobile apps:

Dunelm Mobile Point-Of-Sale

Mindera worked with our retail partner, Dunelm, to deliver a mobile point-of-sale (MPOS). Our engineers worked with Node.js & Express, React, GraphQL & Microservices, and AWS for this project. The project was a true partnership between Dunelm and our Minders.

Our joint teams created a new iOS app using the mobile app development steps and submission processes aforementioned in this article. We wanted to ensure that the hosts would have all the advantages customers purchasing directly could access on Dunelm’s website. By using Agile practices supported with a Lean philosophy, we delivered on this project with an iOS app that ‘hosted’ the website. This created an integration point between the cloud-based website and in-store payment systems. The new mobile sales offering outperformed its predecessor by over 135%!

Check out the full story of this project with Dunelm.

Long-term Retail Partner

Our client here is a global luxury fashion retailer who Mindera has worked for more than eight years. Their items range from luxury bags and watches to bespoke ornaments. Their digital products specialise in different retail areas, for example, men's & women’s fashion and outlet stock.

We have a very strong collaborative relationship and operate heavily as mixed or hybrid teams. We originally started helping in front-end technologies, supporting mobile and web, but today, we support all areas of their tech!

Their apps feature many cool functionalities and beautiful product display pages and carousels; you can really personalise your shopping experience with editable lists and visual searches to find your perfect product.

Currently, we have a unique codebase that supports multiple brands, with more than 500K active users. Our codebase incorporates the latest best practices recommended by Google, enabling us to deliver high-quality features rapidly. Furthermore, we can enable or disable these features remotely for different brands or countries without the need for a new release.

Testing, measuring, and optimising have been fundamental aspects of our daily operations from day one. This commitment has led to outstanding results over the past years, making our mobile applications the primary revenue generator for the company.

Check out our services and case studies to see more of Mindera’s complex mobile capabilities!