To enter the market and thrive, startups have to provide at least a functional MVP. Mobile devices dominate consumer interactions, which puts another challenge in front of businesses. However, 80% of mobile apps fail to make an impact.
This article unfolds the complexities of the mobile application development lifecycle. With the professional guidance of mobile app development services, we unfold each of the main phases of development.
5 Main Phases of Mobile App Development Services
Although you are not a developer, as a business owner, you get much more control over the development process. Below is a table that breaks down the critical phases of the mobile app development lifecycle.
| Phase | Key Activities | Goals | Outcomes and Deliverables |
| Inception | – Idea validation
– Market research – Feasibility analysis – Requirement gathering |
Establish a solid foundation and clear project direction | – Project roadmap
– Requirements document – Initial design concepts |
| Design | – UI/UX design creation
– Prototyping – User testing – Iterative design improvements |
Create an intuitive and engaging user interface and experience | – Wireframes
– Prototypes – Design specifications – User feedback reports |
| Development | – Coding (Front-end and Back-end)
– Integration of APIs – Iterative testing and debugging |
Build a fully functional and stable application | – Beta versions of the app
– Performance benchmarks – Integration logs |
| Stabilization | – Comprehensive testing (unit, integration, system, usability)
– Bug fixing – Performance optimization |
Ensure the application is bug-free and optimized for performance | – Final application ready for launch
– Test cases and results – Optimization reports |
| Deployment | – App store submission
– Deployment automation – Post-launch monitoring and updates |
Successfully launch the app and maintain its operation | – Live application on app stores
– Deployment scripts – Ongoing support and maintenance plans |
How to Choose the Right Platform for Development?
Your mobile development services provider might not share the information on the development platform they choose. However, that choice influences both the performance and the costs of your app. In this section, we’ve collected the most popular development platforms.
Flutter
Flutter is a UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop. Here’s why app development services like Flutter:
- High performance. Flutter apps run directly on the operating system. It eliminates performance bugs in the framework itself.
- Fast development. Features like hot reload allow developers to see changes in real time. It speeds up the development process.
- Beautiful UI. Flutter provides a wide range of widgets and tools. They help in creating visually attractive apps with great functionality.
Microsoft Xamarin
Xamarin uses C# and .NET framework to create applications that can run on many platforms. Here are the benefits:
- Native performance. Xamarin apps are compiled into native code. It enhances performance and gives a better user experience.
- Shared codebase. Developers can share up to 90% of their code across platforms. It speeds up the process and reduces costs.
- Strong community and support. As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, Xamarin benefits from strong community support and regular updates.
React Native
React Native is an open-source framework that allows developers to build mobile apps using JavaScript and React. The advantages are:
- Cross-platform development. Write once and deploy on both iOS and Android. The process is faster and cheaper.
- Large community. React Native offers a wealth of libraries and frameworks to enhance development.
- Live reload. This feature allows developers to see the result of the latest changes immediately.
The Different Approaches to App Development
There are several ways for mobile application development services to approach the process. Each approach offers distinct advantages depending on the business objectives. Below is a table comparing four primary types of apps.
| Type of Application | Pros for Businesses |
| Native mobile applications | – Optimal performance. Native apps are designed for specific platforms, offering the best performance and user experience.
– Full feature access. They have full access to device hardware and software, such as GPS, camera, and notifications, enabling richer functionalities. – High security. Native development allows for better utilization of underlying security features of the operating systems. |
| Cross-platform native mobile applications | – Broader reach. Develop once and deploy on multiple platforms like iOS and Android, saving time and resources.
– Uniformity. Provides a consistent UI/UX across different platforms. – Cost-effective. Reduces costs by sharing a single codebase. |
| Hybrid mobile applications | – Faster development cycle. Hybrid apps combine the best of web and native apps. It leads to faster deployment times.
– Cost efficiency. Development and maintenance costs are lower. – Simplified updates. Easier to manage and update the application. Changes are required only in one place. |
| Progressive web applications | – No installation required. PWAs work through a browser. You don’t need app store approval and downloads.
– Offline functionality. Can work offline or with low-quality internet connections. – Engagement features. Supports push notifications and has an app-like feel, which improves user engagement. |
The Bottom Line
We encourage startuppers to educate themselves on the app process to get more control over application development services. Though vendors do most of the work, you need to be aware of the distinct phases and development platforms to know where each of your dollars go.
