MOBILE
APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT
MOBILE COMPUTING
• What is mobile computing?
• Mobile computing is a technology that allows transmission of data, voice,
and video through a computer or any other wireless-enabled device without
being connected to a fixed physical link. It enables users to access data,
applications, and services while on the move, using portable computing
devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearable devices.
• Mobile computing is the ability to compute remotely while on the move. It
is possible to access information from anywhere and at anytime.
KEY FEATURES OF MOBILE COMPUTING
• Portability: Devices can be carried and used anywhere.
• Wireless communication: Data is transmitted via wireless networks
like Wi-Fi, cellular networks (3G, 4G, 5G), Bluetooth, etc.
• Remote access: Users can access information and services from
remote locations.
• Mobility: The ability to move physically while staying connected to the
digital world.
STRUCTURE OF MOBILE COMPUTING
• Mobile Devices (User Side)
• Mobile Communication (Network Infrastructure)
• Mobile Computing Applications / Backend Systems
MOBILE DEVICES (USER SIDE)
These are the end-user devices used to access mobile computing
services:
• Smartphones, tablets, laptops
• Wearables (smartwatches, fitness trackers)
• Equipped with GPS, cameras, sensors, and wireless interfaces
MOBILE COMMUNICATION (NETWORK
INFRASTRUCTURE)
This part handles the transmission of data between devices and remote
systems:
• Wireless networks (Wi-Fi, 3G/4G/5G, satellite, Bluetooth)
• Cellular towers and base stations
• Network protocols that ensure efficient and secure communication
(e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, MQTT)
MOBILE COMPUTING APPLICATIONS /
BACKEND SYSTEMS
• Mobile applications is the actual program that runs on the mobile
hardware. It deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile
applications. This is the engine of the mobile device.
• In other terms, it is the operating system of the appliance. It's the
essential component that operates the mobile device.
MOBILE COMPUTING OPERATING SYSTEMS
(MOBILE OS)
• A Mobile Operating System (Mobile OS) is software that allows smartphones,
tablets, and other portable devices to run applications and manage hardware. It provides
a platform for developers to create apps and for users to interact with the device.
Key Functions of a Mobile OS
• User Interface (UI) management
• Device resource management (battery, CPU, sensors)
• App lifecycle control
• Connectivity support (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile networks)
• Security features (encryption, authentication, sandboxing)
ANDROID OS
• Developer: Google
• Base: Linux kernel
• Open source with custom versions by manufacturers (e.g., Samsung
One UI, Xiaomi MIUI)
• App Store: Google Play Store
• Most widely used mobile OS in the world
IOS
• Developer: Apple Inc.
• Base: Unix (derived from macOS)
• Closed source, only runs on Apple devices (iPhone, iPad)
• App Store: Apple App Store
• Known for security, performance, and user experience
HARMONYOS
• Developer: Huawei
• Base: Microkernel-based OS
• Designed for IoT, smartphones, tablets
• Meant as an alternative to Android in Huawei devices
KAIOS
• Developer: KaiOS Technologies
• Based on: Linux
• Designed for feature phones with basic smart features (WhatsApp,
YouTube, Google Maps)
OTHER LEGACY OS (MOSTLY DISCONTINUED
OR NICHE)
• Windows Phone OS – Microsoft (discontinued)
• BlackBerry OS – BlackBerry Ltd. (discontinued)
• Symbian OS – Nokia (discontinued)
• Tizen OS – Samsung’s Linux-based OS used in some smartwatches
and TVs
MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
• A mobile app (or mobile application) is a software application developed
specifically for use on small, wireless computing devices, such as smartphones and
tablets, rather than desktop or laptop computers.
• Mobile application development is the process by which application software is
developed for small low-power handheld devices such as smartphones, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), enterprise digital assistants, or mobile phones.
• These applications are either pre-installed on phones during manufacture or
downloaded by customers from various mobile software distribution platforms.
• Mobile software is developed by using different platforms and programming
languages based on the target mobile device (e.g. Java, Kotlin, Objective-C, Swift,
etc.)
TYPES OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS
1. Native Apps.
• Native apps are created for one specific platform or operating system.
• A native app developed for the iOS operating system won’t work on Android devices and
vice-versa. If an app is developed for iOS, it will remain exclusive to that operating system.
• Software used to develop native apps generally would be Objective-C, Swift, Java, Kotlin,
Python, C++, and React.
• Pros: Faster and more reliable in terms of performance. Can access device features. Native
apps utilize the native device UI, giving users a more optimized customer experience.
• Cons: The code you create for one platform cannot be reused on another. The effort needed
to maintain and update the codebase for each version.
TYPES OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS…
2. Mobile web apps
• Web apps behave similarly to native apps but are accessed via a web browser on your mobile
device.
• They’re not standalone apps in the sense of having to download and install code into your device.
They’re actually responsive websites that adapt its user interface to the device the user is on. In
fact, when you come across the option to “install” a web app, it often simply bookmarks the
website URL on your device.
• Web apps are designed using HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, and similar programming languages
used for web work.
• Pros: Can perform on all devices, Easy to maintain, and users don’t run out of storage.
• Cons: Dependent on a browser, Needs an internet connection, may not always integrate with
device hardware.
TYPES OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS…
3. Hybrid Apps
• Hybrid apps are a mixture of both native and mobile web apps. This type of application has
cross-platform compatibility but can still access various features of the device they’re installed
on.
• These are web apps that look and feel like native apps. They might have a home screen app
icon, responsive design, fast performance, and even be able to function offline, but they’re
really web apps made to look native.
• Hybrid apps use a mixture of web technologies and native APIs. They’re developed using:
Ionic, Objective C, Swift, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Mobile JavaScript frameworks, etc.
• Pros: Building a hybrid app is much quicker and more economical than a native app. Load
quickly, and Less code to maintain.
• Cons: Hybrid apps might lack in power and speed, which are hallmarks of native apps.
CROSS-PLATFORM FRAMEWORKS
• Flutter: Google's UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from
a single codebase.
• React Native: Developed by Facebook, it allows you to build mobile applications using JavaScript and
React.
• Xamarin: Microsoft-owned framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using C# and .NET.
• Ionic: An open-source framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies
like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• PhoneGap / Apache Cordova: Allows you to build mobile applications using web technologies wrapped
in a native container.
• NativeScript: Open-source framework for building truly native mobile applications using JavaScript,
TypeScript, or Angular.
