Top iPhone & iOS App Development Companies

The importance of iPhone apps goes beyond just gaming and downloading music for the users. Today businesses are increasingly using it as an enterprise resource, making use of business apps for optimizing and improving their processes.

iPhone apps can help:

• Enable businesses to custom design applications according to their requirements and end goals.

• Having one place for all email IDs improves efficiency and convenience.

• The app gives easy access to email, contacts and calendar events.

• Boosts productivity by enabling users to create graphs, reports, forecasts and efficient process approvals.

• Businesses can use iPhone to record minutes, keep data records of opportunities for growth and follow-ups.

• Instead of keeping multiple devices for data storage, everything can be stored on the iPhone and accessed by all employees on the app.

Plus, you stay connected on the go, no matter where you are, so there are no delays and processes can work smoothly.

Plus, it's secure, so all the sensitive information is protected from viruses, malware and other attacks.

Usually, all iOS apps are designed on the UIKit.

UIKit is a programming platform that combines all the components of the interface. Using this, the developers can ensure uniformity throughout the system while being unique and different from the other apps, as the apps are customized.

UIKit has user-friendly elements so designing the app is easy for any iOS device, including the iPhone. The apps automatically update whenever any changes are intimated to the system.

UIKit elements are broadly categorized as:

Bars

The bars are for navigation, enabling people to know their location. There are also specific components for communicating data and other information.

Views

Views include the apps' graphics, animations, text, and other interactive stuff. You can work on sequencing, organizing, and scrolling the app via views as well.

Controls

Controls include switches, progress trackers, buttons and text areas. These indicate action and communicate information.

So the UIKit defines the interface as well as app functions. You can draw on the app, use the touchscreen functionality and print via the framework. You can also liaise with the other frameworks like ResearchKit, HealthKit, Apple Pay, etc.

Don't fool yourself; coding is no easy task. It takes time to build a solid ground or platform for the app to function.

An ideal timeline for engineering is somewhere between three and four months before the app is ready to be launched. Then certain elements can influence the timeline. These include the development method you adopt and the development team employed.

While Apple provides the necessary tools for designing and developing iOS apps, there are certain things you need to keep in mind to get a well-developed app for your business.

• End Results: You must know what you wish to achieve from the app before starting the development phase. How can it help your business? How will people use and interact with the app?

• Company Position: You need to consider your company, brand and product positioning before developing the app. How will the app help or relate to it? How do your employees, customers and other stakeholders view you as an organization?

• The Design: Outline a rough draft or outlook in general of how your app should look and feel. This way, your developer can work along with the requirements and is more likely to get you the results you need.

• Testing: It is very important to put the app through a test before going public. There are the beta test and the cloud test, both of which can help.

• Beta Test: Once the app is in the final phase and personally tested by the company, you can put it to the Beta test. That means you call real users to check the app and take their feedback and suggestions to improvise or amend any glitches.

• Cloud Test: Cloud testing is done on the actual device. This way, you can see how it looks on the different versions and hence fix the issues if any, so there are no setbacks once it is officially launched.

• Stay Updated: Keeping up with the changing market dynamics, trends and needs of the business is essential. Market research that includes competitor analysis will help you see how the industry is going about app development so you can make the most out of the app.

When choosing the outsource, you need to be thorough in finding the right person or firm for the job. In addition, your project partner has to be good, if not the best, in the industry. So here are some factors you need to look for before choosing the developer for your iPhone app.

Company Reputation

Doing some homework and looking up the company is important before signing them up. Since there are so many companies and outsourced developers providing their services, it helps to be thorough to find the best one that is most suited for your business.

Prior Experience

You can check for their experience in developing similar apps or look up their complete company portfolios to see the number of challenging tasks they’ve done. Furthermore, you can also look up online reviews and testimonials to know them better.

Job Technicalities

Ensure that the developer works on the latest technology and software features. Also, check the coding proficiency, which should be above average for developing a good app. The coding language should be simple, easy to understand but, at the same time, be secure and free of bugs.

Company Goals

Always keep the goal in mind, i.e. what you want from the app. You should also decide who the end-users will be, their proficiency level of using the app, where they live and other demographics.

App Compatibility

Since the app is for iPhone users, you need to ensure it is compatible with all versions of iPhones. Else, if only a few can access it, many others wouldn’t be able to. So, it would be futile to attempt to bring your business on board with it.

Budget

Since it will be a costly project, you need to work up a budget and cost plan before hiring a developer. The cost should be according to the market range and easy for you to meet.

Time Duration

It is essential to decide and notify the developers of the ideal timeline for developing the app. It makes no sense to take on longer than needed to create the app. Also, pressuring them to finish the task in a short time can backfire as hurriedly developed apps won't work and may have a lot of glitches and bugs.

User Friendly

The app should always be easy to use. Since there will be users from different hierarchy levels, you need a single app everyone can get onto without requiring significant effort or training.

When you outsource the iPhone app, there are still certain things you need to stay mindful of:

• Remember, communication is the key. Make sure you notify the developer of the exact requirements and keep in constant touch with them. This way, things won't be left out once you are presented with the app's final version.

• Make sure to take the feedback and suggestions throughout the development phase. Ask questions and be there to answer there's so you can work up a middle ground wherever there’s any ambiguity.

• Keep your expectations optimistic but real. App development takes time, and it is only via testing that you can see the actual results.

Be open and flexible about your budget and timeline.

iOS apps take a considerable amount of time and effort to develop. The level of complexity dictates the price of developing an app. If the requirement were to create a simple app, which is implemented quickly across the board, the engineer would take less time to make it.

So since you have to pay them per hour for the work, less time means less cost.

The app may be simple or basic, medium complex or highly complexed.

Basic: It takes around two months to build a simple iPhone app. The cost is about $5,000-$10,000.

Complex: It takes over two months to develop and launch complex apps. So the cost is between $12,000 and $24,000 on average.

Highly Complex: Highly complex apps can take up to six months to develop. So the cost usually ranges between $30,000 and $50,000.

If you don't have prior experience hiring outsourced app developers, there will be mistakes or factors you may overlook.

No Background Check

Make sure you do some research on the hired developers. Check out online reviews and the reputation or ratings of the individuals you consider for the job.

Picking the Lowest Priced Developer

Always go for the experience and skills when hiring the developers. It is common for a business to incline towards the most readily available cheapest option. But that can cost you more in the long run.

Ambiguous Instructions

Make sure to openly communicate your concerns, requirements and what you want to achieve from the iPhone app. You should tell them of your vision and end goals of the app for your business, so you get just what you want.

Leaving out the essential details can take up a lot of time for app development and waste resources.

Blind Trust

You need to trust the developers to do their job but at the same time be vigilant.

Ask as many questions as you have in mind, give feedback and suggestions throughout the development phase. Ask them if they have prior experience with the app, check their portfolios, timelines, and price.

Not Understanding the Outsourcing Process

One major mistake companies make when they opt for outsourcing is diving right in without knowing how it works and what it entails.

That can be a major risk and may lead to huge losses. So always plan and ensure you know what lies ahead. That includes deciding where to begin, allocating the time and cost, and developing the traits needed for programming the app.

We understand that finding a partner to outsource your app development can be a struggle. This is where Xpeer steps in. We can help you to find the best match from a large pool of pre-vetted companies. It starts from defining the requirements to identifying the leading businesses, price/quality benchmarking until we make sure sure you can engage with the best fit. We support you along the way in your outsourcing process and make sure you have a reliable partner at your side.