How to make the best iPhone apps: The secrets revealed!

Summary: Following is an article about certain important things that a developer must always keep in mind about the iOS, or application development for iPhones and iPads to make it a success in the App store.

Back in the day, when apple was just a fruit, people only knew about its health advantages. But now, things are way too different. When someone says apple, the only thing we can think of is an iPhone or an iPad (even Steve Jobs sometimes). That being said, there’s so much that happening in London in relation to iPad application development that one can hardly afford to not know some of the things I am about to share.

IOS is no longer just an emerging operating system. It has become far stronger and potential that it used to be earlier. Having researched for eons, following is a list of ‘must-knows’ that I have put up.

Mac is a Must

No, honestly! I may sound like it, but I am not trying to sell Mac. But you will find that without a Mac, getting your application on a device for testingis impossible. And, for obvious reasons, testing is a must, therefore, it is very important to have a Mac.

Get an Apple

We all know that simulators are available. But the bitter truth is that simulators basically “replicate” the user experience. The real thing is not even close. Once I developed an iPad application and had it tested on a simulator. We had great reviews and our testers and Quality assurance people swore by it. However, a co-developer tried it on his iPhone, and trust me; I have never seen a simple app turn so difficult on the real device. The change was so drastic that I had to re-do large parts of it. But I am glad that we could get the real picture, before it hit the market. You must get an iPhone or an iPad for the testing, as they both are similar in terms of their operating system.

Sign Up

What developers tend to ignore is the time factor. Remember to sign up early for a developer account because it can take up to two weeks for it to get approved. The math is simple. Start off sooner and your app will get deployed to your test devices much earlier. What’s more, is that it can speed up the process of getting your app into the Apple store!

Types of Developer accounts

There are different types of developer accounts and to be successful, you really have to know which one you want to go for. The three main types are:

•  Individual
•  Company/ Organization
•  Enterprise

Individual accounts enable only a single user. The company/organization accounts allow you to create users within the account who can access it, like sub accounts. Enterprise accounts are acompletely different breed; they allow for private dispositions, which is the predominant requirement of an IT company that writes apps for internal use needs.

Don’t need a developer account

Although it is really good to have one, it isn’t a compulsionto have the developer account. You will have to sacrifice the deployment to a test device or putting your app in the Apple store, but you can use an XCode and the iOS simulator without having a developer account. If you’re in for serious business you must get an account, but for learning, don’t bother creating one.

iPhones are not baby iPads

It is a common belief that iPads and iPhones are the same apart from their sizes. It is true that the iPad will run any application made for the iPhone, but certain iPad specific apps will definitely not run on iPhones. They are similar ata coding level, but they are essentially different. iPad application development is aimed at iPads only so to expect them to run just as well on an iPhone, is a sad mistake. The iPad’s bigger screen permits you to stuff a lot more information on the screen without making it look like kitchen clutter. The user is at ease, but if you try to do the same on the iPhone, it will confuse and irritate him. The large screen affects the various user interface widgets that can be used within the app.

Conclusion

On the whole, the world of iPhones and iPads are a revolution by themselves. More and more people are switching to Apple because of its stylish appeal and diverse use. With this kind of a scenario, there is a great scope for iPad application developers in the near future. It is a real joy to develop something on the iOS platform. Keep these tips in mind and enjoy the Apple, because, the old adage states that an Apple a day, keeps the doctor away! What do you say?

About the Author: – Jack is a highly skilled professional mobile app developer in London @VITEB-UK, who has researched greatly in the field of trends in the Custom iPhone application development in London. He is currently assisting VITEB-UK as a resource. To know more please visit www.viteb.co.uk.