57% of people admit that they are addicted to their smartphones, but have you ever imagined why???
Whether it's shopping, booking tickets, watching movies, playing games, or tracking fitness, everything is possible with smartphones— "correcting mobile apps."
Today, almost every person spends 88% of their mobile phone screen time on apps. In other words, a smartphone is no "smart" without any app!
Now, let's talk about business! The global mobile application market has been valued at over 206.85 billion. You can draw a good amount of revenue from this market. But the argument here is which one is beneficial for you, iOS or Android? Is it worth spending on iOS App development?
Well, if you ask my suggestion, I would say that you should go for iOS without looking back. Why? Let me explain it to you!
10 Reasons Why IOS App Development Is Profitable
iOS has a significant market share in the USA, and its development complexity is lower than Android.It is often cheaper due to lower complexity and easier adaptability.They have fewer variations in iOS devices with only 4-5 screen sizes. It makes optimization and designing simpler.The App Store offers immediate revenue, better app security, and a strict review process.iOS leads in releasing paid apps, contributing to a higher return on investment. The average cost of iOS apps is $0.80.iOS app development is more manageable with controllers, resulting in faster development and fewer errors.High-quality iOS emulators simplify the development process and enhance user experiences.There is high brand loyalty among iPhone users contributes to a stable and dedicated user base (over 1 billion iOS users).iOS apps are easy to maintain due to consistent user updates to the latest OS versions.They have easy & fast in-app purchase processes directly linked to their user account or card.Now, if you're looking for a step-by-step guide to developing an iOS app, I have a great guide for you.
Top Programming Languages You Should Use For iOS App Development
One of the most challenging tasks in IOS app development is using the right programming language. iOS development is quite different than other coding processes. Here, we have to be a little specific and use certain languages that are made for iOS and Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, watches, and Apple TVs.
The top 5 iOS app programming languages are:
1. Swift: Best For iOS-specific Apps
Swift is the most powerful programming language developed by Apple for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS app development. It was introduced by the tech giant in 2014 as a replacement for Objective-C.
Examples: Instagram, LinkedIn, Slack
Pros:
It is an in-house iOS language that defines its accuracy and securityStrong emphasis on type safetyAuto-memory countingIncorporates modern programming language features with daily updates.Cleaner and more expressiveHighly scalableCons:
Skilled Swift developers are hard to findinteroperability with third-party tools and IDEsLess cross-platform support2. C#: Best In C Family
C# (pronounced C-sharp) is a versatile, object-oriented programming language (OOP) developed by Microsoft. It is known for its compatibility with C-family and cross-platform. It is widely used in developing apps for Windows, the web, and games using the Unity game engine.
Examples: Microsoft Office Suite, Unity Games, Visual Studio IDE
Pros:
Promotes code organization, reusability, and scalability, resulting in modular and maintainable code.It has High-level syntax and memory access capabilitiesGood cross-platform capabilitiesEasy learning for the developers of C-familyInbuilt garbage collectorType-safe language with static or dynamic typing capabilitiesLarge community support and help tutorialsCons:
Not so good in performanceHeavily relies on the .NET platformHard learning curve3. Objective-C: The Old Player
Objective-C is Apple's legacy, as it was the primary developing language for iOS and macOS apps before the introduction of Swift. Still, it is one of the best languages to consider in the iOS context.
Examples: WhatsApp (initial iOS version), Tumblr (initial iOS version), and Evernote (initial iOS version).
Pros:
A wealth of libraries and resources.Compatible with C family, offering easy integration with C and C++ code.Legacy codebase for many existing iOS and macOS applicationsCons:
It has more complex syntax and is less readable.Less safe due to its dynamic nature and use of pointers.4. Java: The All Rounder
Java is a widely used, platform-independent, object-oriented programming language. It is known for its "Write Once, Run Anywhere" philosophy, allowing code to run on any device with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
Examples: Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter
Pros:
Simple, cheap, and easy to learn and buildobject-oriented programming languageHigh platform independence with a JVMLarge library and knowledgeIn-built garbage collectionSupports MultithreadingCons:
less performant compared to languages like C or C++Poor GUIMore verbose and complex5. Flutter: Highly Advance Choice
Flutter is an open-source UI software development toolkit by Google. The best part of Flutter is it runs over a single codebase, which makes it a better choice for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop.
Examples: Alibaba, Google Ads, Reflectly
Pros:
Single Codebase for multiple platformsHot Reload allows instant results of code changesRich UI with customizable widgetsFewer development timesOwn unique widgets or rendering engines for both iOS and Android.Based on Dart with AOT and JIT compilerOwn app builderNative-app like featuresCons:
Often creates large and weighty appsLess compatibility for browsers and web appsDoesn't have enough knowledgebase or community supportObjective-C Vs. Swift: Which One Is Better
From the perspective of many iOS developers, there is a strong debate between Objective-C and Swift. So, before we continue this discussion further, let's take a good look at this brief comparison:
Feature
Objective-C
Swift
Introduction
Developed in the 1980s, a superset of C
Introduced by Apple in 2014 as a modern language
Syntax
C-based syntax, influenced by Smalltalk (mostly includes @, parentheses, semicolons, or lines)
More concise and readable syntax (resembles English)
Memory Management
Manual Reference Counting (MRC)
Automatic Reference Counting (ARC)
Error Handling
Traditional error-handling using NSError
A modern approach with a try, catch, and throw
Interoperability
Easily integrates with C and C++
Seamless interoperability with Objective-C
Safety
Limited safety features
Strongly-typed language with emphasis on safety
Open Source
Closed source
Open-source language
Readability
Requires more code for the same functionality
Cleaner and more readable code
Performance
Generally slower than Swift
Optimized for performance
Community Support
Mature and extensive community support
Growing community support
Platform Support
Supports macOS, iOS, and other Apple platforms
Primarily designed for Apple platforms
Adoption Rate
Widespread usage in existing projects
Swift is becoming the preferred choice for new projects
Learning Curve
The steeper learning curve for beginners
Easier for beginners to learn and adopt
With the above comparison, Swift is the winner over the criteria of performance, syntax, memory management, dynamic library support, complexity, maintenance, and safety.
Bottom Line: Why Swift is a popular choice for modern iOS development
In the end, Swift is the best programming language for modern iOS development. The simple reason for saying that Swift is not only authentic but also offers several benefits and features:
It is continuously evolving as the tech giant Apple is working on it for regular updates.Its SwiftUI simplifies complex UI design.Its clean, concise, and expressive syntax makes development faster than ever.Its modern features, like type inference and automatic memory management (ARC), lead to less boilerplate code.Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) manages allocation and deallocation.Being open source, it builds a global community of developers.I hope you loved reading here. Have a nice day!