Our 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Mobile App Development
As app developers, over the course of hundreds of client consultations we noticed we get asked a lot of common questions. So we thought it would be a good idea to put them in this post. Here are the answers to the top 5 questions we get asked on mobile app development.
1. How can I make sure my app idea is protected?
Sign a NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) with all the app developers you’re reaching out to. Do this before you discuss the idea with them. If you’d like to discuss your idea with us, please just get in touch.
2. How much does a mobile app cost to develop?
This depends on a number of factors, including:
- How complex the app is – a good barometer for determining complexity is how many different screens it has and the functionality it needs to deliver.
- Is a database required to support the app’s functionality, or will the app require integration with any external systems? Examples of when you would need a database are if your app asks users to create accounts, also if your app captures user reviews, etc
- The number of platforms and devices it will it be launched on (i.e. iOS or Android, or both, tablet devices, or smartwatches?)
For more details on what affects the price of an app, see our article on app development cost here.
Prices of apps can vary from between £6k to six figures for complex apps with lots of functionality that need to work on multiple platforms and devices.
3. How long does it take to develop a mobile app?
Generally, the minimum time that an app of reasonable complexity will take to develop will be around 3 months from start to finish. More complex apps may take around 6-8 months.
4. Should I make my app for iOS or Android first?
Good question! If you are making a prototype or MVP, you need to figure out what devices your target market or MVP testers use, and then make it for the platform that the majority of them are using.
If launching a full app (i.e. not an MVP or prototype), there are 2 other points to consider – market share and the revenue of the iOS and Android platforms.
In June 2015, the leading mobile operating system on smartphones was Android, with a market share of 52.6 percent. Apple iOS had a market share of 35.1% in comparison (source: http://www.statista.com/statistics/271325/smartphone-market-share-of-mobile-os-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/)
However, when comparing revenue earnt from iOS apps versus Android, iOS apps earnt 75% more revenue than Android apps (source: http://9to5mac.com/2016/01/20/app-store-ios-downloads-vs-android-revenue/)
If your app contains in-app purchase functionality, or is going to be a paid app, then going with iOS first is usually the best route to take.
5. Are there ongoing costs once my app is released?
Aside from development of new features, there can be changes required to the app when iOS or Android operating system updates are released. For example, back when Apple released the iPhone 5, which had a larger screen size than previous devices, developers were required to alter some of the app’s graphics to cater for the larger screen size.
As we don’t know what changes are coming in future operating system upgrades, it is hard to predict how significant the changes will need to be, but based on our experience over the last few years, wholesale changes are not normally required when OS updates are made. Normally they are smaller changes. In many cases, there may be no changes required at all.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about app development that we’ve not answered here, please get in touch. If you’d like to book a free consultation please click the button below.