iOS developers are often externally hired developers. For many clients when they enter the app business, the costs are very important. And even if the planned iOS app is intended to be more of an addition to the current product range, external iOS developers are still necessary. Only large companies and corporations have the luxury of having their own development department if the app is not part of their core business. In contrast, there is a wide range of startups and independent app developers who try their luck with their own business ideas.
What iOS developers do
iOS has a market share of around 25%, in comparison to the market leader Android. There are a number of tools on offer from Apple and third-parties for developing iOS apps. If the framework provided by Apple, Xcode, is used then the iOS app is programmed using the language Objective-C. Objective-C has its roots in the programming languages C and SmallTalk. Rather than relying on Xcode, which is limited to iOS, developers like to use development environments which let you also develop the app for Android, Windows and other systems at the same time.
Xamarin lets you develop native apps for Android, iOS and Windows simultaneously by using the .NET programming language C#. Corona SDK offers the same programming opportunities, and is very popular. It uses Lua, a language that focuses on very fast and simple app development. Corona SDK is broadly positioned, with support for Kindle, Windows Desktop, macOS, Apple TV and Android TV.
Titanium, another cross-platform mobile development kit, allows developers to integrate the Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) feature from the manufacturer Appcelerator. Titanium creates apps with JavaScript, and complex features are realised with the MBaaS approach and the Titanium API, which means a mix of high app performance and simplified app development.
The list of available programming tools goes on and on. This framework overview page lists forty different development environments which allow you to design iOS apps. When choosing the developer platform, and an iOS developer, you should keep the technology in mind. Some of these toolkits are more suitable for hybrid iOS. In hybrid apps, a native shell which is written in a language understandable to the target platform acts as the interface to the operating system.
This shell, the wrapper, allows access to the hardware and acts as a type of sandbox for correct execution. Simple hybrid apps are very similar to heavy web apps, and are developed with the relevant web technologies.
Apache Cordova is one such framework suitable for hybrid apps, and makes cross-platform development possible with CSS3, HTML5 and JavaScript. Apache Cordova is less suited for very power-hungry apps however, and the hardware support can be somewhat problematic for certain device functions with Apache Cordova.
Find knowledgeable and affordable iOS developers
Once you know what app approach you will take, the search for a suitable iOS developer becomes significantly easier. Affordable iOS developers who offer their expertise as Outsourcing providers are easy to find in India. The country has a large amount of excellent IT professionals and has specialised in Outsourcing services for Western clients for years. Currently, around 55% of the global IT Outsourcing market is held by India.
If you are interested in an Indian iOS developer, we at Outsourcing4work can quickly find you a suitable professional.
These can be app developers for a project at a fixed-price, as temporary employees or as an offshore branch (light) with a complete team in India. We will find the best solution for you according to the scope and tasks of your app project.
Our European project managers will ensure that everything runs smoothly after concluding the contract. All contracts are concluded with us as a European IT Outsourcing provider, which means you will always be on the safe side legally.
