Finding suitable mobile app architecture has always been a difficult task as it has to balance with the nature of the application. It helps us to determine if the app is working correctly or needs improvement, and helps establish guidelines, constraints, and patterns according to the code flow. A good architecture is able to handle various problems with operating systems, besides completing the software. Android developers might feel a lack of support from Google or no particular recommendation for architecture, while iPhone developers feel its contradictory as they can use MVC architecture for UIKit. This proposal might arise a lot of controversies and might not suit well to all the developers.
Why do you need to have a Mobile App Architecture?
According to market data and mobile analytics provider- App Annie has estimated that global app store consumer spend will be $120 billion by the end of 2019. Out of which gaming apps account for almost 74% and the rest claims by non-gaming apps. Android and iOS are two accounts of a very different ecosystem and app architecture. Both Android and iOS are difficult to develop, considering the demographics, development process, audience, market, diversity, and media engagement.
It is a massive challenge for app developers when the nature of the app acts as a decisive factor for attracting the user. In most of the cases, Android users far outweigh iOS users in number. Also, the different ways of apps’ monetization policy help to choose the targeted audience.
Moreover, user satisfaction plays a great role in predicting the future of any media platform. By implementing the most prevalent strategies of monetization such as paid apps, ads, and IAP’s, iOS gets the full advantage over the Android audience. The programming languages, development tools, and app development cost aid towards certain advantages to a specific mobile app.
What is a Mobile App Architecture?
A set of techniques and patterns that are used to develop an entire structure of a mobile application is known as a Mobile app Architecture. The procedures that work on wireless devices like tabs and smartphones need to be taken into consideration while formulating any mobile app architecture.
The design of the mobile app architecture usually contains multiple-layers within an application that involves the following layers:
Presentation layer – With the UI components as well as the UI process components.
Business layer – Formed of business entities, workflows as well as business components.
Data layer – Data utilities, components, and service agents form this layer together.
Considerable elements before developing Your Mobile App Architecture
A better app architecture is crucial to the success of your mobile app development. Therefore, it’s essential to keep the following factors in mind while designing the mobile app architecture.
Defining the type of device
Before settling for app architecture, it is important to evaluate the device type and its characteristics. There are different categories to keep in mind:
Screen resolution
Size of screen
CPU characteristics
Memory
Availability of development framework
Storage space
Bandwidth scenarios need to be considered
The fluctuation of internet speeds can impact negatively on your targeted audience. Therefore, the internet network scenarios also need to keep in mind to influence your targeted audience. Customers may not stay connected to the internet all the time and also they can experience intermittent networks at times. So, if you are targeting the countries having a 5G network, you might need to redefine your criteria.
Power consumption and speed also need to be taken into account while selecting software protocols and hardware for your mobile app. Designing your cache mechanism, data access mechanism and state management need to be in sync to adjust low and intermittent internet connection.
Need to create defining User Interface
It is always recommended to avoid clumsy UI for the mobile app else, your app could fail. While designing a user interface, gives an opportunity to explore a horizon of creativity for your distinctive style. It is more important to keep it as simple as possible so that users can interact spontaneously with it.
Selecting the proper navigation method
Ease of navigation for both right and left hand is a crucial aspect while determining the mobile app architecture. You need to consider your app’s requirements as well as customers’ preferences. Among different methods, you need to identify the best fit for your mobile app. Here’s a list of some popular methods:
Stacked navigation bar
Tab controller
Modal controller
Single view
Gesture-based navigation
Scroll views
Search driven navigation
Now, if you wonder how to be sure whether your mobile app is going to meet the requirements of your targeted audience, you need to follow the analytics and guidelines specifically build for your mobile app to work efficiently in different scenarios.
Mobile App Architecture Example
The first and foremost criteria of good mobile app architecture is one that has a simple process of developing and maintaining the program with simplicity and efficiency. The program needs to be easier to expand, change, test, debug and understand.
Program codes for good app architecture must be written from scratch, without using any frameworks. This makes the architecture universal that allows the installation of various plug-ins and faster troubleshooting.
Such a mobile application creates its every layer independent of other programs and components. It also entitles a key fragment that contains the logic of the app and other important objects of it. These layers are all connected by the Dependency Rule that states that source code dependency can only be specified internally. For instance, nothing from the outer circle can be mentioned by an inner circle code. This rule applies to classes, variables, functions and other entities.
Back in 2012, very simple structures were developed for app development projects. Mobile App developers didn’t have to work with the network nor did they have any libraries. AsyncTask was the most important component in building Android mobile app architecture.
However, in the current reality, the application of Clean Architecture is the best reliable solution for app operation. This kind of architecture allows the application to be independent of frameworks and databases. The transition between different layers in such Android mobile app architecture is being done through Boundaries or two interfaces; for a request and for the answer. Following this process makes the app independent and the inner layer does not have to depend on the outer layer but can transmit data between each other.
In order to bring back dependency in such an Android mobile application architecture, it needs to be directed towards the reverse data-flow applying the principles of dependency inversion. It means that instead of User Cases being directly dependent on the Presenter, they depend on the interface which must be implemented by the presenter.
IOS Mobile App Architecture
A standard iOS mobile app architecture is divided into four levels:
Kernel level (Core OS) — this works with the file system, controls the validity of various certificates belonging to the applications. It is also responsible for maintaining the security of the entire system. It contains low-level access to the other elements of the device.
Core Services (Core Service) — provides access to databases and file controls.
Media level (Media) — consists of tools that allow the processing of most media data formats.
Interface level (Cocoa Touch) — this consists of many elements to create mobile interfaces and also provides information coming from the user for the remaining layers.
Properties of Mobile Application Architecture
It is recommended using Clean mobile app architecture to gain high-quality and uninterrupted operation of your mobile app. You need to follow a few tips while creating a suitable platform. This makes the app convenient for your clients and employees as it ensures high-quality app architecture. Hire expert mobile app architecture developers to build a right technical team that operates with a joint goal and synchronize working methods.
Mobile Application Architecture — Best Practices
Keeping synchronization of all processes and capabilities of the mobile app is important to create high-quality mobile app architecture. Also, keeping a track of the demands in features helps in the future is necessary to keep the app works perfectly and stay on demand. Therefore, including all the best ideas in the first version is not a good idea. Moreover, it increases development time and cost, overloads the interfaces making it work slower, even it can postpone the product launch.
Architecture for Mobile Application & Tips for Making It
Both complex and simple applications need a well-designed architecture to save time, effort and make it cost-effective. It is always expected to have a reliable program whose architecture can easily be modified, tweaked, tested and debugged. Here is a checklist to determine if your application has a good architecture:
Efficiency
if the application performs tasks and functions in any condition, then the system can be considered as effective, reliable and capable of taking loads.
Flexibility
the selected solution must be easy to change and has very few errors. If you change one element it mustn’t create a fatal influence on the other elements in a negative way.
Extensibility
you must be able to add as many functions as you like to the application and expand it.
Scalability
a solid architecture enables you to direct development in several parallel threads and also takes minimum time for development and updates.
Testability
the architecture for mobile application should be able to test easily that confirms minimum errors and maximum reliability.
Understandability
the code should be credible enough so that any developer can work with it. You hire many mobile app developers who can understand the project faster and only a good architecture can confirm it.
Finishing Tips for Your Mobile Architecture
The mobile app architecture must complete before the developmental process begins, as it is a sequential plan. It provides a plot that directs the various components of the application to stay organized and connected to each other. It helps to create a guideline that ultimately helps you to create a well-written application that is easier to test, expand and maintain.
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