Category: Mobile App Development

MVP Mobile App Development: How to Get to Market Faster and Make Data-Driven Decisions

Posted on by galaxy-admin

About 90% of startups fail to grow without building an MVP.

It’s a strong number to convince startups to take over their idea and create a prototype before stepping into it.

But what about the rest?

The rest of the startups look for ways to get their ideas to the market quickly and efficiently, and MVP (Minimum Viable Product) supports this concept to help startups achieve this goal. 

An MVP is a simplified version of a mobile app that contains only the core features and functions needed to validate the app idea and gather user feedback. 

The idea behind an MVP is to bring the app to the market as soon as possible and test its viability without spending a lot of time and resources. 

This way, startups can learn about their app’s strengths and weaknesses early on and make necessary changes to improve the product. 

All in all, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your unique value proposition, target audience, and metrics for success. 

Showcasing a demo of the MVP and providing examples of similar successful apps can also be very effective in demonstrating the potential of your app.

But, first, let’s take a look at what you’d miss out on if you target completing the whole project at once and not breaking it into simpler steps.

How MVP Eliminates Challenges: For Users

Creating a solution that provides real value to users is the actual idea of developing an MVP, but let’s clear our lenses to see what would happen if we skip this part. 

Some common pain points for target audiences in mobile app development include:

  • Difficulty In Completing A Task Or Process: 
    Users may struggle with organizing their requirements and finding information quickly and efficiently.
  • Inefficient Or Time-Consuming Processes: 
    Users may be frustrated with the time it takes to complete a task and compelling them to shift to other alternatives. 
  • Poor User Experience:
    Users may be frustrated with clunky interfaces or confusing navigation in a mobile app.
  • Lack Of Functionality:
    Users may want additional features or functionality not currently available in a mobile app.
  • Security Or Privacy Concerns:
    Users may be concerned about the safety of their personal information or the security of their transactions in a mobile app.

How MVP Eliminates Challenges: For Developers

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach to mobile app development helps to minimize the difficulties that can arise in the development process. Some of the difficulties that are excluded in the MVP approach include:

  • Overbuilding:
    With an MVP approach, the development team focuses on delivering only the most essential features, avoiding the temptation to add too many bells and whistles that can slow down the development process.
  • Time and Cost Overruns:
    By focusing on a minimal set of features, MVPs help to control the development timeline and budget, avoiding the risk of project delays and overspending.
  • Unvalidated assumptions:
    An MVP approach validates the assumptions about the app’s potential success before investing too much time, money, and resources in the development process.
  • Lack of user feedback:
    MVPs allow developers to test the app with real users and gather feedback, which helps to avoid developing features that may not be useful or desired by the target audience.
  • Technical complexity:
    By focusing on only the essential features, MVPs help to reduce the technical complexity of the app, making it easier to develop and maintain.

An MVP approach to mobile app development can help businesses to minimize the risks and difficulties associated with the development process, while still delivering a functional product that meets the needs of their users.

Understanding The MVP Development Process 

Building an MVP is an iterative process, and the product will evolve over time based on user feedback and market trends. The goal is to validate the product idea and gather feedback as quickly and efficiently as possible to inform future development decisions.

Here is how MVP development staging takes place to bring out a better user experience.

  • Product Discovery:
    Identify the problem you are trying to solve and research your target audience, market trends, and competitors. The more data a company possesses, the better its prospects of success.
  • Feasibility:
    The product must provide value to users in the simplest form possible, as the term MVP suggests. Outline the users first, then create the MVP around their requirements.
  • Targeted Market Testing:
    The goal is to validate the product idea and gather feedback from potential users. Based on the feedback received, make changes to the MVP app and iterate on the product.
  • Comparative Costs:
    The cost of developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) can vary widely depending on several factors, including the complexity of the product, the development methodologies used, the technology stack, and the size and experience of the development team. 

    For example- If the estimated cost to create an android or ios application is 3000$, the estimated cost of developing an MVP mobile application will cost 40% of that. 
  • Comparative Time:
    It’s important to keep in mind that these are rough estimates, and the actual time required to develop an MVP can vary widely depending on the specific requirements and constraints of the project. 

    Additionally, the time required for ongoing maintenance and support should also be considered when calculating the total time required for an MVP project.

MVP Development – How To Get To Market Faster 

Developing an MVP mobile app provides developers with a faster, more efficient, and more effective way to validate their ideas, build a product that users love, and grow a successful and profitable business. 

Here are a few well-known facts about MVP mobile app development. 

  • Faster time-to-market:
    An MVP app can be developed and launched quickly, allowing developers to get user feedback and validate their idea in a shorter time frame.
  • Lower development costs:
    29% of startups crash due to multiple financial disasters. An MVP app typically requires fewer resources and less time to develop compared to a full-fledged app, which can result in lower development costs.
  • Improved user engagement:
    By focusing on a minimum set of features that deliver the most value, an MVP app can engage users more effectively and increase their likelihood of retaining and referring others.
  • Better decision-making:
    Developing an MVP allows developers to collect feedback from users early on and make data-driven decisions about what features to add, remove, or modify in the future.
  • Improved risk management:
    By validating the concept with a smaller investment of resources, the risk of building a product no one wants is reduced, allowing developers to make necessary pivots early on.

  • Improved focus:
    By developing an MVP, developers can focus on the core features that deliver the most value and avoid wasting time and resources on unnecessary features.
  • Better fundraising opportunities:
    An MVP that demonstrates traction and user engagement can increase the chances of attracting investors and funding to take the app to the next level.

Can MVP Market Itself As A Product?

The answer will always be Yes. 

By focusing on delivering a minimal but valuable set of features, an MVP app can demonstrate its potential to solve a problem, provide a unique user experience, or offer a new level of convenience. 

Here are a few solid reasons why MVP is the one. 

Reason #1: It Attracts Early Adopters In Building User Base

Attracting early adopters and building a user base are critical goals for MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Unique Solution: 
    By offering a unique solution to a pain point, you can differentiate your MVP from similar products and attract early adopters looking for a fresh, innovative solution.
  • Word-Of-Mouth Marketing: 
    Early adopters can be powerful marketing allies, and their positive experiences with your MVP can help to attract other users through word-of-mouth marketing. Encourage early adopters to share their experiences with others, and reward them for doing so.

Reason #2: It Establishes A Brand Identity & Creating A Following

Establishing a brand identity and creating a following are important aspects of MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Brand Personality: 
    Brand personality and values of your brand ensure that these are reflected in your messaging, marketing, and product design.
  • Clear Value Proposition: 
    It is a clear, concise value proposition that communicates the benefits of your MVP to users. This value proposition is reflected in all of your marketing and product design.

Reason #3: Increases Visibility & Credibility 

Increasing visibility and credibility are important goals for MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Content Marketing: 
    Use content marketing to educate potential users about your MVP and demonstrate your expertise in your field. This can help to increase credibility and build trust with your target audience.
  • Partner With Businesses: 
    Partner with businesses that complement your MVP, such as app stores, service providers, or complementary products. This can help to reach a wider audience and increase visibility.

Reason #4: Gathering Feedback & Iterating To Improve The ProductReason #4: Gathering Feedback & Iterating To Improve The Product

Gathering feedback and iterating to improve the product are critical aspects of MVP mobile app development. Take these steps to achieve these goals:

  • Leverage Analytics: 
    Use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or Mixpanel, to track usage and engagement with your MVP. This can help you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about future development.
  • User Testing: 
    Conduct user testing to get direct feedback from potential users. This feedback can help you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about future development.

Case Studies Of MVP Mobile App Development

Statistics show that one-third of startup business owners started their businesses with less than $5,000 and without any assurance that they would make a profit.

The temptation to start a big campaign immediately could be strong, but you should always start modestly. Due to the lengthy development process, about half of new concepts are abandoned since they cannot be proven at an early stage.

Since premature scaling is to blame for the demise of more than 70% of all firms, it is equally crucial to begin with tiny steps.

Here are two major examples of MVPs you know very well. 

  • Uber: Uber started as an MVP that allowed users to request a ride through a simple mobile app.
    The company validated its business idea by offering a small group of users a basic version of its app and gathering feedback to improve the product.

    Today, Uber is a multi-billion dollar company that offers ride-hailing services in hundreds of cities around the world.
  • Dropbox: Dropbox started as a simple MVP that allowed users to store and share files in the cloud. The company validated its business idea by offering a small group of users a basic version of its app and gathering feedback to improve the product.

    Today, Dropbox is a multi-billion dollar company that offers a full suite of cloud storage and collaboration tools.
  • Blum Telehealth: With the idea to serve users in the comfort of their homes, Blum Telehealth is focused on bringing medical care through Video calling regardless of the patient’s geographical location.

    The remote care facility validates its business idea by offering doctors and patients to effortlessly communicate apart from elevating the level of care for the entire community. Today, Blum Telehealth has served 6+ years successfully with an aim to reduce health care costs. 

Get Started With MVP Now 

If you’re considering MVP development for your startup, staying focused on your target audience, understanding their pain points, and continuously seeking feedback to improve the product is key.

By taking these steps, you can increase the chances of success for your mobile app and build a strong foundation for future growth.

So, what’s your next step toward MVP mobile app development for your startup?

If so, the galaxy can fit your idea into an app. We offer a wide range of product engineering services to help businesses at all stages of product development, from initial concept to market release.

Are

Build Better Apps in Less Time: 5 Reasons to Choose Low Code MVP Development

Posted on by galaxy-admin

As of 2022, nearly 3 million apps are available for download on the Google Play Store. And of all people, millennials are the most active app users, with 21% opening an app 50 or more times per day.

Your analytics will reveal that most website traffic comes from mobile users. That’s why startups today want to ensure their presence on the mobile platform as long as their idea and the problem they intend to solve are feasible with a mobile app.

But here’s the catch, a growing app market can mean something other than that your new app will succeed. Especially for startups, you will know if your application will grow once you test it. Does this imply that you should invest in full-fledged development? Not quite.

There is another solution that is quite a buzzword in the industry! Many startups and app market legends, such as Spotify, Uber, Instagram, and Dropbox, have succeeded through the MVP approach. And Low-code MVPs can be especially beneficial for mobile startups working on a limited budget or timeline.

If you’re considering this approach for your startup, we recommend reading this post to learn more about it.

Build Better Apps

Why is Low Code MVP essential for mobile-based startups?

Before we get into the details, let’s talk about what an MVP and a low-code MVP are.

MVP is the primary product version you build to understand your audience better. It helps the audience know the product and what to expect from it. On the other hand, it helps businesses realize the actual value of the product and its feasibility.

MVPs allow you to determine:

  • if your users are ready for the product,
  • if they’ll be interested in using your solution, and
  • what the scope is for scaling the product.

If you get enough insights from the users of the no-code MVP, it may be worth investing in a full-fledged solution.

A Low code MVP performs the same function but involves less to no code in its creation, which comes with additional benefits for startups and small businesses since they are more efficient and cost less.

In fact, it is considered one of the quickest and most established routes to success, whether a new product or a feature upgrade.

Now let’s discuss the benefits!

Benefits of Low code MVP in mobile-based startups

Higher efficiency

As we saw earlier, No-code and low-code platforms appeal to startups because they offer ready-made tools, reusable code, pre-built integrations, and templates for various development scenarios.

According to Gartner, by 2024, 65% of development functions will be low-code.

Some solutions include in-depth analytics, monitoring, and A/B testing features to optimize system performance. Plus, they support integrations with third-party services and comply with various industry standards.

Sounds terrific, right? But wait, there is more.

Cost-saving

Efficient and costs less? What can be better than this combination?!

Low code development tools help enterprises reduce their costs by up to 84% by allowing them to spend less money hiring professional development teams, cloud specialists, and other technical jobs. Businesses also don’t need to invest in expensive hardware infrastructure, development software, and licenses.

On top of that, these tools let you build your low-code MVP with less effort.

Faster deployment

IDC found that these organizations have reduced their development lifecycle for new applications by 62% and new features by 72%, respectively.

Low-code solutions improve your company’s agility by making it easier to reuse modules and code templates, create your MVP, and get feedback from users more quickly.

All of this means that you can attract potential investors faster than your competition and get a head start on solving the issues that are holding you back, and you are all set for launch in less than half the time. Now that’s exciting!

MVP helps you identify the market demand and evaluate the customer experience.

Being a startup founder, you prefer to test and validate your product idea by creating an MVP. The concept may seem promising regarding projections and visual designs, but the actual proof of concept interacts with a tangible application.

Customer feedback is crucial, as it allows you to identify your product’s most and least appealing sides.

The reversibility, or being able to go back to make changes, is one of the key reasons why MVP development is popular among startups. If any functions are unnecessary or have bugs, fixing them or adding new features during the quality assurance testing process is much easier. This flexibility helps to implement updates smoothly and bring the release date closer.

Limitations of Low code MVP & Setting the right expectations

Like all tools, despite their benefits, developing MVPs has limitations concerning drawbacks.

Here are the primary things you must consider:

  • Technical constraints

No-code and low-code platforms might not support the features you want in your app. You might need to resort to custom development tools to overcome some restrictions.

  • Vendor lock-in

Your app can become locked into the vendor’s proprietary technology stack and lack access to the source code. So, migrating your MVP to another low-code platform will become too costly.

The most typical and crucial mistakes startups make during MVP development are fixating on minor imperfections, needing more feedback, ignoring analytics, and needing more time for release.

Developing an MVP using no-code and low-code platforms does not guarantee affordability and timeliness unless you keep the limitations in mind and stand clear of any mistakes that might happen.

DIY vs. Professional Services: Which is better?

If you are a startup, low code should assist you in delivering an MVP to market with as few resources as possible. And if you are an established brand and want to try out a new feature on your app, low code MVP can also benefit you.

On the other hand, just building an MVP does not guarantee success. Business owners must remember that creating a no-code or low-code MVP is a quick way to test their business idea, not a magic switch that improves everything about your app.

Your apps rely on coding methodology and management practices to succeed. Furthermore, your team may still need to do some custom coding to overcome the limitations of low-code technologies.

If you believe you require the assistance of an experienced software development company’s assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’ll make your MVP development truly affordable.

How to leverage product discovery to get funding for your app?

Posted on by galaxy-admin

With numerous apps rolling down the industry daily, it’s essential to make the app survive and significantly impact this competitive market. So, how can one greatly influence a wider variety of prospects than at any other time in history? It takes more than just an idea to create a cutting-edge app. Getting funding for the project is equally of utmost importance. Only the right investments will ensure that your winning apps actually win the market.

According to McKinsey, 17% of IT projects fail the business trying to execute them. According to CB Insights, poor market, product, development, and consumer research lead to a product’s failure in 35% of cases.

Before pitching investors your business or app idea, you need to put in some effort. Investors want to know that you have given your concept some serious thought, so a basic idea won’t cut it. IDC predicts that in 2023, infrastructure and service investment for public clouds would nearly double to $500 billion globally. This is where product discovery can make a world of difference.

Using product discovery, businesses can assess whether a potential product concept is viable on the market. Product discovery justifies why your product should exist and determines who will use it instead of creating solutions to challenges that nobody currently faces. Additionally, it brings about the possibility of attracting new investments quickly.

Product-Discovery

What is Product Discovery?


Product Discovery is a process that helps product teams initiate project development to better understand your customer(s) and their problems. In a nutshell, you put your idea to the assessment in terms of how well it really works to solve issues and live up to user expectations.

The primary goal of the discovery phase is to validate your assumptions and ideas about the app and mitigate your risks. Based on the data gathered, you can refine your idea and find the best approach to address their challenges and deliver a solution that meets the users’ expectations and demands. It often involves consumer research, market research, mockups, prototypes, and even the development of preliminary functional products. 

The aim is to:

  1. Recognize and identify users’ existing problems.
  2. Validate the team’s proposed solutions.
  3. Deliver solutions that actually meet users’ and consumers’ expectations.
  4. Minimize risks that might arise before, during, and after product development.

You will find yourself being tugged in many different directions by stakeholders and customers if you don’t know exactly who you are targeting as your customer. You need a product discovery to offer you a solid foundation. You will benefit from presenting a better possibility, and the business will benefit from a more significant return on investment.

How Product Discovery Can Help You Get Investments?


01- IDEA VALIDATION ENSURES FASTER CREATION OF A PREMIUM PRODUCT

When a business idea is validated, you can assess whether any flaws might lead to significant returns, discounts, fixes, or replacement expenses. According to Business of Apps, the cost of developing a simple app can range from $32,000 to $48,000, while the cost of developing a complicated app starts at $72,000. Over 80% of mobile apps need 3 months or more to build, according to a survey by Outsystems. That is just another way of explaining that idea validation for your app will sometimes shield your business.

Investors get a sense of affirmation from product discovery that you will develop products or services that will address the issues your potential customers may have. Additionally, a business may already use a similar model on the market, or it may be excessive and complex for a potential client to grasp. However, product discovery allows you to test your idea, which lowers the risk before investing time and money in an unsuccessful venture. Moreover, incorporating a sharp vision into development will assist you in reducing time to market (TTM).

Key Takeaway- Product discovery serves as a methodical approach to verifying that the problem and the proposed solution you’ve defined align with what customers are willing to pay the price for. Investors get a sense of validation with product discovery as it lowers risk, accelerates the market launch of a value-adding service, and cuts expenses.

02- STREAMLINES PROJECT BUDGETING MORE ACCURATELY

According to **Fortunly, 18% of businesses fail because of cost overruns, and the product discovery process might help you avoid this. It will enable you to gather an accurate estimate of the project’s specific scope, preventing the possibility of transpiration that the product cost ends up being much more significant than anticipated due to unanticipated shifts in the scope or hidden complications. It can spare developers from completing extra work and reduce project delivery costs and time.

Not only will the product discovery increase your chances of getting an investment, but it will also enable current stakeholders to resolve any crucial issues before the start of development. To put it another way, you can set up a process for what you’re developing and how you will make it if you grasp the potential of your product.

Key Takeaway-  A detailed timeframe and an in-depth budget projection are both enhanced by the product discovery process. It prevents falling short of covering necessary costs and lowers the chance of earning less than expected.

03- GET A PRODUCT OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY

Spotting potential pitfalls early on and understanding how to avoid them, as well as making it clear what you’re developing and why product discovery will help you release a product more efficiently and quickly. You will save time in the long run if you take the effort to grasp the product needs slightly earlier. Product discovery aims to eliminate repetition and guesswork from product development and delivery by continually checking for hundreds of frequent change points.

With product discovery, making a choice is simpler if you think about everything your app has to accomplish, including scalability, function as expected, and connecting to data and other systems. All desirable features may be included later as the product gains momentum in the market. Therefore, the discovery analysis carried out at the start of the discovery phase will help you prevent various flaws and faults while saving money on additional development.

Key Takeaway-  Companies that are keen to capitalize on emerging market trends must release products fast to the market. If you use product discovery early in the development process, you can exceed customer expectations and outperform your competitors with quicker development timelines.

04- MINIMIZE DEVELOPMENT RISKS AND DELAYS

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 664 projects were delayed, while 425 out of 1,579 reported cost overruns.

Each investor has a unique level of risk tolerance. It goes without saying that low-risk applications are more likely to receive investment than high-risk ones. By doing product idea analysis as part of the discovery phase process, you can spot apparent risks, provide strategies to manage them, and lower the possibility of unexpected issues throughout the product development process.

Product discovery lays a significant focus on disclosing risks, from missed deadlines and delayed releases to low demand for planned product enhancements to price wars with competitors. You can avoid making risky decisions by thoroughly undergoing product discovery before kicking off the development process.

Key Takeaway-  The discovery session provides you with a range of crucial hypotheses and minimizes the risk of paying extra unnecessary expenses or delivering a product that doesn’t satisfy the needs of the target market.

05- PRIORITIZING THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES

Which aspect or element of your app is most crucial? Which one should you start with? Prioritization is a tough nut to crack in product development. However, the product discovery phase makes it easier to validate the functionalities that will be used the most frequently and bring in the most revenue. Your priority will be clarified by actual user data regarding their problems and expectations. You can work with stakeholders to set the product backlog’s priorities with the help of user input.

Key Takeaway- With product discovery, investors can know what the app can deliver from the start, allowing them to prioritize the most important features with significant parameters. It allows the team to focus on creating something that provides genuine value to customers.

Wrapping It Up

Most app businesses fail due to a lack of investment, as accessing investors can sometimes be challenging. However, product discovery will help narrow down the appropriate investors for your product, as its primary objective is to gain a deeper understanding of business objectives and requirements. This makes it possible for you to lay the groundwork for your mobile app development that will satisfy your company goals and start turning a profit right away. Needless to say, you should do some preliminary research before pitching your business concept or app proposal to investors. Investors will undoubtedly invest in your project if it appears groundbreaking to them.

Galaxy Weblinks has expertise in building software from the get-go, including serving clients through the discovery stage of a software project for a wide range of industries and delving deeply into your product concept and context while providing effective discovery consulting. Contact us, and we’ll assist you in every step of the product discovery process. We believe that a product’s success depends not only on its original concept but also on how well it is put into practice.

Things To Be Considered During Design Phase For Low Code App Development

Posted on by galaxy-admin
Galaxy Low Code No Code Services

Low code solutions are all the rage these days, and their popularity as general social and technological phenomena is expected to rise. It simplifies and streamlines every application lifecycle stage, promoting ongoing connectivity by splitting the conventional IT and business boundaries. They are just as remarkable and successful as those developed by highly competent experts, even though they can be built in less time and effort.

As new technologies and features are introduced to close the gap between what someone with little to no coding abilities can do and what a full-fledged developer can do, the low code and no code solution design movement is resurgent.

According to McKinsey’s “The business value of design” study, businesses with a better user experience outperform their competitors in terms of revenue by a factor of two and shareholder returns by 21%. According to Gartner, more than 65% of application development activity will be carried out using low code platforms by 2024. This indicates that low code app development tools won’t go away, and the primary focus will be on demand for better design.

Design Challenges Of Low Code App Development

You are no longer limited by drawn-out development cycles thanks to the introduction of LCNC platforms. However, a team can face a few oft-cited design challenges during the design phase for low code development.

Improper Scalability and Reusability of UI Elements.

A low code platform might have numerous small UI components spread across several devices. And as to maintain a consistent end-user experience, even the slightest modifications to one element need to be replicated elsewhere, this leads to a design barrier.

Lack of Customization.

Each platform has a different set of customization options. While some low code no code platforms restrict editing options, others provide access to the source code. Similarly, some will let you create custom applications while others won’t. These limitations often hinder you from gaining that edge in your app.

Limited Integration Options.

Operational efficiency is the main objective of no code platforms. They must work on a core user experience and connect to older systems. It limits the ways that users can integrate. Additionally, the provider forbids third-party or internal system custom integrations.

Furthermore, managing APIs when integrating hundreds of systems is the most challenging element.

Things To Consider For Low Code Platforms During The Design Phase


1- Design for impact.

Regardless of your users’ desired solution, provide the one that best addresses their problems. By setting up a shared understanding and creating solutions, design thinking approaches can assist you in identifying unfulfilled requirements.

Therefore, compile the system design specification document that represents the software requirement specification (SRS document) from earlier phases.

Key Takeaway: Ensure your design solutions align with the problems at hand to provide exceptional customer outcomes that lead to the intended business objectives. Think about using the North Star method for goal setting to direct your planning and choices during the design process.

2- Develop a system document.

Creating a document that translates the specified low code no code platform guidelines could be extraordinarily valuable. To keep the team in sync and enable them to meet the rising demand for continuous delivery, it can be informative to specify which tools and services users could use on the platform, access permission for usage based on roles, unification of project-related data, and the keeping of all policies in one place. Additionally, people can carry out the entire project swiftly if they have all the relevant information. Expanding and enhancing digital workflows aims to combine business processes while eliminating the guesswork and maintaining team cohesion.

Key Takeaway: With the introduction of the system document, you are no longer bound to spend months interacting with an app production team. The goal is to efficiently complete the software development’s design phase while accelerating the app design and delivery.

3- Define your information architecture.

Using hierarchy manipulation throughout the designing phase is a great approach to demonstrate how the elements of your work interact, highlighting the most crucial components and detracting attention from others. These should be set as parameters to inform users of information and relevance. Having this outlined makes it simpler for the subsequent UI design stage for your team members to convert this architecture into semantic code that is simpler for assistive technology to understand.

Key Takeaway: The goal of information architecture in low code app development is to organize, structure, and classify content functionally and sustainably. The goal is to make it easier for users to access information and finish tasks.

4- Put Accessibility into Play.

If accessibility is essential to your business, you should consider it from the start. Fixing accessibility issues on already-existing websites requires more time and effort than starting from scratch with a fully accessible website. When accessibility is incorporated from the start, it maximizes the outcomes and uses fewer resources. It helps consider the diverse variety of customers that utilize your services and items.

Key Takeaway: Regardless of how big or small your project is, accessibility should be considered from the beginning if it is crucial to your business. This prompts you to consider the wide range of complex individuals utilizing our designs and code. It aids in ensuring that we don’t build any obstacles for them.

5- Conduct Design Reviews.

Sometimes all it takes to shift from mediocrity to excellence is a design review. Design reviews are carried out to ensure that the functional requirements, performance requirements, security requirements, etc., are met. The review looks into implementing certain features and analyzes a project feature or user flow prototype. It’s usually a good idea to incorporate diverse roles in the process. This lets you see your design from multiple angles and create a distinctive, organic, and intuitive end result.

Key Takeaway- It’s crucial to implement a successful design review process to get insightful feedback. With an advanced design review process like the Adalo app, your entire team can make faster and more informed decisions. Even the slightest ideas and suggestions can help to improve and simplify the user experience for everyone.

Wrapping It Up

The design stage in creating low code apps is crucial to successfully completing the software project. It yields one of the project’s two critical elements: The Design and The System. The second crucial component, the system, can only be built, practiced on, put into use, or operated with a detailed design.

The ultimate shape of the software product is substantially impacted by the quality decisions made during the design phase regarding development techniques, frameworks, configuration, implementation, software and hardware architecture, etc. Using the design checklist outlined above, you can develop enterprise-level, usable solutions that advance your business.

If you’re looking for qualified software designers and architects, Galaxy Weblinks can help. We streamline the process of offering practical answers to complex business problems.

5 Reasons Building Your Startup App in Flutter Is Great for Business

Posted on by galaxy-admin

In this blog, we will take a look at the various pros and cons for startups if they choose Flutter to build their mobile applications. 

Mobile apps are instrumental in driving the success of most startups. You must choose a reliable framework to build your mobile application. We will be sharing with you the various reasons why we recommend Google’s Flutter to develop efficient and profitable apps for startups.

The age-old question – Native or Cross-Platform? 

The first decision that you need to make while building a mobile application is – 

  • Shall I go ahead with one application for all the platforms using Cross-platform technologies?
  • Does it make more sense to develop native applications for Android and iOS?. 

Advantages of building a Cross-Platform app for Startups: 

Low development and maintenance costs

Cross-platform is a budget-friendly and faster-to-deploy way of building an app. This is good news for most startups. Native apps on the other hand are costlier to make and maintain as there are different codebases to look after, update, or fix. Cross-Platform with a single codebase in comparison, is easier to make and maintain.

Quicker-to-market

Cross-platform app code is reusable and allows you to make apps for both platforms with a single codebase. As a result, the time-to-market becomes shorter. With native development, you’ll be spending twice the time to provide the same set of functionalities for two separate audience bases.

Plug-ins for every need

As cross-platform development has become a common practice, the plugin marketplace is crowded with plugins to make your developer’s life easier. Plugin eliminates the grunt work, hence making your mobile app development more efficient and flawless. 

Quick and easy testing

When you have a single codebase, you don’t have to hire different engineers with different skill sets to test a single app performance on different operating systems. Checking and optimizing a single app takes only half the time it takes for two apps with different codebases.

Looking at all these advantages, you may wonder why cross-platform isn’t a default for mobile app development already. Here is the catch!

The user experience of cross-platform applications is not at par with that of native applications. The applications are run through a code interpreter since they are not compiled as Native ARM code. As a result, the native apps are more intuitive and efficient. 

Enhanced UX with Flutter – 

Flutter is also a cross-platform development kit. However, it does things a little differently to provide a more native-like feel to your apps. Flutter leverages native UI elements of both Android and iOS. 

Here are some pros of using Flutter for mobile app development for Startups:

1. Better design and customizations 

Design is pivotal for any early-age startup app, as it needs to grab the attention of investors and users alike. Flutter comes equipped with rich UI features and intuitive designs that grab attention like lucrative crypto investments. You will also find custom widgets for Android and iOS quite useful, as it completes the native look of an app with a seamless and crisp UX. Among the list of countless widgets, Flutter is also equipped with Material Design for Android and Cupertino/ iOS widgets for iOS applications. 

2. Dart hits the target

Developed by Google, Dart is Flutter’s programming language. It significantly reduces the launch time of the application. Additionally, Flutter does not need to name OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) widgets because it utilizes its own. As a result, apps built on Flutter don’t require a JavaScript bridge, because Flutter skips the JavaScript bridge to connect directly with the native platform. 

3. Firebase for backend is great for startups

Firebase is Google’s backend solution and comes equipped with Flutter. It makes for a great backend solution, especially for mobiles. With Firebase, Flutter offers out-of-the-box and stable assistance, hosting solutions, real-time databases, and protocols for user authentication as well.

With Firebase’s release automation tool, mobile app launches and maintenance become more straightforward and seamless. 

4. The hottest feature of Flutter | Hot Reload

Hot reload allows developers to apply and check changes to the code in real-time. The feature allows developers to quickly fix bugs and issues without risking functionality and redeployment of the code. With Hot Reload, developers can add new functionality, fix bugs, and experiment in real-time. This feature can increase your developer efficiency up to 5X.

5. Smart Libraries for a functional UI

No matter if you’re developing an app for iOS, Android, or Google Fuchsia, you can easily gain access to widgets for the respective platforms. When you’re using Flutter as a UI creation tool, you can use widgets to integrate all the platform-based functionalities like scrolling, navigation, icons, and fonts.  

For business applications built for internal communications, ticketing systems, geolocation, and so on, Flutter offers powerful functionality to generate structured and intuitive UIs. These UIs rely on geographic locations along with the ability to change the UI based on language, text, and target area’s layout. 

How Much Does it Cost To Build A Startup App with Flutter in 2021?

Like any other app, the pricing of apps built on Flutter is correlated to its complexity. The simpler ones like a fitness app with suggestions, plans, and profile should cost you around $26000 to $34800. Compare that to a highly complex app like Instagram, it will set you back around $41,500 to $55,000.

Factoring in the cost of making two separate native apps in the picture makes the Startup app development with Flutter an even juicier proposition.

Closing Thoughts

Owing to its convenient libraries, customization widgets, and native-like experience, developers are preferring 4-year old Flutter over many older counterparts. Therefore, its framework is evolving at a great pace. Flutter does have some flaws. They include architectural approach and lack of third party integrations. However, the cost of building an app and other benefits outweigh its flaws to make it a good choice for Startups. 

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Mobile App?

Posted on by galaxy-admin

Turning your great mobile app idea into reality requires a significant amount of time, effort, and money. One of the most crucial questions towards this is “What is the cost of developing a custom mobile app”? Determining the cost is one of the most difficult tasks and requires a significant understanding of the overall development process. Even survey reports of the experts have a wide range of estimates – 

  • Clutch surveyed some of the world’s leading mobile app development companies to determine the average cost of mobile app development. And it yields startling results: “The average cost of app development ranges between $25,275 and $171,450.”
  • According to a VDC survey of enterprise app developers, mobile apps cost an average of $140,000 per app.
  • According to a Kinvey survey of CIOs, the average cost of app development is $270,000 per app.
  • According to an EMM survey, more than 75% of enterprises budgeted more than $250,000 for mobility solutions.

With such varied cost estimates for the development of a mobile app, we have listed a few important considerations that will help you identify the right cost estimate based on your requirements and will also help you in the selection of the right mobile app development company. 

1. Identify what type of app you are building

The type of app that your business needs will determine the overall design, functionalities, and cost. The more complex the app is, the more expensive it is to build one. Apps that cater to gaming, social networking, shopping, marketplaces, etc involve several features and functionalities that add to the pricing. These features include payment processing, in-app messaging, data security, geolocations, single sign-on, third-party integrations, etc. 

In addition to this, you have to identify the type of app that best suits your business objectives. Your costing is influenced by whether your app is hybrid or native. Developers create native apps for a specific operating system (mainly Android or iOS). Hybrid apps allow launching on multiple platforms simultaneously; thus reducing the development time for cross-platform builds. Native apps are typically expensive as they are built for specific platforms and provide a better user experience. 

2. Understanding the app development process 

Costs to develop a mobile app can be more accurately estimated by understanding the overall app development process. There are five key stages in the development process – Discovery, Design, Development, Testing/Deployment, and Marketing. The first two stages (Discovery and Design) help understand the requirements better and define the total costing. These stages are often given less importance which results in changes at later stages and project overruns. 

The Discovery stage ensures the real need for the app where the focus is given on the target market, users, and competition. Typically, the average cost of the Discovery stage varies between $5,000 and $10,000 and spans between two weeks and a month. A good mobile app development company focuses on the outcomes of this stage to move forward.  

In the Design stage, the app development company understands the key functionalities/features that the app needs to have. Based on these, they design the look of the app through wireframes, visual design, and user experience (UX) design. The cost of the Design stage varies considerably based on the number of screens in the app, typically ranging between $10,000 and $20,000 and could take up to a month.  

Both the Discovery and Design stages focus on the end-user to provide maximum customer satisfaction during their interaction with the company’s app. Additionally, they help better estimate the hours and costs required for Development and Testing/Deployment. Together these four stages cover the majority of the mobile app development costs. 

3. Pricing

Once you have narrowed down the complexity as well as time efforts needed to build several features/functionalities, the next crucial step is selecting the right mobile app development vendor based on their approach as well as their hourly rates to arrive at their final pricing. One important point to remember is that the cheapest quote is not always the best option.

The vendor’s approach to arrive at the final pricing is an important factor to distinguish between several vendors. The best way is to review a few proposals and compare the project plans and time estimates for each phase. Understand the # of hours, resources each vendor is proposing, and then compare their total costs.

Also, never pick a vendor purely based on their hourly rates. These rates depend on the region of the development company. The typical hourly rates for development activities based on regions are – 

  • Asia/Eastern Europe: $15-$30 / hour
  • South America: $30-$45 / hour
  • North America: $80+ / hour

Lastly, most vendors provide support/maintenance services, and their pricing can vary. Look at the monthly support hours each vendor is proposing and at what cost.

Given the importance of the Design stage in the overall app development process, it is crucial to hire a company that specializes in product design along with significant development experience. Galaxy’s UX Studio has been a unique differentiating factor from many of our competitors. If you’ve any doubts related to mobile app development and if you need assistance developing one, then feel free to talk to us here.

Mobile Application Development – How to Choose The Right Development Partner

Posted on by galaxy-admin

So you’ve got a great mobile app idea and you’ve done your research to understand the competitive landscape. Now you are looking to transform your app idea into reality. However, you are now faced with a crucial question of “How to select the right Mobile app development company”.

With such an abundance of choice, choosing the right mobile app development company is difficult and confusing with several factors to consider such as experience, size, geography, costing, et al. 

We know how important it is for you to get things right as your business is in question. Here are a few important considerations that will help you make the right choice. We have also compiled seven important questions later in this article to help you in decision-making. 

Organizational alignment

A good app development company should act as an extension of your organization and be aligned with your business objectives. Not only should they guide you through the process of mobile app development, but they should also provide inputs based on their experience with similar apps and their understanding of what works and what doesn’t on the app store.

The mobile app development team involves several designers, programmers, and testers. Thus, organizational alignment becomes increasingly important while working with several individual freelancers across these roles. Freelancers can deliver flawlessly in the short run, but mobile app development is not a one-time activity and needs to evolve based on user feedback and requirements. As a result, a mobile app development company is more suited as a reliable partner in the long run given their access to multiple resources with diverse experience, dedicated focus, and aligned business priorities. 

Expertise 

Mobile app development is specific and requires skilled developers with the knowledge of required programming languages, software development kits (SDKs), and the ability to take advantage of unique features of various mobile devices (i.e., iOS or Android). The right company should be able to understand your project and overall objective. 

A good way to evaluate expertise is to ask about their project portfolio across different platforms and check out some of the apps they have developed. A few evaluation criteria could be the app’s interface, its ease of use, and reviews on the app store. A good development company will understand each platform’s guidelines and will ensure that they work within the right parameters to deliver the best for your business objectives. 

Pricing

Pricing is one of the crucial factors in the selection process. However, cheapest isn’t the best option while selecting a mobile app development vendor, so always look at the bigger picture in the long run. Never pick a company purely based on their rate. Rather look at the approach they came to the overall pricing. 

The best way is to review a few proposals with a detailed breakdown of work, and then compare the project plans and time estimates. Understand the # of hours and resources each company is proposing, and then compare their total costs. Making payments in line with delivery milestones ensures that you and the development company are aligned towards delivering the project on time and within budget. 

Best Practices

A gap in understanding of the requirements can cause the complete failure of your project. Hence, the app development company must follow best industry practices across communications, execution, documentation, budgeting, quality assurance, security, etc. Project management methods can vary greatly between companies and for a successful engagement with an app development company, it is crucial that they follow a process that is organized, consistent, and supports quality control. For offshore partners, good communication is a must to understand requirements correctly and efficiently coordinate for smooth and timely execution. 

7 questions to help you decide the right Mobile App development company

Based on the above considerations, here are seven important questions for which you need clarity to select the right mobile app developer. 

  • Who are the key management personnel behind the company and how long have they been in business?

(Tip: Ask about the top management and their vision. Also, ask them how they differentiate themselves vs competition.)

  • Do they have expertise across mobile app development – design UX/UI, SDKs, platforms, testing, security, et all? 

(Tip: Ask about a few sample projects completed. Have a call with a few technical leads to understand their backgrounds. Also, discuss the challenges faced during the execution of these projects.)

  • Can they provide some references from their earlier clients as they can provide valuable inputs about the team, technical expertise as well as project handling capabilities?

(Tip: Check clutch.co or Have a Zoom/Skype call with the references.)

  • In the case of outsourcing, have they worked with clients from your location?

(Tip: Ask them about a few clients that they worked with who were in the same timezone as you. It will help you understand issues such as time differences, cultural and linguistic barriers.)

  • What industry best practices do they follow?

(Tip: Ask them about their best practices around the app development process, documentation, security, quality assurance, communications, execution, etc.)

  • Do they provide code ownership of the app?

(Tip: Ask them about their policies around copyright. You must have ownership of the code.)

  • Will there be continued support after the app is released?

(Tip: Ask them about their support and maintenance offerings after the app is live.)

Conclusion

A careful selection of the mobile app development company can transform your app idea into reality. We know how important it is for you to get things right as your business is in question. If you’ve any doubts related to mobile app development and if you need assistance developing one then feel free to talk to us here.

Hidden Cost of Building a Mobile App: The App Development Iceberg

Posted on by galaxy-admin

What is the cost of developing a custom mobile application? Clutch took a survey of some of the world’s leading mobile app development companies to determine the average cost of mobile app development. And it yields startling results:

“The average cost of app development ranges between $25,275 and $171,450.”

In reality, determining the cost of custom mobile app development globally is one of the most difficult tasks. Even expert survey reports do not have the same answers for you.

Let us take a look.

  • According to a VDC survey of enterprise app developers, mobile apps cost an average of $140,000 per app.
  • According to a Kinvey survey of CIOs, the average cost of app development is $270,000 per app.
  • According to an EMM survey, more than 75% of enterprises budgeted more than $250,000 for mobility solutions.

However, when it comes to actual app development, these figures are far from accurate.

The Digital Product Iceberg

The unseen 90 percent of an iceberg’s underwater mass helps with flotation, provides structure, and determines whether ships pass by easily or are surprised by a submerged underwater ice formation they thought they had cleared.

Much of the important work that goes into creating a digital product happens beneath the surface. The great unseen chunk that gives your product structure and ‘makes it do what it needs to do’ includes the user research, planning, interactions, objectives, functional requirements, and user experience strategy.

In other words, the work beneath the surface is what determines whether your digital product succeeds or fails. Failure to complete any part of that critical work will hurt your structure.

The Tip of The Iceberg

What is the cost of building a mobile application? This question remains common irrespective of the size of your company or your requirements. 

Several online calculators can be used to get an approximate idea, but they will give you an estimate with a price tag of $20,000 to $35,000 for an app built with a variety of features. Smaller apps with basic features will cost anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on the complexity.

We believe that the online calculators are unable to provide you with a breakdown of the development costs, only an estimate. If the estimate comes to $20,000 and $35,000, we must ask why the range is so vast. Costs of app development are affected by many factors and parameters. So, to get an accurate estimate of the app development cost, you’ll need to understand how each factor affects the cost.

The estimated amount for support and maintenance cost, as well as the app’s complexity, play a large role in determining the cost of app development. This is difficult to estimate. It has been our experience that in 2021, the average cost of developing an app runs from $40,000 on the low end for a simple app to over $200,000 for a complex enterprise app. This cost can go down by around 30% if you opt for outsourcing the mobile application development.

Most likely, you’re looking at the higher end of this range if you need a highly functional digital product that works on multiple platforms and devices and can integrate with an overwhelming number of third-party apps, is visually appealing, is hosted in the cloud, and uses smartphone hardware features (like GPS, motion coprocessor, NFC technology, etc.).

What’s Beneath the Surface

In addition, you’ll have to think about ongoing maintenance costs. If the technology changes, something breaks, or you want new features, who will keep your app up to date? Other one-off solutions may require you to contact a Dev shop years later in hopes of getting a response. Most likely, it will be given to someone who has never seen your app before. Your full-time developer can cost you upwards of $90,000 per year in salary.

Maintenance is made easier for you by having a relationship with the company that built your app, but there are still costs associated with that. Apps, like websites, require a monthly hosting fee. The cost of continuously monitoring the performance of your app to ensure that your audience isn’t having problems will also be incurred. Unfortunately, people rarely report bugs, preferring instead to delete the app. In addition, you’ll need to budget for updates as iOS and Android evolve, plus licensing fees.

Avoiding the Product Shipwreck

Your digital product is doomed if your users are unhappy. Too many companies are doing things backward, and that is creating massive problems. It is estimated that they spend 90% of their time thinking about the surface-level app development, and only 10% of their time (we’re being generous) on the app development planning that needs to support the entire product. These companies have omitted crucial steps that are necessary for users to be guided properly. Instead of starting from scratch, they’re tempted to make assumptions. It’s a project shipwreck for you. 

Considering all of these factors, you may be wondering how anyone manages to create an app they’re proud of in the first place. It’s a lot to keep track of, from conception to creation and maintenance. App development can be done in a variety of ways: using a no-code platform, hiring a creative agency or dev shop, or working with a digital product design agency. Everything comes down to choosing the right approach for you in the long run.

To avoid shipwrecking your users, plan your app development approach before even thinking about the cost.

There is a lot of infrastructure behind every application. Think beyond the action you want users to take when building an app. This usually necessitates partnering with a digital agency that can help dig into the research, strategize, create a delightful user experience, and course correct any issues that arise.

Where To Start

Working with a creative agency or a dev shop is likely to be easier, but neither can provide a comprehensive approach to the problem at hand. They can help you create an app that works properly and help you fix any problems you run into along the way. As a result of their technical expertise, they may not anticipate every user’s need or provide an aesthetically pleasing final product. However, a creative agency may not have the technical expertise you require.

Sometimes the best solution is to hire an agency that specializes in digital product design and development. Help with brainstorming, user experience, design, and execution is available from a digital agency. With a long-term partner for your app’s development, you can scale and grow.

React Native vs Flutter: Choosing the Best Hybrid Framework for Mobile App Development

Posted on by galaxy-admin

Developing apps for iOS and Android using one code base is a tempting proposition. With the introduction of React Native in 2015, the already disruptive hybrid app development framework gained momentum. Prominent organizations like UberEats, Discord, and Facebook are moving their apps to React Native.

Fast-Forward to 2017, Google introduces the alpha version of their own hybrid framework called Flutter. Since then, both of the frameworks have been proving to be a dilemma for product owners and consumers looking to build hybrid applications. Which one should you choose? React Native or Flutter? Let’s break it down and figure out what is the most suitable option for you.

React-Nativ
React Native and Flutter trends comparison on Google Trends

React Native vs Flutter | Productivity

One of the first things you must think about when deciding on a framework is productivity. How would it improve your efficiency? Whether the framework in question automates work functions or gets the work done in fewer lines of code.

1. Hot Reload 

This is a feature that developers love! There is nothing better than a smoothly running Hot Reload environment. React Native and Flutter both come equipped with Hot Reload. Hot Reload eliminates the need to manually recompile the application by selecting relevant commands repeatedly. This happens automatically with the help of Hot Reload whenever changes are made or new gadgets are connected. It also preserves the last state of the app. 

2. Code Structure

Unlike the previous feature, React Native and Flutter are pretty distinguishable in terms of code structure. 

  • Unlike React Native, Flutter doesn’t separate data, style, and templates.
  • You don’t need additional templating languages like JSX or XML or any special visual tools to build a layout in Flutter. 
  • Flutter lets you switch to different modes like design or code for different needs and better efficiency. 
  • Flutter has even introduced a new feature “Outline View and Flutter Inspector” to make layout building even easier. 

3. Installation and Setup

When it comes to installation, the process seems more convenient in Flutter for which you just have to download a binary corresponding to your system. Whereas in React Native’s case, the ease of installation depends on your familiarity with JavaScript. If you know your way around JavaScript then React Native installation would not be a problem. If you don’t, then you will need to learn npm for installations. 

4. IDE Support

React Native has an edge over Flutter over the IDE support department where it comes with support for almost every IDE out there. Whereas Flutter only gets Android Studio, VS Code, and IntelliJ IDEA. 

5. API

While RN lacks tools for drawing custom graphics, it makes it up in native interfaces, where it provides APIs for Wi-Fi, Geolocation, NFC payments, Bluetooth, Camera, and Biometrics. 

The APIs case for Flutter is pretty hard to make as a lot of the interfaces are still in development except for Bluetooth and NFC payments.

Programming Languages

React Native is based on JavaScript, which is quite popular in the development community. JS is the default scripting language for web development. While most of the popular JavaScript frameworks are for frontend development, Node.JS is making its mark in the backend. 

Flutter uses Dart, which is created by Google. Although it is among the lesser-known, Dart developers are quite fond of the black sheep. 

Performance

From the performance front, React Native lags behind Flutter as it requires a bridge to convert JS variables into native ones to interact with the native components. RN uses JS to build apps, and in order to interact with native components like OEM widgets, audio, and GPS, a JS bridge is required that converts these JS variables into native ones. However, RN utilizes libraries like react-native-swipe-view to make things faster.

In comparison, Flutter’s architecture lets you build fast native-looking apps without the need for a bridge for variable conversion. For this reason, Flutter is able to run animations at 60 FPS. 

Documentation

As Flutter is maintained by Google, the documentation is detailed and easy to explore and understand. React Native relies on external dev kits, and therefore, you will have to dig for documentation. However, the general RN documentation is easily available, and it happens to be quite detailed and helpful. 

UI Components

In Flutter you will find in-built UI elements named widgets in place of the native ones. These widgets are easily customizable and available for every popular mobile platform along with one that is platform-independent. 

And if you look at the external UI kits available for React Native. React Native wins by a huge margin as the number of React Native external UI kits is far greater than that of Flutter widgets. 

Community

Considering the age of the frameworks, React Native is older and has a very rich and supportive community. Whereas Flutter’s community is constantly growing to become one of the most active ones. 

React-Flutter

Popular Apps made with React Native-

  • Discovery VR
  • Adidas Glitch
  • Wix
  • Walmart

Popular Apps made with Flutter

  • BMW App
  • NU Bank
  • Tencent
  • Square 
rnflutter-1

Wrap Up

Flutter is a comprehensive package that manages to provide fast and performant apps, but it comes with a caveat that it is based on Dart. Whereas more people will be inclined towards React Native as it is based on JavaScript, but it lags in speed. 

If performance and native-like experience are on top priority on your list, the Flutter will provide you that out of the box. And if you want to stick to JavaScript, and you are willing to do additional tweaks in order to extract faster performance out of your apps, React Native is your choice.

About Galaxy Weblinks
We specialize in delivering end-to-end software design & development services. Our UI/UX designers are creative problem-solvers with a decade of experience in all facets of digital and interactive design. We create compelling and human-focused experiences delivered through clean, and minimalist UI. Get in touch with us here.

NET MAUI: Evolution of Xamarin by Microsoft

Posted on by galaxy-admin

Microsoft has announced to replace its Xamarin Toolkits with .NET MAUI a few weeks ago. Microsoft unveiled this new approach at Build 2020, calling it the .NET MultiPlatform App UI (MAUI).

.NET MAUI is the next generation of Xamarin Forms. It is designed to allow developers to create an app in a single Visual Studio project, with a single codebase that can target any supported device. Microsoft described it as the evolution of Xamarin.

The goal is to deliver a project structure that is simplified. Instead of a single solution with separate projects for each platform you want to target, MAUI has a single project that contains all of the resources you need to target specific platforms. If you need access to device-specific services, you can bundle them in a platforms view and use them at compile time when targeting builds for each platform.

Bringing Mono and .NET together in .NET 6

With.NET 6, which will be released in November, the company is unifying the entire.NET ecosystem into a single offering. In preparation for this, it is providing.NET MAUI toolkit replacements for traditional Xamarin toolkits. Among the latter is Xamarin.Essentials, which provides cross-platform APIs for mobile apps, and Xamarin Community Toolkit, which includes commonly used behaviors, converters, effects, MVVM utilities, and controls such as the CameraView, AvatarView, and TabView.

The goal isn’t to completely replace Mono, but to have a single set of class libraries and a single toolchain for.NET Core and Mono, building on the work already being done in platform-level features like the.NET Standard libraries.

For cross-platform development, Xamarin is an alternative to WinUI. Its cross-platform strategy is based on a combination of XAML support for native iOS and Android controls and its own cross-platform Xamarin Forms. Xamarin Forms is an MVVM (model-view-viewmodel) development platform in and of itself, with its open-sourcingcontrol look and feel based on the Material Design language used by Android. Xamarin Forms provides a consistent look and feel to iOS and Android apps while still allowing them access to native features and services.

What difference does .NET MAUI make?

.NET MAUI is designed with developer productivity in mind, including a project system and cross-platform tooling. .NET MAUI consolidates project structures into a single project that can target multiple platforms. This means that you can easily deploy to any target, such as your desktop, emulators, simulators, or physical devices, with a single click. With built-in cross-platform resources, you can incorporate any images, fonts, or translation files into a single project, and.NET MAUI will automatically configure native hooks so you can focus on coding. Finally, you will always have access to the native underlying operating system APIs, which will be easier than ever thanks to new platform-specific integrations. You can add source code files for a specific operating system and access native APIs under platforms. Everything you need to stay productive is in one place with.NET MAUI.

This provides:

  • One project with multiple platforms and devices in mind.
  • Fonts and images can be managed in a single location.
  • To organize your platform-specific code, use multi-targeting.

Source: Microsoft

.NET MAUI is the future

The foundation of this update can be traced back six years with the open sourcing of.NET and the formation of the.NET Foundation. The platform required an independent organization to guide it through the transition from the old .NET Framework to the new, legacy-free, modular .NET Core. This transition had to include more than just Windows; it had to include Xamarin’s mobile clients and Unity’s 3-D gaming platforms, as well as the goal of expanding the reach of .NET’s to macOS and Linux.

Source: Microsoft

That brings us to 2021, and with the recent release of.NET MAUI Preview 6 (as part of.NET 6 Preview 6), the essentials bits have been directly integrated into.NET MAUI as well.

We know that some developers are updating their existing Xamarin applications today. Xamarin and iOS Android apps to.NET 6 without.NET MAUI and still want to use all of Xamarin’s APIs Essentials. We also have you covered, as you can add this:

<UsingMauiEssentials>true</UsingMauiEssentials>

to your.NET 6 iOS and Android apps to include all of the most recent APIs.

Summing Up

Perhaps a more optimistic way of looking at it is that, with the shift to a cross-platform.NET Core as the foundation of all things.NET, Microsoft is absorbing Xamarin rather than Xamarin becoming the heart of open .NET’s source future. That is an excellent legacy for the Mono project.

One of the goals of one .NET is to give developers more options in terms of personal preferences, so they can be more productive when using .NET. This manifests itself regardless of whether you use Visual Studio 2019, Visual Studio for Mac, or even Visual Studio Code. .NET MAUI will be available in all of them, and it will support both the existing MVVM and XAML patterns, as well as future capabilities such as Model-View-Update (MVU) with C# or even Blazor.

Have any cross-platform development needs? Contact our experts today.

About Galaxy Weblinks

We specialize in delivering end-to-end mobile design & development services and have hands-on experience with the latest technologies like .NET and Xamarin. Our developers help deliver well-performing cross-platform mobile applications. Investing in such app development technologies saves money and ensures a faster go-to-market.