AdvancedTopic 92 of 104Software & Computing
Mobile development
Apps for Android and iOS using native or cross-platform tools.
In depth
Native apps (Swift/iOS, Kotlin/Android) access full device features; cross-platform frameworks (Flutter, React Native) share code. Concerns: lifecycle, offline use, battery, permissions, app-store review, responsive layouts, push notifications and updates. PWAs run in browsers.
Key points
- UI thread vs background work
- Sensors and location
- App signing
ExampleA fitness app reads step data from sensors and syncs to a server.
What is Mobile development?
Apps for Android and iOS using native or cross-platform tools.
Why is it important to understand mobile development?
Mobile apps reach people on phones and tablets, so the choice between native and cross-platform tools shapes cost and performance.
What is the difference between native and cross-platform development?
Native apps use the platform's own tools and get full access to features, while cross-platform tools share code but may add limits or performance overhead.
Why do mobile apps need careful testing?
Devices vary in screen size, operating system version and hardware, so behaviour can differ widely.
How is Mobile development used in practice?
Typical applications include building an app for Android and iOS with one codebase, writing a native app that uses the camera and sensors in depth and testing an app on several device sizes before release.
What should I learn before Mobile development?
Study "Back-end development" first (topic 91 of 104 in Software & Computing). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Mobile development?
UI thread vs background work. Sensors and location. App signing.
Can you give an example of Mobile development?
A fitness app reads step data from sensors and syncs to a server.
What comes after Mobile development?
The next topic is "Machine learning basics", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Mobile development?
It is classed as Advanced in Software & Computing (topic 92 of 104). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Software & Computing.