We have shipped hundreds of apps for iPhones, iPads and Android devices, native and cross-platform, for consumers and for enterprises. The decision between native and hybrid, the interface that has to work in portrait and landscape, the API and database behind the app and the releases after launch are all part of the same engagement.
Custom mobile app development involves thousands of decisions to be made and often with imperfect information with which to make them. When you work with CodeStringers, your primary point of contact – your engagement manager – is a senior executive who has managed the development of dozens of products and is able to provide strategic guidance to ensure you make the best decisions possible.
The user experience and interface (UX / I) design, as much as software quality, determines the success of any software product. As the saying goes, simple is hard, and hard is easy. And if it’s not simple, it’s not successful.
The back end of a mobile app is the part that users do not see but that which enables every feature of the application. And for many products, the same backend that supports your mobile applications must also support a web application. Well-architected backends do so using a set of microservices that compartmentalize each component into a dedicated service that runs and scales independently of the others while simultaneously supporting mobile apps and a web app.
CodeStringers can help you harness the power of AI and ML to improve your user experiences, exploit the value of data, analyze unstructured data to identify potential relationships, and more.
Software quality assurance (QA) is integral to the short- and long-term success of a software product. Too many organizations skimp on testing resources under the theory that good software engineers self-test their work by writing unit tests or doing their own “smoke testing” of functionality. That approach is guaranteed to result in a growing accumulation of defects that will, at some point, adversely impact customer acquisition and retention, deteriorate the value of your brand, and overwhelm your software development organization when they reactively attempt to address the problem.
The ultimate success of a software product, regardless of the measures of success, depends upon having a solid plan prior to writing the first line of code. Unlike other mobile application development partners who will charge for “discovery”, CodeStringers will develop your custom software product plan at no charge. Our reasons for doing this are straightforward. We believe you need to know how long it will take to build the first version and how much it will cost. Without a plan, we can’t answer those questions honestly.
CodeStringers has developed hundreds of mobile apps for iPhones, iPads, and Android phones and tablets for business users and consumers. Selecting native versus hybrid development frameworks. Implementing user interfaces that conform to platform design conventions versus a custom design that aligns better to your brand. Supporting offline usage with a data storage and synchronization solution. Our experts will guide you and implement flawlessly.
Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the “brain” of a cloud software product. They not only connect the frontend to backend databases and services, but they enable all business logic and functionality for end-users.
Databases are the backbone of any mobile application, storing all information viewed and manipulated by end-users via the frontend application. Virtually every mobile application employs a relational database that has tables for each unique type of data (companies, contacts ,etc.), columns for each unique field each data type includes (company name, website, address, etc.), and relationships to other tables (i.e. one company can have multiple related contacts).
In practice
MindTRAK Golf MVP: MindTRAK Golf needed support not only developing their Minimum Viable Product, but also creating a release plan that translated a Pro Golfer's mental game method into software. CodeStringers did both.
The service
Native and hybrid mobile app development are two different approaches to creating mobile applications, each with its own set of characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. Here’s a breakdown of the differences:
Definition: The code for native apps only works on a single mobile operating system. They use platforms and languages specific to the ecosystem, like Swift or Objective-C for iOS and Kotlin or Java for Android.
Performance: Native apps generally offer the best performance and a smoother user experience as they are optimized for the specific platform.
Access to Device Features: They have full access to the device’s hardware and features which allows for more comprehensive functionality.
Development Time and Cost: Developing native apps typically takes longer and is more expensive, especially if building for multiple platforms, as it requires creating separate codebases.
Maintenance: Maintenance can be more complex and costly since updates need to be made separately for each platform.
Definition: Hybrid apps are essentially web applications wrapped in a native container. They are built using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and then encapsulated in a native app shell.
Performance: While hybrid apps can perform well, they may not be as fast or responsive as native apps. This is especially true for complex or graphics-intensive applications.
Access to Device Features: These apps can access some native device features through plugins. However the access is not as seamless or comprehensive as native apps.
Development Time and Cost: Hybrid app development can be faster and more cost-effective. It typically involves a single codebase that works across multiple platforms.
Maintenance: Updating and maintaining hybrid apps can be easier and less costly. You generally only have to make changes once, and they will apply across all platforms.
Performance Needs: If the app requires high performance, especially for resource-intensive tasks or gaming, native development is preferable.
Development Budget and Resources: For limited budgets and faster development, hybrid apps are a good choice.
App Complexity: Complex apps with heavy use of native features might be better suited to native development.
Target Audience: If the audience is split between multiple platforms and quick market entry is important, hybrid development can be advantageous.
Future Scalability: Consider whether the app needs to scale or evolve significantly in the future. Which means it might favor native development for its robustness and performance.
In summary, the choice between native and hybrid mobile app development depends on the specific needs, goals, and constraints of the project. Native apps offer the best performance and user experience but require more resources and time. Hybrid apps provide a more cost-effective and quicker solution for simpler applications that don’t demand high performance.
Developing a mobile app involves deciding on your strategy for supporting different screen sizes. To a laymen, there are four key screen sizes to support: iPhone, iPad, Android Phone and Android Tablet. Unfortunately, it’s not quote that simple. There are other considerations such as:
Some of these decisions will be easier to make than others. And others may change with each new version of the mobile application. For example, if you’re building an entertainment app involving video content, you might decide:
The key to successfully minimizing development effort to “port” to multiple screen resolutions and and physical sizes is to segment your market and understand how you expect them to use your app. Then pick those resolutions that you believe are most likely to be used. Once your app is in the store and has sufficient downloads to represent the brader target market, you’ll be able to identify those additional screens in use by your target users. You can adjust for additional screen resolutions fairly quickly and independently of your feature release cycles.
The difference between physical and logical screen resolution is an important concept in the context of display technology and digital imaging. Here’s a breakdown of what each term means and how they differ:
Definition: Physical screen resolution refers to the actual number of physical pixels present on a display screen. It is determined by the hardware and is a fixed attribute of a screen.
Characteristics: We measure physical screen resolution in terms of the number of pixels along the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the screen (e.g., 1920×1080, 2560×1440).
Physical resolution is a factor in determining the sharpness and clarity of the display. Higher physical resolution means more pixels are used to display the image, leading to finer detail.
Limitations: You cannot change the resolution through software settings. It’s a hardware characteristic.
In devices with very high physical resolution, like modern smartphones, the actual pixel size is so small that it becomes hard to distinguish individual pixels at a normal viewing distance.
Definition: Logical screen resolution, also known as virtual or effective screen resolution, refers to how the operating system interprets and displays the content on the screen. It’s a software-level attribute.
Characteristics: Users can adjust the resolution via the operating system’s settings to change the size of text, icons, and other elements. For example, a display with a physical resolution of 3840×2160 (4K) can be set to a logical resolution of 1920×1080 to make items appear larger but less sharp.
Logical resolution allows for better accessibility, especially for users with visual impairments, and can scale UI elements for different types of screens.
Adaptability: It is flexible and users can change it according to user preferences or application requirements.
In high-DPI (dots per inch) or Retina displays, the logical resolution can scale content so that it appears sharp and clear, using multiple physical pixels to represent a single logical pixel.
Understanding the difference between these two types of resolutions is particularly important for activities like web and graphic design, software development, and when choosing a new display or configuring display settings for accessibility and optimal viewing experience.
Similar to the challenges in deciding supported screen sizes and resolutions is deciding which versions of each mobile platform to support. At last count there are 25 versions of Android in use in the world. Only eight of these have more than one percent share of all Android devices. The United States is more fragmented with 11 versions having more than one percent oshare. For iOS there are 54 versions of the platform in use globally of which 11 are being run on more than one percent of all iOS devices. Eight of those 11 versions are being run on more than one percent of devices in the United States.
The key to reducing development scope is to focus on the most common platforms of your target users. If your target users are younger, they’re likely to be on older devices which may not have the ability to upgrade to newer versions. If you’re product is targeting high-dollar salespeople, you’re likely to find that they have the latest and greatest devices. Those device will have the most recent one or two versions of their applicable platform (iOS or Android).
Key is to realize that the market is highly fragmented and you need to make good decisions to limit the cost of building your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) while still ensuring that you don’t limit so much that a high percentage of people who want your product can’t use it.
Supporting Smart Watches. Many mobile apps are enhanced by adding support for smart watches. Adding features as simple as notifications or more complex can make a good application great.
Apple Watch (watchOS):
Android Wear (Wear OS):
Limited Screen Size: Smartwatches have much smaller screens compared to smartphones. This requires a focus on minimalistic design and prioritizing essential information and interactions.
Navigation and Interaction: User typically navigate through swipes and taps. Although some watches offer additional controls like dials or buttons. Designing for ease of use with these limited controls is crucial.
Battery Life: Smartwatches have limited battery life. Efficient use of resources and minimizing battery drain are important considerations.
Functionality: The app’s functionality should be appropriate for a smartwatch. This usually means simple, quick interactions and features that are enhanced by the device’s portability and constant availability on the user’s wrist.
Health and Fitness Integration: Many smartwatch users want health and fitness tracking. Integrating with the watch’s sensors for heart rate monitoring, step counting, etc., can be beneficial
Notifications and Glances: Smartwatches are great for notifications and at-a-glance information. Apps should integrate smoothly with these functions, providing concise and timely updates.
Connectivity: Consider how the app will use connectivity (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular) to interact with the smartphone or the internet, and design for scenarios with limited connectivity.
Voice Control and Haptics: Utilizing voice input and haptic feedback can enhance user interaction, as these are key features in many smartwatches.
Smartwatch app development is a niche but rapidly growing field. It offers opportunities for innovation, especially in areas like health and fitness, quick information access, and IoT integration. The key is to understand the unique constraints and capabilities of these devices and to design apps that enhance the user’s experience with their smartwatch.
Mobile apps, whether they are for smartphones or tablets, typically have a multi-layer architecture. This architecture is designed to separate concerns, improve maintainability, and enhance scalability. The main layers of a typical mobile app include:
Function: This layer is responsible for the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). It includes everything the user interacts with, such as screens, animations, and UI elements.
Technologies: Involves technologies like Swift for iOS apps, Kotlin or Java for Android apps, or cross-platform frameworks like React Native or Flutter.
Design Aspects: Focuses on usability, aesthetics, responsiveness, and accessibility.
Function: This layer handles the processing of user inputs, business rules, and app-specific behaviors. It acts as an intermediary between the presentation and data layers.
Components: Includes controllers, managers, and services that implement the application’s functionality.
Purpose: Ensures the application behaves as expected and processes data to and from the data layer to the user interface.
Function: Responsible for data management and storage. It includes databases, data access layers, and data utilities.
Components:
Purpose: Manages data persistence, retrieval, and synchronization with remote servers or cloud services.
Function: Manages communication between the mobile app and the internet or a network environment.
Components: Includes APIs, HTTP clients, and web sockets.
Purpose: Fetches data from or sends data to external services, handles network connectivity issues, and manages data transmission.
Function: This layer allows the app to integrate with other applications, services, or operating system features.
Components: Includes SDKs, libraries, and APIs for integration with third-party services, social media platforms, or hardware features like GPS, camera, and sensors.
Purpose: Enhances app functionality by leveraging external resources and services.
Each layer in a mobile app is designed to perform specific functions and interact with other layers in a structured way. This separation not only makes the app easier to manage and scale but also allows developers to update individual parts of the app without affecting the whole system.
Cross-platform iOS and Android apps, migrations and interface design on React Native.
Cross-platform mobile apps in Dart, with interfaces designed for portrait and landscape on both platforms.
Event-driven backends, REST APIs, real-time features and content systems in server-side JavaScript.
Cloud migration, infrastructure setup, DevOps automation, security and cost optimisation on AWS.
Document databases for catalogues, content, profiles, logging, file sharing and geospatial data.
The capability these pages belong to: how we build custom software, and when we do not.
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Our own CRM rebuild in October 2026: 21 shared picklists, 3 modules, 88 fields, 7 layouts, 23 workflow rules and 16 actions, built through code in 22 verified runs, every step read back.
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