Author Archives: Hussain Fakhruddin

Wish To Extend The Battery Life Of Smartphone? Follow These Tips!

A common complaint of smartphone-users across the world is the frustratingly short battery life of most advanced handsets. Let us here focus on some tips that would help you to extend the battery life of your smartphone by a few hours, at least.

The average battery life of the high-end iphone 5S has been found to be better than that of most of the Samsung Galaxy handsets and even the highly popular Nexus 5 phone. Don’t, however, run away with the belief that – once charged, the battery of an iphone would last for a couple of days. According to research reports, the iphone 5S offers a battery backup period of a shade over ten hours – and you can well imagine how low the general battery life of smartphone models (other types) normally are. Even so, you can get just that bit more battery juice from your handset, by following these guidelines:

Adjust the screen brightness – Unless you have a vision impairment, or are in a dark place – you will not require high brightness levels on your smartphone screen. Lower the brightness settings to a level that, whenever any notification comes along, extra pressure is not placed on the phone battery. Ideally, the screen should get slightly dimmed when not being used, to conserve battery.
When outdoors, turn off wifi – Experts from iphone maintenance and mobile application development companies in India typically emphasize on this point. When you are outside, your smartphone keeps searching for available wireless networks in the neighborhood. This, in turn, causes battery drain – and connecting to an unknown network is not particularly advisable either. Before you step out of home, make sure that the wifi feature on your phone is turned off.
Schedule app upgrades only when you are at home – This is basically derived from the earlier point. Sophisticated smartphone models come with the provision of downloading the latest versions/upgrades of mobile apps, as and when they become available. However, if you allow such downloads when you are not at home – wifi won’t be available, and too much strain would be placed on the mobile network, and consequently, the battery. Instead, set all app upgrades in your phone when the device is at home, and connected to a trusted wireless network.
Avoid light-colored wallpapers and themes – In case your handset does not have an AMOLED display screen, you can probably ignore this piece of advice. However, most Android users can improve the battery life of their smartphone by at least a couple of hours, by setting up dark wallpapers and themes. If the background chosen is of a light color, more pixels would be required for it to be displayed properly.
Consider the type of battery present in your handset – The charging requirements for phones with nickel-based batteries differ significantly from those with Li-ion (Lithium ion) ones. For devices with the former type of battery, charging should be done only when the phone is ‘almost dead’ (otherwise, the long-run battery performance might get affected). On the other hand, smartphones with Li-ion batteries can be charged practically anytime – and ‘overcharging’ is hardly ever a risk.
Turn off unnecessary push notifications – The surge in Android, Blackberry and iphone app development in India has led to the creation of many interesting applications – but many of them have a common disturbing feature. They keep sending push-notifications to users, about a host of stuff (the bulk of which most users are not even interested in). Although slight, such notifications do eat away at the battery life of smartphone handsets. Apart from the apps for which you indeed require push-notifications (e.g., the email app for Blackberry), turn off this feature for all the other applications.
Do not overuse your phone’s GPS – Neither should you use location-based mobile apps for too long. GPS applications consume battery in rather generous amounts, and overusing them might require you to charge your phone within a short span of time (in cases, even less than an hour!). Many people do not require GPS services on their phone either, and they need to adjust their phone settings accordingly. Use location services on your handset only when required.
Do not make your handset a storehouse of apps – After buying a smartphone, the first thing you would probably do is download and install a lot of mobile applications. You won’t be using all of these apps regularly though, and the ones that are hardly ever used need to be removed from the handset. Even when smartphone apps are not being used, they can remain active in the background (check the Settings of your smartphone for that), and gradually exhaust the battery. Why bother keeping redundant stuff on your phone?
Make sure that the screen time-out does not take too long – Does the screen of your phone remain lighted, even a full minute after you have stopped working on it? If yes, that might be one of the causes why you are having to charge your handset three times a day! Adjust the screen time-out period to around 15-20 seconds, and do not simply leave it at the default level. If required, you can always extend the time-out span by a few more seconds.
Don’t use battery-extending apps – Because most of these smartphone apps are hardly of any use, and are nothing more than a further burden on handsets. Battery-handlers from practically every iphone application development company in India advise against installing any of the several ‘battery-life enhancing apps’ currently available. These apps are mostly free – but that’s about the only good point about them!

If you do not really require lightning-fast internet connectivity, switch off the 3G/4G connections (as applicable) on your phone, at least for some time everyday. Make sure that the mobile apps on your phone do not get auto-refreshed after every few hours. Avoid placing your smartphone in direct sunlight, which can cause the device to get excessively heated up. Following these tips won’t make the battery life of a smartphone last a week – but you will, at least, be able to do away with the need to charge it multiple times in a day!

Failure Of A Smartphone App: Probable Causes

Even experienced app developers can go wrong on various counts, while creating a brand new mobile application. Nearly 70 per cent of all apps remain unsuccessful, and we here present some probable causes behind their failure.

Global research studies have shown, about 7 out of every 10 newly launched mobile apps turn out to be loss-making ventures for the developers. A wide range of factors can contribute to the ultimate failure of a smartphone app- even if the basic features of the latter are not particularly bad. With the incidence of mobile app failures around the world being so high, a look at the probable underlying causes for the same would be in order:

A ‘me-too’ application – If there are similar apps to the one you have developed (and if they are already popular enough) – it can become almost impossible to get enough market for your new application. Most such ‘me-too’ apps do not manage to provide any viable reason why people should switch over to it, and leave the app they had been using earlier. It is always advisable to prepare a unique app, which would be easy to promote.
Tacky, troublesome functional features – In a bid to make new apps visually charming and have a host of functions, executives from several mobile application development companies have ended up making apps that were far from user-friendly. There are many smartphone apps whose framework and functions range from plain boring to extremely complicated – and they invariably do not find any favor among buyers.
Not attractive enough – The earlier point, however, does not under-emphasize the importance of sleek mobile app designing in any way. In fact, the images and screenshots of a new application have to capture the attention of prospective users – for the app to stand any chance of being a hit. Depending on the genre of the app that is being developed, the right mix of colors, designs and overall layout has to be determined. If quality is kept constant, a good-looking app always sells more!
The app does not address a particular requirement – With the tools and techniques used for Blackberry, Android and iphone app development in India evolving at a rapid pace, most new apps have a dash of creativity about them. However, even the most innovative app idea can prove to be worthless, if it does not solve a particular requirement/problem of people. For instance, mobile apps like Droidfart and Crush or Flush were ‘different’ enough, but they were of no practical use to anyone.
Poor speeds – This generally occurs when app developers in India do not bother checking the bandwidth requirements of their mobile applications. An app that takes up a large amount of memory space/bandwidth is almost sure to be rather slow. The overall speed of the smartphone on which it has been installed might also be affected. While testing an app, its speed has to be carefully checked – so that users do not have any complaints on this count.
Lack of device portability – If an app works like a charm on an iphone, and refuses to function properly on an ipad – that is definitely likely to make general users thoroughly frustrated. The same goes for Android apps that can be used on only select categories of handsets. You need to conduct a preliminary research on all types of handheld devices currently available that have the same mobile application development platform for which the app would be created. Smartphone applications that do not work on certain devices would automatically have a limited appeal.
Apps with bugs – Neglecting the stage of beta testing for apps is almost a surefire way of ensuring the failure of the latter. Once the prototype of a new mobile application is ready, it has to be meticulously tested – and bugs (if present) have to be removed, before the final release. If the initial version of an app has viruses, people would be reluctant to download its latter upgrades, even after the problem(s) have been rectified.
No specific group of target users – Yes, mobile app users are relatively gadget-savvy people – but that’s not all that you need to know, while deciding on the type of application to develop. You have to identify the groups of people (based on their age, interests, business requirements or any other pertinent criteria), for whom developing a customized app would be a viable idea. Proper targeting would also allow you make your promotional activities for the app more focused. A vague, general application hardly ever works – since they do not appear to be ‘essential’ for any segment of people.
Poor promotional strategy and online visibility – The Apple Store has over a million smartphone applications, and you need to make sure that your app does not simply get lost in the crowd. Every iphone application development company in India and abroad has systematic promotional plans for their apps in place – including pre-release publicity drives (mainly through social media websites). Once an app gets approved at the App Store, it should be easily accessible to people via the web.
Lack of timely updates – There are also instances of a new mobile app being fairly successful initially, with the charm wearing off over time. Users typically look for some novelty, along with an increasing set of functions, in the applications they use – and you can deliver these only by releasing regular updates/versions of apps. Even a money-making app can get discarded for being too dated, if there have been no upgrades on it for years.

The success (or otherwise) of mobile apps also hinges crucially on the reliability of the carrier services available for the OS they have been developed for. Contrary to what many novice developers believe, people do not like using applications with too many features either. An exorbitantly high download price can also turn off potential buyers, particularly if cheaper alternatives are available. Every quarter, many well-hyped mobile apps fail – and one or more of the above factors is invariably the cause of the failure.

Mobile App Market in India: Overview & Major Trends

A detailed study of the Indian mobile app market throws up interesting figures and observations. Ranging from the prevalence of smartphones in the country, to availability of data plans and nature of app-usage – certain salient features of the mobile app market in India have been highlighted here.

As per research reports, the total number of Indians with smartphone would be almost 400 million, by the end of 2016. The number of 3G subscribers in the country is also on a steady upward spiral. These findings, in turn, indicate a vast and potentially lucrative market for advanced mobile apps in India. In the current discourse, we will highlight some major points related to the app market in our country:

Total market value – With the regular launch of new smartphone apps and the emergence of several mobile application development companies, the Indian app market is one of the most valuable ones in the globe. In a couple of years, the market for mobile apps is expected to go beyond Rs. 2600 crores.
Market share – The Indian scenario on this count is significantly different from that prevalent in the international markets. Android is the overwhelmingly dominant mobile application development platform (with over 90 per cent of the total market share) – while Apple, the leading platform in the US, has a rather negligible presence. Compared to worldwide app download figures, the share of iphone app development in India hovers around a lowly 2 per cent.
Popular app categories – News applications and social media apps enjoy maximum popularity among Indian users, while gaming apps also witness high download figures. Surveys have shown that Whatsapp and mobile Facebook were the two smartphone applications people spent most of their time on. The share for music and video apps is also on the rise.
Average profitability of paid apps – Rather surprisingly, the amount of money spent by an average smartphone user on paid applications is projected to go down by over Rs. 50 over the next couple of years. That, however, is likely to be offset by the rapidly increasing base of 3G service subscribers. As such, the total revenue figure from the paid apps market segment alone is likely to go beyond Rs. 2050 crores.
Linguistic barriers – By far the biggest challenge that any mobile application development company in India typically faces. Only about a quarter of the total number of smartphone users in the country are fluent with the English language – and its difficult to penetrate into the rural belts, where there are plenty of non-English speaking people, who use Android handsets or iphones. There are even cases where users are not even aware of the data plans provided by the mobile service providers. Phones that support vernacular languages are being launched, to tackle this factor.
Mobile internet access – Almost 10 per cent of all web pages viewed in a day by Indian users are accessed via mobile handsets. More than half of the total number of internet-users in the nation have web-enabled smartphones. The popularity of Broadband connections on desktops/laptops is still high – but mobile web access is fast catching up.
Dominance of feature phones – Although smartphones are gradually making their presence felt in the Indian markets, the cheaper feature phones remain the preferred choice of most middle-class to upper middle-class users. At present, eight to nine of every internet-powered handset in India is a feature phone. Professional app developers, hence, are more focused on churning out custom mobile applications for these handsets.
Profit-sharing – While the huge (and expanding) pool of internet-enabled phone users is an encouragement to every Blackberry, Android and iphone application development company in India – the skewed revenue-distribution structure serves up a problem. Most mobile operator companies demand a hefty share from the total revenue generated from apps, with the developers finally ending up with below-par final profit figures. Thankfully, the sheer volume of users somewhat makes up for this factor.
Number of mobile transactions – Monetary transactions via mobile apps is increasingly finding acceptance amongst users in India. The total number of such transactions on an annual basis stands well over seven million, and new finance applications that support secure payments are also being launched in the Indian market regularly. Remarkably though, the average volume of such mobile transactions (under Rs. 300) is much lower than that in the United States or the United Kingdom.
Data tariffs and plans – Given the still-existing prevalence of feature phones over smartphones in India – the GPRS data packages offered by the different mobile service providers have to be competitively priced. However, that has not always been the case, and average consumers have stayed away from subscribing for any of the expensive, high-end plans. Over the last few years though, GPRS data tariffs have come down significantly – and this has had a trickle-down effect on mobile app usage.

According to researches conducted by LinkedIn, India features in the top 5 mobile app markets in the world, in terms of potential profitability and opportunity for growth. Along with Android and Blackberry (the latter, though, has suffered several recent setbacks), Apple iphones are also starting to make their presence felt in India. With the quality of the value-added services (VaS) provided by the mobile companies also being improved constantly, Indian users appear all set to welcome apps in their handsets in a bigger manner within the next two to three years.

Consider These Factors While Naming Your New Smartphone App

Apart from ensuring technical excellence and user-friendly operations in mobile apps, developers also need to choose relevant, easy-to-remember names for them. To make sure that the app name you select indeed contributes to its success, you need to follow these tips.

Are you even aware of the existence of mobile apps named Eefoof, Crush or Flush, or Pikipimp? Chances are high that you aren’t – and that has not got all to do with the rather substandard features of these applications. The biggest reason why these apps have been lost in obscurity is their confusing (often misleading) names. While selecting a name for your smartphone apps, you need to keep in mind the following guidelines:

Do not be in a tearing hurry – Releasing your app within a scheduled timeframe is, of course, important. However, that does not mean you can afford to simply choose the very first name that comes to your mind for the application. Remember, the brand presence and marketing activities of mobile apps are all based on their names – and you need to devote enough time to come out with one that would be really suitable.
Refer app functionality through its name – Consultants from every mobile application development company advise developers to choose such app names that would be reflective of their primary features and functionality. For instance, an app like ‘Story Time For Kids’ would automatically tell buyers that it is about storytelling for children. You cannot expect people to go through the entire app descriptions on the iTunes store, to find out its genre.
Think simple word(s) – Simple is always more effective from a marketing perspective – and the task of naming an app is no exception to this rule of thumb either. The name you finally select should ideally have two to three words – each of them simple and easy to pronounce. Your English vocabulary might be real impressive, but refrain from showing that off while naming your products.
Avoid piggybacking on similarly-named apps – Resist the temptation of choosing a name that would be same, or overtly similar, to that of a popular one already existing in the online app stores. An established iphone application development company would always steer clear of such dubious, misleading means to generate high initial download figures for their apps. Trying to piggyback on other successful app names can even lead to copyright violations and other legal problems.
Keep track of the names of all the existing apps in the same category – With the total number of mobile apps at the Apple store exceeding one million and the number of Blackberry and Android apps steadily on the rise too – it is very much possible that the name of your new app becomes, inadvertently, too similar to that of another existing one. To avoid such a scenario, you need to keep track of the names of all the apps that are already available under the same category – and make sure that the smartphone application you have developed remains unique enough. Similarly named apps often have problems in getting approved at the App Store, and generally do not get adequate visibility either.
Research for keywords – For consistent success in the field of iphone app development in India, you need to have some basic knowledge about search engine optimization (SEO) as well. In other words, you have to be aware of the ‘keywords’/’keyphrases’ that people mostly use, while looking for smartphone apps similar to your own online. Try making one of the relevant keywords a part of the app’s name. The presence of that keyword in the URL of the app’s page on the online store would be instrumental for getting greater exposure to prospective clients.
Avoid numerals and special characters – In particular, the latter. Special characters in the name of an app are not only unnecessary – they can also mess up the promotional strategies for the concerned application. Use numbers in the name of a mobile app, only if you are releasing an upgraded version (e.g., version 2). Otherwise, people might be left wondering as to what the significance of the number is.
Make it catchy – The app name should be easy to remember, and have a high recall value. For gaming applications in particular, you have to select a name that would immediately capture the attention of the targeted buyers. A catchy app name would, in turn, make it easier for people to look for it online too. A classic example of a catchily titled mobile app would be ‘Angry Birds’.
Do not use too many characters in the name – Just like you should not have more than four words (max.) in an app name, the latter should not have over 12-14 characters either. If the name of the application is too long, it is very likely to appear distorted on the screens of mobile handsets. Shortlist two to three names, and select the one that appears the most appealing on the device during the testing stage.
Use characters in caps sparingly – A string of words in all caps conveys the impression that someone is shouting out at buyers, while those with all small letters are generally considered to be too inconspicuous. Only the first letter of the app name should be capitalized (along with, maybe, one other character). If the name of your app has more than one word, capitalize the first letter of each word.

Consult with the other professionals at your mobile application development company, and determine whether the name of your app should be in ‘camel case’ or ‘sentence case’ (which is way more popular). A well-chosen application name should provide buyers a visual feel about the app’s features as well. A simple, catchy, relevant name can ensure greater longevity and appreciation of an app – being too innovative on this count almost never helps!

15 Handy Mobile App Designing Guidelines

Among the many mobile apps that fail every year, most share a common feature – a complicated, cluttered design theme. If you are a mobile app developer, you need to follow these design tips, to bolster the probability of success of your applications.

No matter how many sophisticated features a new mobile app packs in – if its user interface (UI) appears cluttered and confusing, it is likely to prove to be a disappointment. There are multiple smartphone apps available at present for practically every purpose, and if your mobile application development designs are not efficient and appealing enough, people won’t think twice about ditching your app and choosing the ones created by your competitors. To make sure that such a scenario does not crop up, you should keep in mind these app-designing pointers:

Avoid overloading your app – First things first – users should never face any problems while using the Android, Blackberry or iphone apps you develop. A mobile application should ideally be designed to serve a single, precise requirement of the targeted users (which might be simple story-reading for kids, or complex personal finance calculations for executives). In case you wish a new app to have multiple functions, consider launching different versions/components of it.
Keep the texts scannable – No one likes to squint at their mobile screens, to decipher what is written on the dashboard of smartphone apps. Choose a default font for your application, which would be easily readable on mobile screens and tablets. People should be able to adjust the font size/style according to their convenience.
Pay attention to design precision – Professionals from any top iphone application development company in India would agree that – since individuals typically use their fingers/thumb to tap on app buttons and links (instead of using joysticks) – these ‘call-to-action’ components need to be large enough. Remember, even the largest mobile screen is way smaller than a laptop – and if the app buttons are small, even repeated thumb clicks might not yield the desired results.
Plan for custom mobile applications – Even for apps that are supposed to run on more than one mobile application development platform, you need to make the necessary customizations in it. In general, the technical features and tools used for creating Android or Blackberry apps are different for those required to make iphone applications. Avoid simply taking the same version of an app to different platforms.
Make the app take full advantage of the available smartphone features – A high-end smartphone typically has a lot of features (like GPS, front camera, etc.), which are not available on a standard desktop/laptop computer. Your mobile app designing plans should be such that, the applications can be easily integrated with all the features available on the host phone. Otherwise, people will not be able to experience all its benefits.
Think linear – According to expert designers from the domain of Android and iphone app development in India, applications that have side-scrolling features are generally looked upon unfavorably by users. Instead, you should have a streamlined, linear structure of data/images and other stuff in your app. Do not include any concealed menus. A linear layout would also help you to prioritize the app menu items.
Use grid patterns in the app – Navigation across the different portions/pages of a mobile application becomes a lot easier – when you incorporate a consistent grid pattern in its overall designs. Choose the type of grid that would be in sync with the type of app that you are developing.
Provide a grand first-time experience – The Apple app store alone has over a million smartphone applications, and the competition among every mobile application development company is intense. In such a scenario, your app should have some standout features in its design, which would get people hooked on from the very start. Do not, however, include any innovations that might confuse people.
Make the app upgrades count – Do not release upgrades of your existing apps without including any additional features/functionality in them. As users grow increasingly familiar with an app, they typically start looking for more services and features from it. Gather feedback from as many buyers as possible, and incorporate the suggested improvements in the new version of the app.
Scalability for all devices is a must – Not everyone is going to use your application on a mobile handset. Apart from having separate mobile application development plans for each platform, you also need to make the apps scalable – so that they can be properly viewed/used on tablets, ipads and all other popular handheld devices. Keep track of all the latest phone models that are being launched too.
Include drop-down features – This would economize on the space used up on the user-interface of an app, and would enable you to include more stuff in it as well. Cropped drop-down menus are particularly suitable for mobile applications that have a large number of links/buttons. Make sure that the menu items are easily clickable.
Never neglect app-testing – The app you develop might be the best ever according to you – but, at the end of the day, it is the opinion of the end-users that matters. You need to ensure that there are no bugs or virus files present in the final version of the application, by carefully testing in a beta-group and also via automation. A faulty application can ruin the brand image of your company.
Test on the right devices – This is basically an extension of the previous point. If you are preparing an ipad app, there is hardly any point in testing it on a computer screen only. The testing device/medium for each app has to be the same as the one on which it would be used by the buyers. In case you detect any design glitches while testing, get it rectified before the app release.
Apps should not consume too much of mobile bandwidth – Apart from checking the visual appeal, speed and basic user-friendliness of the app design scheme you have selected, you also need to find out how much of the available bandwidth on smartphones it is taking up. Ditch all such design plans which might look charming enough, but would take up a large percentage of the total mobile bandwidth – consequently slowing down the device.
Do not include long forms – No one likes filling up long, boring pages of forms – least of all, in a mobile application. In case you do wish to gather information about users through an app, put in small, interactive dialog boxes at different pages/portions – instead of simply putting in a long, plain form in it. Make sure that the fields in the dialog boxes are spacious enough.

For personal banking and finance-related mobile apps, incorporating the necessary security features in them is of essence. Professional app developers also need to set up an analytics tracking system in every application. A smartly designed mobile application has a much better chance of becoming a hit among users than a complicated one – even if the latter has more features!

Make Your New Year Resolutions Count With These Mobile Apps!

Less than 8 hours remain till the arrival of the New Year, and all of you probably already have your resolutions in place. If you are indeed sincere about your new year resolutions, the following mobile apps will help you stay true to your promises.

It’s the last day of the year – and all of us are busy making, and announcing, our grand New Year resolutions. However, somewhere down in our hearts – we are also aware that, like most other years, these resolutions would be rather short-lived, and our lifestyles won’t improve as we want them to. There is no need to despair though – for as 2014 zooms in, these mobile apps can indeed ensure that you stay true to the resolutions you take:

Livifi – Forget having one goal to attain in 2014, you can set as many as forty objectives for yourself, during the upcoming year – through this iphone application. The app would reiterate the importance of your goals from time to time, ensuring that you stay motivated enough. You can also get handy pointers from Livifi, on how to attain your self-imposed life targets.
Cozi Family – If spending more quality time with your family-members is one of your new year resolutions, this app would help you out. Cozi Family is one of the best custom mobile applications, on which you can create and maintain to-do lists, journal entries, and shopping schedules. Life at office will remain hectic, but you will not miss out on family fun!
Joe’s Goals – How about keeping track of whether you are meeting each of your goals on a daily basis? Joe’s Goals lets you do exactly that. You can set small targets for yourself in the morning, and tick them off as you complete them during the course of the day. The mobile application development framework used in this app has a touch of innovativeness about it, and you can give yourself positive/negative points – on the basis of whether you have been able to meet all your daily goals or not.
Goodreads – Thanks to the remarkable evolution in Android and iphone app development in India, you can improve your reading habits in 2014 – by referring to your mobile handset as well. Via Goodreads, you will gets updates on what books/journals your friends are reading up, and can even get recommendations from them. You also have the option of posting comments about what you are reading on your social media profile.
Goalscape – You will have to spend a few bucks to get the yearly subscription of the Goalscape app, but it would be well worth the expense – if you are really serious about your resolutions. Apart from general goal-setting and progress-tracking, business-style reports can be generated via Goalscape. You can prioritize the various targets you have set for yourself, by color-coding them. A systematic way to a better year – that’s what this smartphone application promises!
Livestrong MyQuit Coach – What can probably be a better time than New Year’s Eve, to make a determined attempt to stay away from the deadly smoking habit? The mobile application development company in charge of creating the Livestrong app ensures that you get convenient and completely customized plans to control your urges to have a puff anytime. All the advice that you will get through Livestrong are medically approved, and they would set you on your way to a healthier, tobacco-free life.
My Fitness Pal – Worried about that slightly bulging tummy and the few extra kilos you have put on? Get My Fitness Pal on your mobile handset, follow all the exercising and food tips that you get through it, and get back to your slim, fit self within a matter of weeks. This new year, you can keep a tab on your daily calorie intake requirements – thanks to this imaginatively designed application.
Chains.cc – Foster your good habits in the new year, by recording every nice deed that you do each day, on the Chains.cc app. All your records are maintained in the form of a chain (‘the chain of good habits’) – and the onus is on you to avoid doing anything rash, that might break the chain and ruin all your previous hard work. As the chain grows longer, you will definitely experience a feel-good factor about you!
Stress Check – Unless you are retiring or something, there is no way of staying away from workplace-related tensions and stresses. With the Stress Check app, you can manage such stress levels though, via clinically proven methods. Promoted by almost every iphone application development company in India and abroad, Stress Check also helps you identify the factors that put excessive mental stresses on you.
43 Things – Peer pressure spurs on many people to do apparently unattainable things, and that’s the underlying principle behind this goal-setting app. Once you have decided upon your new year resolutions, you can share them through social media via the 43 Things application. There are options to send invitations to your buddies too, for participative goal-realization. Since others would be able to track your progress, you will automatically get the necessary motivation to stay true to your resolutions.

Stikk, Mindbloom and CheckMark Goals are some of the other mobile apps that you can consider downloading on your phone, to get the requisite guidance for maintaining your new year resolutions. If 2014 is the year you wish to bid adieu to heavy drinking habits, the hypnotherapy tips and advice available on the Stop Drinking app would be of help. Get the Mint application, if you want to manage your finances in a better manner. Your resolutions for 2014 need not die an untimely death – there are plenty of advanced mobile applications to see you through the apparently challenging tasks!

Factors To Consider While Choosing A Mobile App Development Platform

Several important factors have to be taken into account, to determine which of the mobile application development platforms currently available would be the best for a new app. The following discourse presents a few of these factors that app developers have to pay heed to.

The ultimate success of a mobile app depends a lot on choosing the correct development platform for it. There are several alternative platforms (ranging from the market leader iOS, Blackberry and Android, to the fast-improving Windows, Symbian and Titanium platforms), and several things need to be factored in, while deciding the right one for your new applications. Any professional mobile app developer would emphasize the importance of the following points:

Popularity among users – You cannot possibly get into the business of mobile app development, without gauging the potential market size of the apps you would be creating. An in-depth research survey would reveal the most preferred models of smartphones among users, and the platform/OS they operate on. The results can vary according to your target markets – although creating apps for the Apple Play Store is almost always a good idea.
The required costs – Financial viability assurance is essential, before you get down to the actual app-creation process. Executives from any established mobile application development company would first prepare a budget plan – with calculations for all the mobile application development tools and general maintenance and marketing expenses. Apps for certain platforms offer high initial returns, but their profitability fizzles out later – and you should stay away from them.
Profile of the intended buyers – You also need to ensure that the smartphone application(s) you create actually appeal to the targeted group of people. For instance, Blackberry apps enjoy maximum popularity for business purposes – while iphone applications for kids are deemed to be the best. Study the demographics of your target market carefully, determine the primary purpose of your app – and choose a mobile application development platform accordingly.
Carrier availability – This is, once again, vital in determining whether new apps would manage to get adequate visibility. If you are into iphone app development in India, you have to consider whether there are enough reliable carrier networks to support the platform. In general, iphones operate on the AT&T network (in the US), while T-Mobile is the most popular carrier for Android phones.
Tools and coding support – When you are preparing high-end smartphone apps, it is of essence that you get comprehensive app development graphics, coding and API support from the platform you select. There should also be multiple options for you to prepare the concerned app. From Objective C and C++, to Java ME – each platform has its own set of proprietary coding support, and you need to decide which one would be most suitable for your application.
Prospective return on investment – You might be offering some free smartphone apps to start with – but, at the end of the day, advanced mobile applications have to yield sufficient revenue. Depending on whether you wish to create an app for a mass or a niche audience, you have to set your target ROI – and find out which of the platforms is most likely to help you achieve it. Apart from the potential customer base, preferences for free apps versus paid apps also have to be considered.
Stability – If you have an exclusive Blackberry, Android or iphone application development company in India, you won’t probably have to worry much about this factor. However, before creating mobile apps for any other platform – you have to make sure that its backend architecture and technical features are robust enough. Hosting a high-quality application on a sub-standard platform can lead to lengthy system downtimes, and you can start losing clients as a result.
Promotional support – Thanks to the presence of the iTunes store, the iOS platform probably has an edge over the other ones on this count. The process of getting apps approved on the Apple Store can be slightly time-consuming, however. You should get in touch with representatives from all the online app stores, to find out the sort of promotional support they would provide to your products. Once your new app gets featured on the Android store, the Apple store, or the Blackberry App World – the download figures would automatically show a significant growth.
Accessibility – The web stores of most app development platforms (with the notable exception of iphones) are accessible only across certain select countries across the world. Hence, it is important to select a platform which would allow you to market your app in the country(ies) where the majority of your clients are based. In case you are developing an enterprise app (not targeted to general buyers), you have to make your choice of platform accordingly.

For developers involved in creating smartphone apps with cross-platform compatibility, it is of essence to find out the modifications that have to be made – to ensure that they run perfectly well on all the platforms. Review your initial choice of platform once, to check whether it might pose any problems in your mobile application development processes in future. Select the right platform for your custom mobile applications, and boost their chances of success manifold!

Do You Know How To Monetize Your Mobile Apps?

Along with maintaining a high quality standard for the mobile apps you create, having viable monetization plans for them is also of essence. We will here take you through some important pointers for monetizing new smartphone applications.

Mobile application development can potentially be a highly profitable business. Well-designed, user-friendly custom mobile applications typically boast of high download figures – resulting in handsome revenues to their developers. However, in the absence of a smart monetization strategy, even a qualitatively excellent app can fail to make any significant amount of money. Over here, we would discuss some important factors to consider, for monetizing your smartphone apps:

Set realistic targets – Not all apps can earn equal money, and looking for an unrealistically high profit figure from any of them would be rather naive. On the basis of the type of your app, its prime user-group, the mobile application development platform used, and the geographical area where you would promote it – determine an approximate revenue figure from it. Factor in the promotional/registration costs you would have to incur as well.
Choose an ad strategy – A mobile application development company generally prefers to launch a free version of new apps (for a limited span of time), and release the paid version after the former has become relatively popular. During these initial stages, it is of essence to choose a viable ad sponsorship scheme for your mobile apps, to earn a steady stream of income from them. Apart from the conventional push-notification advertisements, you can integrate icon ads, smartwall ads and information on special deals in your apps. Make sure that the ads never hamper user-experience though.
Use different strategies for separate web platforms – iPhone apps are different from Android apps – and the general preferences of app-users also vary across every mobile application development platform. Free applications are generally more popular among Android users, making it important for you to have a good sponsorship plan in place. Paid iphone apps, on the other hand, find greater acceptance – and you need to have a flat download fee/pay-per-download scheme for them.
Monitor the eCPM levels – This is where the importance of testing alternative sets of app advertisements come into the picture. Any established iphone application development company in India would have multiple test ads running on their recently launched apps – with executives tracking the eCPM (Effective Cost Per Mile) figures. In broad terms, this metric refers to the number of impressions each ad gets. Make sure that advertisements are displayed adequate number of times (without causing disturbance to the end-user), to ensure a high revenue.
Make monetization a part of the app marketing strategy – Right from the prototype creation and mobile application development cost determination stages, to getting apps approved at online App Stores – you need to include monetization as a part of the overall marketing and promotional strategy. Unless you have a clear idea about how you would go about publicizing a new app – setting an arbitrary price on it is not going to help.
Keep your ads in sync with the overall layout of your app – If the in-app ads you choose stick out like a sore thumb, users would soon start getting distracted – and might get rid of the troublesome applications from their phones altogether. Irrespective of whether you are involved in Android, Blackberry or iphone app development in India, you have to chalk out plans for custom mobile applications – where the ads would seamlessly blend with the app user interface. There are several professional advertising networks, who can help you to come up with attractive and creative ads for mobile apps.
Create a buzz about your app – This one is pretty much elementary – unless people are made aware of the application you have recently launched/planning to launch soon, its download figures would remain low, and all the smartly-laid monetization plans would go to waste. Start promoting your apps through social media sites, online press releases and banners, and your business website. The higher the initial sales of an app would be, the greater would be the amount of money it’ll start to make from the very outset.
Provide subscription offers – Within your smartphone apps, you can also integrate offers to users, for subscribing to e-newsletters, app-badges, and other such material. Make sure that the stuff you provide for subscription would actually be of value to people, and have a nominal price on all such additional downloads. In particular, if you have a news or a gaming application, such subscription deals can prove to be really successful.
Balance the app download charges with your advertisement plans – It is only natural that when a person downloads a paid mobile application, (s)he is likely to be less tolerant about multimedia advertisements in it – than when (s)he is using a free app. You can afford to be a bit more aggressive with your ad strategies on free applications, while sticking to a much more minimalistic plan for your paid apps.

Take a cue from the strategies that are being implemented by the top players in the field of mobile application development, and try incorporating some of their methods to monetize your apps. You should ideally hire the services of an experienced, reliable mobile ad network agency as well. With increasing popularity, the potential revenues from a smartphone application can rise rapidly – you only need to have a good monetization plan for it in place!

Pay Attention To These 11 Security Guidelines For Smartphone Apps!

Do you use smartphone applications for mobile banking and other personalized, official purposes? If yes, you should always keep in mind the app security tips discussed below.

Over the last couple of years or so, mobile apps have emerged as one of the most viable ways for marketers to promote their products/brands to prospective customers. While the increasing availability of user-friendly, easy-to-operate and engaging applications has been much to the liking of general smartphone-owners, risks of confidential personal data getting compromised have also gone up. That, in turn, has brought to light the importance of abiding by certain basic security norms, while using mobile applications. Here are eleven such critical tips:

Do not use finance-related apps on public networks – Launching a gaming application in an wireless network environment is all very fine – but when you are using a banking or mortgaging app, you need to ensure that the connection is secure and encrypted. In general, using the network provided by your mobile service provider (via VPN) would be advisable.
Avoid storing too much of data in phone apps – Security consultants from the domain of Android and iphone app development in India keep advising people to not use smartphone apps as virtual databases. Unless it is absolutely necessary, you should never store sensitive data (account numbers, passwords, etc.) in a mobile application. To protect the data that has been stored, don’t forget to use key-chains.
Regularly check your handset for viruses – Presence of virus or malware in your phone can corrupt valuable data, and even make it accessible to others using the same network. You should have a reliable anti-spyware system installed in your phone, to stay safe from such threats. Make sure that the anti-virus settings are updated on a regular basis.
Be careful during data transfer – You need to take a call about the type of data you are comfortable with, for sending along to others via smartphone apps. Most business and financial software come with secure app development graphics and encryption options – to rule out chances of unauthorized data access. Even so, it won’t be a good idea to transmit sensitive personal information via mobile applications.
Stay aware of the latest security upgrades – To handle the data integrity requirements of users, every customer-oriented Blackberry, Android and iphone application development company in India comes up with regular security upgrades. Keep a tab on the releases of such advanced data protection software, and install the new versions – as and when they become available. If you are not sure about how the security software has to be set up, get in touch with a professional immediately.
Be wary of mails seeking personal information – Unfortunately, there is no dearth of fraudsters going around in the mobile app markets – and they are invariably on the prowl to take advantage of the unsuspecting public, to gather their bank information and other such confidential data. If you get an email from an untrusted source, asking for your account details or balance information – delete it as soon as possible. Notify the app development company about it too, and unsubscribe from all unnecessary promotional offers. You don’t want to end up getting swindled!
Use only tested mobile apps – Apart from the probable threats that can surface on the user-interface, an app can have bugs in its basic framework and backend architecture too. It is of essence that you download, install and use only such applications that have been thoroughly tested, and have valid security certifications. Apps with non-robust backend data protection systems should always be avoided.
Do not lend your handset to unreliable persons – It might be on the pretext of one urgent phone call, that someone can steal valuable data stored in your apps. In case you do lend your handset to anyone else, make sure that all the applications are closed and locked first. If you are planning to sell off your old smartphone, uninstall all apps and erase the stored phone history.
Log out from apps after every session – Even if no one else uses your phone, do not forget to actually log out/sign out of your user account on mobile apps after each session. Several contemporary mobile application development companies do offer applications with auto-logout systems – meaning that you will have to sign in with your username and password every time. It might take a few extra seconds, but you will be kept safe from undue data losses.
Be alert about unusual activities – If someone does manage to breach through the security features of an app, you should be able to detect it at the earliest. While making credit card transactions via mobile, or accessing your banking app – keep an eye out for any unusual activity (in the nature of debits or credits). In case you do happen to identify any such unscheduled activity, report to the developers, and remove the concerned application from your phone.
Have an idea about who can actually access your app-stored data – This is particularly important, if the app(s) you mostly use has backend data-storage facilities. If you know who can access/view your personal data, you will be at a better position to identify the culprit – in case there is any shady activity in your account. While transmitting data too, keep a list of the people/organizations with whom you are sharing such vital information.

While it sounds rather obvious, it would not be out of place to reiterate the importance of locking your phone – whenever you are not using it. Remember, each version of Android apps or iphone apps has its own list of security add-ons and requirements – and you need to upgrade your handset accordingly. Smartphone apps have, undoubtedly, made life a lot easier for people – but you can ignore the above guidelines only at your own peril!

Be Wary Of These Mistakes While Creating Mobile Apps!

All set to develop your very first mobile application? Make sure that you do not fall prey to any of these mistakes!

If you are not thorough in your mobile application development plans – chances are high that some mistakes will crop up during the app-creation stages. That, in turn, would adversely affect the final performance and usability of the app, and, in all likelihood, it would get lost in obscurity – particularly with the huge number of smartphone applications that are launched every quarter. If you are among the budding app developers in Kolkata, make sure you do not commit these follies:

Creating the same app for all platforms – Developing mobile apps that have seamless cross-platform operability calls for a high level of professional expertise, and a decent amount of practical experience in this field. To start off with, it is always a better option to create separate sets of applications for iphones, Blackberry sets and Android phones. Custom mobile applications, in any case, are always likely to perform better.
Trying to excessively cut down on costs – Sure, you need to monitor the mobile application development cost levels at all stages – but that should not, in any way, compromise the quality of the app that is being created. Make sure that advanced, pre-tested tools are being used create user-friendly app interfaces and layout. A poorly designed app would not be able to generate significant download figures, no matter how cheap it might be.
Putting in too many functionalities – Simplicity is a major virtue, as far as development of mobile applications in concerned. According to professionals related to iphone app development in India, applications that pack in too many functionalities inevitably end up confusing the end-users, resulting in diminished popularity. While chalking up the app prototype, you should focus on it having one principal objective. Further features can always be added in later versions/upgrades.
Not studying the mobile market – This is the point where the value of having a dedicated research team at your mobile application development company comes to the fore. Before deciding on the type of apps you would be creating, you have to find out the type of mobile handsets and OS that enjoy maximum popularity. At present, iphones are ahead in terms of total number of users than Android or Blackberry phones – and starting off with an iphone app won’t be a bad idea.
Ignoring the need for tracking analytics – You create mobile apps and send them off to the online Play Store for user-downloads. Is that all you need to do? Far from it – for unless you know how your applications are performing (both in terms of download figures AND actual usage in handsets), you will never get an idea about whether it is being liked by your target audience. Consequently, the app upgrades you release can also turn out to be unsatisfactory.
Not monetizing the app – Unless you are in the mobile application development business solely for the fun of it, this mistake would be inexcusable. Even if you intend to offer free download offers (limited period) on your apps, you need to know how you can earn money through them, from advertisements and sponsorships. As the applications start becoming popular, you need to determine an appropriate pricing model as well.
Considering all users to have same levels of technical expertise – Remember, the people who will be using your apps are only interested in having more features in their smartphones – you cannot expect them to have top-level technical knowledge and ideas on the back-end coding of the applications. In case your Android or iphone application development company in India is creating a multi-touch, highly evolved app, you should also include a detailed user-instruction manual with it. People should never face any problems while installing and/or using the application.
Glossing over the need for social media integration – Everyone (at least, every smartphone user!) is present on social media, and mobile apps that do not have integrated Facebook and Twitter-sharing features are bound to be looked upon as slightly backward. Irrespective of whether it is a gaming application or a news-based app you are developing, make sure that users can share the items that they like on their social media profiles. Of course, these networking sites are also great avenues for promoting your app.
Not testing the app properly – In the fiercely competitive mobile app markets, profitability is often equated with being able to gain a first-mover’s advantage. However, you should never be in a tearing hurry to release your app – cutting down on the required time for app-testing in the process. You need to perform beta-testing with a focus group of testers, as well as allott some time for automated testing and tests conducted in the cloud network. An undetected bug/virus in the final version of the application would surely make buyers stay well away from it!
Not promoting your app well – Even the best mobile apps are likely to fail, if the parent companies fail to publicize them properly. Through online press releases, web banners, relevant blog posts, social media updates and even small teasers on your website – you need to build up the curiosity levels of people about the upcoming mobile application. You can also consider distributing flyers and handouts at IT events. Greater awareness can easily translate to higher sales!

You need to be careful while recruiting the team of app developers in Kolkata, who would be in charge of creating the app. Make sure that the dashboard of the application never becomes too cluttered. Test the speed of the app too. Even the smallest of errors can result in the development of a problematic app – and that would be a big-time loss of time, effort, and of course, money!