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Friday, October 25, 2013

The impact of iOS 7 on mobile app developers

Anton Faulconbridge writes:

It’s the latest tech update that everyone is talking about; for good or for bad, iOS7 is here and it’s something that all mobile app developers need to take into consideration. So, how have these changes to Apple’s system had an impact on third party apps?

Image

Face value

The first thing you notice when you start up iOS7 is the facelift that Apple have given their themes. The redesign has made it stark, minimal and yet dynamic in appearance, making full use of zoom and slide animations. This appearance is very different to the previous versions, making purpose built apps for Apple look outdated instantly. Many of the big players in the game like Twitter and Facebook were obviously aware of the significance of these changes and were able to release an update shortly after iOS7 was launched. Other mobile developers were not so fortunate and have had to completely overhaul their apps in an effort to keep them current.

How it feels

It isn’t just the look that has changed, but also the feel of how these apps operate. Previously, most apps worked on a layer base – clicking through navigation to get where you want to be. However, the minimalist nature of this update has forced many apps to adopt a more swipe-based interface. This means that now, instead of clicking through navigation menus, you simply swipe horizontally to get to the app’s most used features. This means that before, where many app developers only had to think about compatibility, there is now reason to consider the way in which the entire app works.

Compatibility

This really is the big issue when it comes to new software and mobile apps. If you haven’t been updating your app as the new updates roll in then you’ll probably find that your app no longer works effectively on the new systems and definitely no longer looks the part after the iOS7 drop. You might find that if your app requires a lot of memory to run then it will completely crash older devices or freeze on newer models. Unless you follow Apple closely and have a good idea of the changes that these updates will bring, a lot of the compatibility issues can only be worked out after the official launch.

Death of Novelty

Some of the most popular apps on the old systems include the novelty apps like flashlights and spirit levels, among others. Thanks to new additions to iOS7 these apps have been made completely redundant, forcing many mobile app developers to come up with new ideas for money making software. In a way this is encouraging for app developers as they created a feature so useful that Apple have integrated it in all their devices; however it is more than likely they received little or no compensation for their contribution. This means that many developers will need to come up with entirely new projects that are not already an existing feature of Apple devices but would be used on a regular basis – a very tricky task as Apple is constantly evolving.

So far we can see that iOS7 is having a massive impact on mobile app developers so far, and with various bug fixes and additional updates coming out this trend is set to continue.

Anton Faulconbridge is CEO of RantMedia, a mobile app development agency based in Cardiff.
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Opinion Articles

4G doesn't come to Three

Mark Bridge writes:

Earlier today, Three.co.uk published a blog post headlined “4G comes to Three”. But it hasn’t.

I spent most of this morning here at Mobile World Congress muttering about the blog before returning to it this afternoon. And suddenly it’s changed.

The blog post remains. The headline is completely different. Now we’re told “Three to launch leading edge 3G service”.

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How far does it go, mate?

Geoff Varrall of RTT writes:

About 15,000 years ago some indigenous Northern Australians decided that they needed a more efficient way of talking to each other than just shouting a lot.

And blowing into a long cylindrical tube proved to be just what was needed and seriously useful fun – the dawn of the didgeridoo.

Trumpets and bagpipes were invented at about the same time. The ancient Greeks used the trumpet in battlefield communication to devastating effect.

The way you can tell that your didgeridoo is better than everyone else’s didgeridoo is to blow into it and see how far the sound goes.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 20th February 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. So said Sir Arthur C Clarke.

Last week’s magic was supplied by imaging company Scalado, which announced a new product called ‘Remove’. The clue’s in the name: it can automatically remove unwanted people from photos taken on a mobile phone. Expect to see it on a handset near you before too long.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 13th February 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s not been a good week for Nokia staff, with 4000 of them likely to lose their jobs from factories in Finland, Hungary and Mexico. The company says it’s moving device assembly to Asia, where it’ll be closer to component manufacturers. The three scaled-down factories will remain open with a new focus on smartphone customisation.

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Could a new legal framework for FRAND principles end the mobile patent wars in 2013?

Mark Bridge writes:

I’m not the first person to point out that mobile phone patent battles are raging all around us. They’ve been going on for years.

However, the topic of FRAND patents - those designated as ‘industry standards’ and therefore required to be licensed on Fair, Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory terms - has become an increasingly newsworthy topic.

In the last couple of weeks we’ve reported on an EC investigation into Samsung’s licensing of mobile patents and a Motorola/Apple legal battle that involves FRAND licensing.

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Later in the programme, the team anticipates some of the topics that will be hitting the headlines during 2016.

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A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

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