Iloilo Science and

Technology
University

An introduction to the Tools and

Platforms on Android

By: Guy V. Arellano, MSCS

Faculty ISATU
What is Android?

 Android is an  operating system for cellular

telephones and tablet computers.
 Android began in 2003 as a project of the
American technology company Android Inc.,
 to develop an operating system for digital cameras.
What is Android?

 In 2004 the project changed to become an operating system for

smartphones.
 Android Inc., was bought by the American search
engine company Google Inc., in 2005.
 At Google, the Android team decided to base their project
on Linux, an open source operating system for personal
computers.
Why Android?
Analysis

 Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are by far

the biggest and most popular mobile platforms
in the world.

 The US, for instance, has a bigger iOS market

share i.e. 56 per cent compared to 43.5 per
cent of Android.
Analysis

 This means if you choose your app simply in the

global data, you might lose an important target
region.
 That is why you need to choose your app platform
wisely.
 You need to know where your audience is and build
your app’s presence on each of those platforms. 
Analysis

 Now there are two ways to do that - you either

build a native app for each platform or create a
single cross-platform app supported by multiple
platforms. 
The Basic Difference between Native and Cross-Platform
App

 Native apps are developed exclusively for a

specific platform.
 These apps are developed in a language
compatible with the platform.
 Apple, for instance, prefers Objective C and Swift
for iOS while Google favors Java and Kotlin for
Android.
The Basic Difference between Native and Cross-Platform
App

 Using these acceptable languages, developers can

make better use of the innate features of these
platforms.
 A native app developed for Android will not
function on iOS and vice versa.
The Basic Difference between Native and Cross-Platform
App

 Cross-platform apps are compatible with multiple

platforms.
 Due to the market share of Android and iOS, most
cross-platform apps are limited to these two
operating systems.  
The Basic Difference between Native and Cross-Platform
App

 These apps are developed in HTML and CSS since

these standard web technologies are platform
independent.
 There are several cross-platform application
development tools that allow developers to create
these apps with little trouble. 
 Advantages of Native Apps

Functionality
 Native apps have access to a range of
functionalities, specific to the OS it's designed
for.
 When developing a native app, you'll have
access to all the different tools and APIs
offered by the host's platform.
 Advantages of Native Apps

Functionality
 Native app development allows for the
creation of complex applications while
ensuring stability, security and good
performance.
 Advantages of Native Apps

Speed and Performance

 Nativeapps tend to deliver superior performance
than cross-platform apps.
 Why?
 because of the seamless integration between the
app itself and the host's operating system.
 Advantages of Native Apps

User Interface
 Native apps deliver a great user experience as they
are tailored towards a specific operating system.
 Advantages of Native Apps

Ranks Highly on App Stores

 Apps with better user experience rank higher on
the app stores.
Disadvantages of Native Apps

Costly to Develop
 Buildinga native app for both Android and IOS is
costly and time-consuming.
Disadvantages of Native Apps

Needs More Support

 Nativeapp development involves building and
maintaining multiple codebases.
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android
Development from Google

 Android Studio contains tools such as the Android

Virtual Device Manager and the Android Device
Monitor.
 It also contains Gradle, which helps you configure
your Android application seamlessly.
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google

 Support for a fast emulator

 Support for Gradle
 Support for plenty of code
templates and GitHub integration
 Support for Google Cloud
Platform
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google

 Support for template-based wizards

for creating Android designs and
components
 Support for rich layout editor
 Support for deep code analysis
 Support for extensive set of tools and
frameworks
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google
Android Studio, the Full-blown IDE for Android Development
from Google
What Is Cross-Platform App Development?

 Cross-platform app development is the process of

building a single app that runs on multiple
platforms.
 Cross-platformapp development is an 'all-in-one'
approach which saves time and money.
 Top Cross-platform Mobile App
Development Tools

According to the 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, Xamarin, React

Native, Flutter, and Cordova were the most popular cross-platform
frameworks used by professional developers.
Top Cross-platform Mobile App Development Tools

2020 STACK OVERFLOW DEVELOPER SURVEY

Flutter 68.8

ReactNative 57.9

Xamarin 45.4

Cordova 28.7
 Apache Cordova
 

  Apache Cordova was previously known as Adobe PhoneGap.

 It is owned as well as sourced by Adobe.
 It is a simple cross-platform app development framework that
uses HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.
  Apache Cordova

 Apache Cordova plugins enable the developers to access device

hardware capabilities such as GPS, camera, and accelerometer to
deliver a native-like app experience.
 Apache Cordova’s notable features include a faster development
process with a single codebase and third-party app management tools. 
  Apache Cordova

Pros
It allows you to share the application
with the team to garner their feedback.
It also offers a cloud solution in case
you want to create your app directly.
  Apache Cordova

Features
 like access to third-party tools, a large
community (the one behind the free and open-
source Apache Cordova), and a large number of
plugins, make it better than its competitors.
It uses an intuitive desktop as for mobile app

development and then serves the app created on
the desktop to mobile devices connected to it.
 Apache Cordova
 

Cons
Apache Cordova is not recommended for high-performance
applications and hardware intensive apps like gaming
apps due to its poor performance and lack of UI Widgets.
Apache Cordova is dependent on iOS SDKs to build an
app and downloading these SDKs requires a Mac.
 Apache Cordova
 

Cons
Apps built with Apache Cordova tend
to go a little low on performance as
compared to native apps
  Apache Cordova

Apps Made with Apache Cordova

• Wikipedia
• TripCase
• FanReact
 Apache Cordova
 

IDE
 Visual Studio
 Cordova Tools Visual Studio Extension
 App Builder
 NSB/AppStudio
 VSCode
 Xamarin was launched in 2011 as an independent
cross-app development framework but was later
acquired by Microsoft in 2016.
 The framework empowers businesses to provide
native performance and unique user experiences to
end-users.
 InXamarin, an abstraction layer controls the
communication between the underlying platform
code and shared code.
 The framework allows the developers to build an
ecosystem with APIs, back-end, components, etc.,
using tools, libraries, and programming languages
supported by an active community. 
IDE
 Visual Studio
Pros
 Xamarin app development uses C# for coding,
meaning that it works seamlessly on an array of
platforms (including Android and iOS).
 Xamarin has a strong community of over 60,000
contributors from more than 3,700 companies.
Pros
 Share more than 75% of your code across platforms, for
“write once, run anywhere” ease.
 A single tech stack for faster development.
Cons
 Itis expensive for enterprises. Xamarin is a
framework that comes free for individuals and
startups.
 However, enterprises are required to buy a license
for Microsoft’s Visual Studio.
Cons
 Xamarin is not recommended for apps that demand
heavy graphics because each platform has a
different method for visually laying out screens.
 A UX/UI-richapplication is advised to be
implemented natively.
Cons
 It also offers limited access to certain important
libraries that the app developers need for mobile
app development.
 Also,since the core of its user-interface creation is
not mobile, creating the UI is time-consuming.
Apps Made with Xamarin
• Fox Sports
• Alaska Airlines
• HCL
• American Cancer Society
• BBC Good Food
 React Native

 ReactNative is an endeavor that Facebook

launched in 2015, and it did cause a wave in the
market for hybrid frameworks.
 Withina few years of its introduction in the
market, it is already one of the most popular ones.
 React Native

 ReactNative helps develop Android and iOS

mobile apps seamlessly.
 Fasterdevelopment and deployment are the
primary reasons behind the universal popularity of
React Native.
 React Native

 Other notable features of React Native include:

o reusable components,
o integration with third-party plugins,
o component-based GUI development for front-end
applications. 
React Native
 React Native

Pros
 Up to 80% of a codebase can be shared across
platforms, depending on the app’s complexity.
 Apartfrom code reusability, it allows you to
preview results right away, besides offering ready-
to-apply elements, thus shortening the developing
time considerably.
 React Native

 HotReloading feature enables developers to see

changes made in code within seconds, not minutes
when using native technologies.
 ReactNative focuses on UI to a great extent
rendering a highly responsive interface.
 React Native

 Italso gives you access to certain great native

functionalities like accelerometer and camera.
 The result it renders is a high-quality native-like
user interface.
 React Native

Cons
 React Native is not fully a cross-platform app
framework.
 To use some functions like camera or
accelerometer you have to use native
components, so there will be a separate code
for Android and iOS.
 React Native

Cons
 Since the framework is not built in conjunction
with iOS or Android, it lags behind the native
platforms at times.
 This is one of the reasons that led Udacity to
stop investing in React Native for new
features.
 React Native

 React Native lacks consistency when it comes

to releasing the updates.
 React Native improves the speed of
development, but also increases the duration of
the debugging process, especially on Android.
 React Native

Apps Made with React Native

• Instagram
• Bloomberg
• Pinterest
• Skype
• Tesla
 Flutter

 Flutter is
another open source and free cross-
platform framework for creating native interfaces
for Android as well as iOS.
 Flutter

 Flutter is Google’s open-source framework for

developing native Android and iOS apps using a
single codebase.
 It is a revolutionary SDK for cross-platform app
development that stands out as it uses a unique
approach for delivering apps with a native-like
look and feel.
 Flutter

 Itis an unmatched and highly reliable mobile UI

framework for creating stunning apps quickly by
speeding up the development process.
 Flutteris a complete framework that includes
widgets, a rendering engine, testing and integrating
APIs and tools to help developers build and deploy
aesthetically pleasing mobile apps. 
 Flutter

IDE
 Android Studio
  IntelliJ IDEA
 Visual Studio Code
 Emacs
 Atom
 Flutter

Pros
“Hot reloading” feature enables developers to see changes made in
code within seconds not minutes as when using native technologies.

It is an ideal framework for MVP development. Instead of spending

extra money and time on two separate apps, you can quickly build a
Flutter mobile application that looks native on both Android and
iOS.
. 
 Flutter

Pros
 Flutter is based on Dart, an object-oriented
programming language that developers have
found rather easy to acquire the skill for.
 Flutter has a full set of widgets in Google’s 
Material Design and in Apple’s style with the 
Cupertino pack.
. 
 Flutter

Cons
 There is limited TV support with apps built on Flutter
framework, i.e., Flutter offers no support for Android TV
and Apple TV.
 Though by virtue of being developed by Google, there are
several libraries with ready-to-implement functionalities,
Flutter still lacks when compared to native development.
. 
 Flutter

Cons
 Since Flutter-enabled apps use built-in widgets and
not platform widgets, the app’s size is usually
bigger.
 Currently, the smallest possible app made with
Flutter can weigh no less than 4MB.
. 
 Flutter

 Apps Made with Flutter Cross-Platform App

Framework
• Alibaba
• Google
• Google Ads
• Tencent
. 
Analysis

 Native apps seem far superior in terms of performance and

user experience.
 However, let’s not forget that the choice truly depends on
your application.
 Simple applications like games and content distribution apps
are usually developed as a cross-platform app while apps
with specific features are native.
Analysis

 Cross-platformis also preferred for B2B apps where

deployment time is of utmost importance.

 Many small businesses also opt for cross-platform due to

their limited budget.
Analysis

 However, compromising performance and user experience

for the sake of savings is often counterproductive. 

 Itis important for you to choose a platform that meets your

needs, requirements, as well as your target audience,  needs
to create your winning app.
Future of Android App Development in 2021

 Android  AR and VR Technology

Instant Apps
 AI  On-demand Apps
and Machine Learning
 IoT  M-Commerce

 Blockchain Technology  Multiplatform Development

 Accelerated (Flutter)
Mobile Pages
 Kotlin MultiPlatform
(AMP)
 That’s all for today!

Thank You Very Much!

References

 Most Popular Operating Systems - Mobile Operating System Market Share World
wide 2009-2021 – YouTube
 A Brief History of Google's Android, 12 Years Since Its Inception | Digital Trends
 Android | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
 Native VS Cross-Platform Apps | Differences Between Native and Cross-Platform
Apps (zeolearn.com)
 Top Mobile App Frameworks in 2021 | Full Scale
 Cross-Platform App Frameworks in 2021 (netsolutions.com)
 Top Android App Development Trends in 2021 (scand.com)