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Developmentwise, mobile phones specs are all over the map!
Mobile phone users are happy to report they’re getting more productive “on the road” than ever before with their snappy mobile gear.
Many mobile workers seem like they’ve been teleported from another galaxy to those who haven’t yet embraced the mobile revolution. With their handheld phone, they can message their colleagues, adjust invoices, browse inventory levels and launch a search on Google.
But any mobile worker will confirm this to you, not all cell phones are created equal.
And because mobile gear comes in some many variations, developers are having a hard time keeping up with it all.
So, what’s it like coding for the mobile crowd?
Well, it’s not exactly a piece of cake and in five (5) easy to understand points, here’s why…
- Custom SDKs
- The sheer effort it takes for one to become proficient in a target platform’s nuances leaves little time to learn the other platforms.
- With Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia, Palm, Windows Mobile and others promoting unique software dev kits, a handful of mobile developers have any significant knowledge or experience with any two.
- Platform frangmentation
- Flashback almost 30 years back, in the 80′s, when PC-related development was booming. Well, this time around, it’s all about mobile computing.
- Coders who craft their applications to fit the lowest possible denominator, mobilitywise, will not satisfy high-end smartphone users who’ll rapidly switch to native platform application alternatives if they feel like the “one size fits all” doesn’t fit them.
- Security
- Bringing security to mobile gear is a specialty unto itself.
- Malware writers are having a ball abusing poorly written code which sometimes has so little security built-in that it’s just calling for abusers to tap into it.
- Developers must be vigilant about the code they write but until that’s well understood by all developers, companies must be prepared to move quickly with a fix when a vulnerability is identified.
- Unpredictable operating conditions
- Phones take on so many forms that coding for all of them at once is downright impossible.
- From being handled roughly on construction sites to sitting nicely on a VP’s charging craddle all day, no phone will be used in the same environment so that too becomes a challenge.
- As such, developers must test their applications across broad platforms and external factors.
- Variable screen resolutions
- Forget “design once, publish anywhere” because mobile phones are more like armored silos than easily connecting puzzle pieces.
- With a dizzying array of mobile devices with varying dimensions, resolutions and color depths, designing a single web user interface is (and will continue to be) a serious challenge.
As you can see, those who develop code for the mobile world have quite a few hoops to jump through before they can shine but hey, hundreds of millions of mobile phone users make for an incredibly attractive market to cater to and that’s most probably why so many talented coders are drawn to that specific growth market.
Search, maps, videos, email, calendars, chatting and contact management are just the start, as far as mobile phones go. It’s like the PC boom all over again, but for mobile phones!
And in all of this crazy mobile development rush, it’s important to remind yourself that mobile phones can also be used to phone home, once in a while.
Tags: mobile phones, mobile development, mobile software, mobile code, mobile security, mobility, cell phones, mobile gear, hard to develop for mobile devices, various phones, variety of specs, coders
3 Responses to “Developmentwise, mobile phones specs are all over the map!”
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I have a hard time selecting which mobile phone to buy. There are too many options to choose from.
Mobile computing is on the rise these days. Maybe we will get a dual core powered cellphones in the future.
I am always on the lookout for new models of Nokia phones and also, for the iPhone.