Tech Partners

May 28, 2015
 
Dan Katcher

It takes a lot of technology to make a great mobile app. Rocket Farm’s stable of industry-leading technology partners help us to design and launch apps that not only look good, but provide an amazing user experience as well. Here are some of the companies we work with to continually deliver new apps that utilize the latest technology.

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So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

What kinds of iPhone apps are the most successful?

 
Dan Katcher

Games are consistently the most downloaded free and paid apps. The highest grossing apps are generally those that offer in-app purchases, and include games, radio streaming, and dating apps.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

How many iPhones are out there?

 
Dan Katcher

In March 2014, Apple sold its 500 millionth iPhone. With the introduction of the iPhone 6, we can assume that number has only continued to grow.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

How many people are using Android devices?

 
Dan Katcher

In the simplest terms: A lot.

  • Since 2010, the number of Android phone users in the U.S. more than quintupled, from 15 million to 76 million.
  • Android has far and away the largest market share globally. In 2017, phones running Android are expected to make up just shy of 70 percent of the worldwide market.
  • As of April 2013, 1.5 million people worldwide were activating Android smartphones every day.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

How many different devices use Android?

 
Dan Katcher

Nearly 19,000 phones, tablets, and other devices made by close to 100 manufacturers currently run the Android operating system, according to recent studies. Samsung makes 43 percent of these devices; other major brands include LGE, Sony, and Motorola.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Does the huge range of devices make Android app development more challenging?

 
Dan Katcher

Not necessarily. Any Android app developer worth his salt has long ago confronted this question and come up with strategies for tackling it. In short: We keep on top of what devices and what Android versions are in widest use, tailor our designs to those users, and then tweak as needed. Read about our Android development philosophy in more detail here.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Are there any advantages to targeting my app toward Android rather than Apple?

 
Dan Katcher

While iPhones are the most common devices on the smartphone market, Android has edged out iOS as the most popular operating system for mobile devices. There are also more places to sell Android apps and options for publishing and marketing them yourself, which also for more versatile distribution channels.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Making the iPad even more useful

 
Dan Katcher

Lately, Apple has been looking at ways to make your already addictive iPad even more useful. Most of these new developments offer excitingpossibilities for both your iPhone and your tablet: the initiative known as Continuity will let you better share tasks and content from one device to another, and new programming language Swift could spark a surge in new iOS app choices.

  • Material Design: This graphical convention calls for designs rich in shadows and layers suggesting three dimensions. It’s a new direction in design; Google hopes users will find it intuitive and natural.
  • Thousands of new APIs: For the layman, an API is basically a snippet of programming that Android provides to enable certain functions: moving graphical elements around, checking battery life, or even sharing data between apps. And with 5,000 new APIs in the latest version, Android app developers are eager to see what they can do.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Google wants to be everywhere

 
Dan Katcher

Google wants to be everywhere your phone, sure, but also you car, your TV set, your wrist, and maybe even your washing machine: Yeah, yeah, but what about my iPad?

  • The upcoming release of iOS 8 includes code that will let users run multiple apps side-by-side on the display, much like your laptop lets you line up a browser window next to an open document for easy reference. The new feature will be available on the iPhone as well, but for iPad app developers, this new capability raises interesting questions and opens up new design and function possibilities.
  • Home sweet HomeKit: HomeKit will allow app developers to group smart home functions, so you’ll be able to dim the lights, control the TV, crank up the heat, and lock the doors, all with just one function. It’s looking more and more like the iPad is evolving from a largely entertainment-and-information-focused device, into a powerful console for managing your home.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Space exploration

 
Dan Katcher

Space exploration: A standard-sized iPad has a screen almost four times as large an iPhone 5S. Take advantage of the larger screen size to maximize the users’ ability to get information and explore your app. A cooking app could run a video demonstrating a new technique alongside the open recipe; a news app could preview similar stories or breaking news along one side of the display.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.