In a recent report released by Statista, it was noted that the number of mobile phone users has grown from 7.1 billion in 2021 to 7.41 billion in 2024, with the number expected to reach 7.49 billion by 2025. Therefore, any business that aims to speed up their online growth needs to focus on developing powerful mobile applications that can captivate their target audience. Overlooking the staggering growth of mobile phone users and the impact they will have on businesses worldwide in the near future would be akin to losing out on the most significant opportunities. But, in order to build robust and scalable mobile applications, you must first understand the crucial role that mobile app architecture plays in developing and designing mobile applications.
In this blog we will discover the importance of mobile app architecture in application development, the different types of architectures of mobile applications, their advantages and disadvantages, and how choosing the right architecture for mobile apps will enhance your application’s performance and user experience in the long-run.
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape a well built mobile application architecture forms the foundation of a robust and scalable application that drives user experience and business growth. It lays ground for the success of a mobile application, defining how different elements of the application interact with each other and with the user. Therefore, choosing the right mobile app architecture not only impacts the speed of development, it also affects the performance and maintainability of the application in the long run.
Mobile application architecture as the word suggests, is the internal structure on which mobile applications are developed. It is like a backbone of the entire mobile application that determines how the app is going to perform and how stable it is going to be. In short, the architecture of a mobile app is a collection of different elements and interfaces which make up the entire system, and the way they behave or interact with each other. The harmonious functioning of these elements along with a well planned architecture determines the success of the mobile application. A well structured app significantly reduces the time taken to develop it and the risk factors surrounding the security and stability of the app.
When developing a mobile or web app, it’s of utmost importance to ensure that every element of the app architecture is well-designed. Even the tiniest issues during app development can seriously impact the end product’s quality, which is why successful apps on Android and iOS always have a solid app architecture, which is key to attracting and keeping users happy.
An app’s architecture acts like a roadmap for planning and guiding during the application’s development process, therefore choosing the right architecture ensures that the app runs smoothly, is easy to maintain, and can be scaled with the growing user base and features. The right architecture helps brands at saving resources making sure the app works well on different devices, and carefully considers factors like battery usage, memory usage, and data usage that make the app efficient and quick to respond.
Therefore, if we look from the point of view of a business, app architecture directly impacts the time and money spent on the development of a mobile application. Which is why a clear plan is needed while building an app architecture to speed up development, reduce the need for big changes later on, and let businesses use their resources effectively.
Businesses navigate through extensive mobile application architectures in order to make sure that their application has a solid foundation and is capable of evolving and adapting to the rapidly changing technology and business requirements. A good architecture for mobile applications ensures an optimal user experience, seamless integration and efficient resource management, positively influencing the development costs and overall competitiveness.
Some of the key factors that determine the success of a mobile app architecture are as follows –
One of the most important features of a well-designed architecture of mobile applications is scalability. Apps need to be adaptive and scalable with the changing demands of the users and updates in technology. A good mobile app architecture makes it easy to integrate additional features as and when needed, and lets you modify the app as per your requirements.
The architecture of your app affects the speed and quality of the mobile application you aim to develop. It defines how different elements would interact internally and with external factors, while also defining the user experience that the app would offer. Users in general tend to upvote apps that function smoothly without any lags and are highly responsive with quick navigation and functionalities.
A good app architecture is usually one that pays keen attention to the above factors without compromising the quality of the application.
Different architectures for mobile apps provide different levels of compatibility with diverse systems, determining whether your application will work efficiently with different devices and mobile platforms or not. An architecture’s compatibility is basically its ability to share and receive data and other information from other systems to perform crucial functions without interference.
If your app architecture is built on a solid foundation, you can subsequently develop applications that seamlessly interact with other applications providing a smooth user experience and optimal performance.
Businesses use several different mobile application architectures today based on their business requirements and the scope of their projects. Some of the key architectures used today are –
Before we jump into the details, we need to understand that there is no single application architecture for Android as there are many d Architecture
Google does different manufacturers for Android phones with different requirements. However, Clean architecture is usually the preferred choice when it comes to building applications for Android devices. Clean architecture is highly dependable ensuring that your application is free of frameworks, databases and other unnecessary dependencies.
Google does not offer any recommendation or documentation about the kind of architecture required for mobile app development, however, unlike Android, the Apple system provides support and assistance to developers on how to create the best architecture.
Apple uses the MVC model as its base for their mobile architecture. It is straightforward, easy to test, and well structured, making the entire application easy to maintain.
The MVC architecture stands for – Model, View and Controller wherein each layer performs its clear role and responsibility.
One of the most popular app development architectures, cross platform architecture uses a single code-base for multiple platforms. Apps built using this architecture are compatible with both Android and iOS with faster loading speeds, enhanced performance and affordability.
These apps are however built using frameworks which increases the dependency on cross platform architecture frameworks.
Another popular app architecture which uses a single code base for developing mobile applications is Hybrid app architecture. This cost-effective and cross-functional architecture uses web technologies like HTML, CSS, etc to build apps which are a hybrid of native and web applications. Apps built using the hybrid architecture often make use of tools like Apache Cordova and Ionic Cordova to embed native code within the web framework.
Hybrid apps are easy to maintain and update, however they may not be the ideal choice for developing feature-rich and complex web applications.
Selecting the right app architecture requires aligning technological capabilities with business objectives. Doing so ensures that the applications you build using the said architecture have a strong foundation and can stand the test of time. However, a decision as crucial as this is bound to hinge on a number of factors, both technical and unique to your business. Let’s take a look at some of the key factors that you need to consider while choosing the perfect mobile application architecture –
The first and foremost step in choosing the right architecture for your mobile applications is to first understand what you need it for. Get a clear view of the kind of application you intend to build using the said app architecture, and try to align those with the technical capabilities of different architectures mentioned above.
Once you’ve done that, you are half-way through. Another thing to note here is the budgetary constraints. Different mobile app architectures require professional developers with varied expertise, depending on which you will be charged. So, it’s always a good practice to clearly state your budget in the beginning.
Since your mobile application is intended to be used by your target audience, it’s important that you analyze the preferences of your customers. Understand which platform your audience prefers, whether it is iOS, Android or both.
You need to consider if they like native-like performance or are they comfortable with a slightly different and augmented experience offered by cross-platform or hybrid apps.
This is one of the most crucial steps both while choosing the right mobile application development architecture and during the course of development of a mobile application. Assess the technical skills and experience of your team pertaining to the app architecture that you select and the time it would take to develop the applications.
Since time is of the essence for any business, the quicker the development and time-to-market the better. Check if cross-platform development can expedite the process and reduce the time-to-market.
You need an app that can perform optimally in the long run with the least amount of maintenance requirements. Although long-term support is of keen importance, an app architecture that enables longer efficiency is the right choice for developing mobile applications.
You also need to keep in mind if the architecture that you choose readily adapts to upgrades, new OS, and features, ensuring continued functionality.
Securing your apps from possible vulnerabilities should be at the forefront of your mobile application development checklists. While choosing a mobile app architecture make sure that the architecture offers robust and the most up-to-date security measures and complies with international standards of industry regulations.
In order to ensure data privacy and security, it is important to select an architecture that adheres to legal and regulatory requirements specific to your industry.
One of the most significant decisions that you make while developing a mobile application is choosing the right mobile app architecture, as that would lay the groundwork for developing scalable, efficient and user-friendly applications. Each app architecture has its pros and cons, and regardless of whether you choose native, hybrid or cross-platform architecture each one of them offers unique features which benefit different kinds of users. While Native apps are super fast and expensive, cross-platform apps like Flutter save money. Hybrid ones, on the other hand save both time and money, but they can be a tad bit nugatory in developing complex applications.
Therefore, in order to make the right choice, you need to figure out your requirements and align your business objectives with the technical capabilities of the available mobile architectures. You could also opt to work with a professional mobile app development agency like TIS and get expert guidance on the best way forward.
We at TIS offer exceptional Mobile app development services aimed at transforming the way you interact with your target audience. Our team of seasoned developers have more than a decade of experience in developing robust, scalable and secure mobile applications with best-in-class user interfaces that keep your audience hooked and boost sales.
Get in touch with us today to build apps that keep you and your users happy in this ever so competitive digital world!
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