Since Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007, the iOS apps market has skyrocketed. Today, more than 1 billion devices run on iOS, reflecting the massive customer base that Apple caters to. The Apple App Store is the second biggest, with over 1.6 million apps available for download and installation. Such a vast user base and mobile apps show the potential of the iOS app market. The iOS applications can run on iPhones and iPads.
Thus, being an entrepreneur or an online business owner, you can only take the risk of serving your iOS users and tapping into this market. It is imperative to develop an iOS app for your business from an iOS app development company.
Also, choosing the correct language for your iOS app development significantly determines the app’s success. The correct iOS app development language will make the development smoother and influence the app’s performance & maintenance ease. For developing an iOS app, it is not mandatory to stick to the native code, and over the years, several programming languages have emerged. This article will explain the best programming languages for iOS app development.
What is the iOS programming language?
An iOS programming language is a set of languages that lets you develop applications for devices like iPhones, iPads, iWatch, Apple TVs, and others. Swift is the most prominent and widely used programming language for iOS. However, many other languages still exist with their USPs. For example, Objective-C is still relevant and used in existing iOS projects or when interacting with legacy codebases.
Now that we have understood the iOS programming language let’s delve into the top programming languages for iOS app development.
Top Programming Languages for iOS App Development:
Apple has a high standard of iOS apps with specific checklists, language selections, and guidelines for publishing any app on its App Store. Being a top-notch iOS app development company, we aren’t limited to providing iOS app development services; we also offer complete assistance in publishing your app on its app store. Now, let’s dive into the top iOS programming languages:
1. Swift:
Without any qualms, Swift is the most desired language of iOS app developers and is the top programming language for iOS app development. Apple created Swift to develop its apps, and thus, it gets full support from Apple. It is highly optimized for developing apps for any Apple device like iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Some popular apps developed using Swift are Facebook, Uber, Google, CNN, Accenture, lyft, LinkedIn, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Key Points:
· Easy to learn & Use; faster and more secure than Objective-C; both freshers and experienced developers use it
· Seamlessly works with Apple’s Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks
· A vast community of developers, along with learning resources
· Get regular updates and improvements from Apple
For most new iOS projects, Swift is the best language to leverage the latest iOS features.
2. Objective-C:
Objective-C was the first and the original language for developing iOS apps. Back then, it was the best iOS app development language. Although outdated, many iOS app developers still prefer to use Objective-C due to the preference of working on older codebases or to support the old legacy of Apple’s ecosystem.
Key Points:
· It has existed since the 1980s and is a more mature language than Swift but equally complex.
· Unlike Swift, apps built using Objective-C have better backward compatibility and support older iOS versions.
· Fewer resources and developers have hands-on experience in Objective-C than Swift.
Swift is always a better alternative to Objective C unless you have a specific purpose.
3. C#:
Created by Microsoft in 2000, C# is a cross-platform, object-oriented language. However, it was only considered a programming language for iOS apps once Xamarin emerged. Xamarin is a hybrid app development framework based on C# that enables teams to share the majority of code between apps for different target platforms, easing development and support.
If you want to develop mobile applications for Android and iOS devices, then C# is the best option. Also, you can hire ios app developers to build iOS apps.
Key Points:
· Open source; high-performance; and easy to use.
· Massive library with excellent community support
· Easy availability of C# developers
· Scalable and Updateable
4. Java – The Cross-Platform Expert:
Developed in 1995, Java is a general-purpose, class-based, OOPS language. It is the most popular programming language across the globe, with more than 9 million developers. As it is a general-purpose language, you can build iOS and Android applications with Java.
Java’s unique thing is that you don’t require to recompile its code to run on any platform. This makes it an extremely reliable and fast cross-platform programming language. Also, with Java, you need a framework to port the code into something that iOS understands. Codename One is one such prevalent framework.
Key Points:
· Cross-platform language with tremendous community support
· Scalable and updateable
· Availability of a massive pool of developers
· Open-source, flexible, and secure
5. JavaScript
With the development of frameworks like React Native and Cordova, JavaScript has become a popular iOS app development framework. With JS, developers can create an app using standard web technologies and deploy it to both iOS and Android. Apps like Facebook and Instagram have leveraged JS frameworks for parts of their mobile application development. Also, you can hire mobile app developers to develop mobile apps.
Key Points:
· Offers a vast pool of talent
· Multiplatform support
· Open-source and easy to learn particularly for beginners
· Allows offline app development
Business Benefits of iOS Programming Languages:
Whatever language you choose for your subsequent iOS app development will offer you many benefits. Here are the significant advantages of iOS programming languages:
1. High Performance:
While cross-platform apps have improved significantly, languages such as Swift continue to provide the best performance for iOS programming languages since they are compiled into native code.
2. Future-proofing:
Swift receives regular updates from Apple and ensures that the apps will support newer iOS versions. Cross-platform frameworks also receive regular updates.
3. Wider user reach:
By developing apps for both Android & iOS using cross-platform languages like Java or C#, you can reach a more comprehensive mobile audience at less cost.
4. Lower development and maintenance costs:
Cross-platform development will not only give you a higher reach but also require less work compared to separate iOS and Android development. This reduces both development and maintenance costs.
5. Leveraging existing skills & talent:
Languages such as JavaScript, C#, and Java enable access to bigger pools of developers with that expertise rather than simply iOS-specific languages.
Wrapping Up:
An iOS app development company plays a prominent role in determining the direction of success of your iOS app. Thus, it is necessary to select the right iOS app development agency that can meet your requirements and has a diverse portfolio, vast experience, expertise in complex applications, a reliable team, and smooth communication. At Octal IT Solution, we have a team of iOS app developers with hands-on experience in developing complex iOS apps with advanced features & functionalities. Let us know your requirements.
