Best Programming Language For Phone Apps

Choosing the best programming language for phone apps is extremely important, in today’s smartphone era. The mobile phone today has become one of the most convenient modes of communication for businesses. The kind of language you choose for application development can also impact your online business. 

Before you venture further, it is absolutely important for you to know the various types of mobile apps in the market. 

Types Of Mobile Apps In The Market 

Three main  types of apps are available in the market today. They are:

Native Apps 

These apps are created for a specific platform. It is based on the operating system of the phone. You can have a native Android app or a native iOS app. You cannot use one app for two kinds of operating systems in this case. These native apps are coded with a variety of coding languages like Java, Python, or C++.

Native apps are always faster as they focus singularly on one single operating system. Customers get a more optimized experience through such apps. However, you have to create a separate one for each operating system, which is their biggest disadvantage. One has to work from scratch in the coding part. Native apps take up a lot of space on any device. 

Web Apps

The next app that we are going to talk about is the web app. These are similar to the native apps, however, you can access them through a web browser on your phone. These are extremely responsive and can adapt themselves according to the user interface.

The main languages that go into designing such apps are HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby, to name the best ones. As these are web-based, you do not have to customize them according to different platforms. Moreover, there is no need to download anything, so that saves a lot of space on the device. Almost always, you will need internet connectivity to access such apps. 

Hybrid Apps

The third category combines features of both the native and web app, and also have combined functionality. They can function both online and offline. Various web technologies and native APIs are used to create such apps. Some of the best languages to use for their development are HTML5, Swift, and Ionic. 

Now, it is time to delve into the best programming language for mobile applications. 

Top 5 Best Programming Language For Phone Apps

While enlisting the top best mobile application languages, it is important to assess the functionality on the basis of platform compatibility, performance, community support, ease of learning, and security features. If you don't have knowledge in any of the language then you can consider hiring a developer for your project, It saves both cost and time.

JavaScript

Hailed as the leading programming language in the web world, this open-source programming language. Recent survey has revealed that JavaScript is used as a client-side programming language by 98.3% of all websites. With the help of various framework It is frequently used for the development of cross-platform apps.

It has an easy-to-learn syntax, with versatile features, that makes it one of the best programming languages for phone apps and web apps. Clients and servers can both use it for dynamic and an engaging user experience. It also boasts wide community support and effectiveness. 

JavaScript has different frontend and backend frameworks some of the popular frameworks are Node.js, React.js, Angular.js etc.

Features To Consider

• It has the power to make mobile apps faster, and it is also easy to write. Moreover, you can easily port the apps that were initially created for use on a particular platform. 
• JavaScript has the power to convert native apps into cross-functional apps. 
• The framework is so convenient, and easily deployable, that you can create responsive mobile apps in minimal time. Developers can also get access to various communities and libraries for added support. 
• Developers can create apps with a single-code base for both Android and iOS.
• You can create rich user interfaces that include animated graphics and are extremely interactive. It is possible to bring in HTML-based capabilities like widgets, maps, and media players, to the mobile apps. 
• It can be susceptible to various security risks. It is advisable to run Scan JavaScript code for vulnerabilities in the development phase itself. 

Python

This is another multi-faceted language for mobile, web, and desktop app development. In 2022, Python was the most used for web development and data analysis, standing at 46% and 54% respectively. The easy-to-read syntax lures beginners and experienced developers alike, to work on it.

 This general purpose coding language is object-based, and gives developers a lot of flexibility for deployments of multiple sizes. What makes it more interesting, is its cross-functional capability. Python also has many libraries, from which you can build the perfect app. They are Xcode (for iOS), REST API and SQLite3, to name a few. 

Features To Consider

• It is an easy-to-learn general purpose language with a user-friendly design. It also makes your programming journey more intuitive. 
• Development with Python is easy, as it is an interpreted language, rather than being compiled. It makes the task quick and fuss-free. The icing on the cake is that it is free. 
• Python is an excellent language for beginners to learn and work on. You can create programs with fewer lines of code. 
• Python is a high-level language, where you do not need to remember the system architecture or manage the memory. 
• It is an excellent language for mistake tracing. If you master how to identify Python’s error trails, you can correct maximum program mistakes. 
• It comes with a host of security features like hashing, encryption, decryption, and digital signatures to name a few. 

Java

This is the first language that comes to mind, when we talk about programming languages for phone apps. More than 63.6% of respondents from a survey in 2022, revealed that Java was the most common programming language among developers. If you are going for Android app development, you can never go wrong with this one. It is one of the most robust and versatile languages for different environments. You should know about its key features. 

Features To Consider

• One of the first reasons, why it is the language of choice for many developers, is its platform independence feature. Once you write the code, you can run the app on multiple platforms. 
• It is a mature language, which has been around for quite some time now. So, you can get lots of tutorials and online libraries to answer your queries. This boosts app development. 
• It is leak proof to a certain extent, and you will not hear of frequent crashes either. Moreover, it comes with in-built security features like cryptography, authentication, and public key infrastructure. 
• It facilitates the creation of responsive applications. So, you can handle multiple tasks very easily. 
• One can easily learn Java, as it has a syntax that is quite similar to the English language. If you are from a C or C++ background, then you can easily work on Java. 

Swift

According to data revealed by Apple, it said that it could recreate the dock and add new features with 15% less code by using Swift. While choosing app development languages for mobiles, Swift comes up as the preferred language for iOS app development. Its excellent features and readability make coding easier. This is a multi-purpose language developed by Apple Inc. making it well-suited for use on all devices from the parent company. Now, you must know of its features that make it so desirable for Apple devices. 

Features To Consider

• When it comes to type safety, there are chances of minimal notation errors, while writing a code. Swift helps prevent errors caused by mismatched data types, making it a great tool for developers. 
• Its syntax readability feature is extremely simple, so developers can use easy to write and read codes that enhances simplicity and also helps in fuss-free routine maintenance. 
• The LLVM compiler infrastructure helps in building new languages and also improves the current ones. Thus, it facilitates faster app execution times. Multiple languages make use of this infrastructural feature. You can easily use it for frontend and backend applications. 
• It facilitates better memory management, without any intervention from the developer. Thus, leading to seamless resource allocation within various mobile apps. 
• The open-source feature is another boon, as you can join a community of developers who are working on this language continuously. Thus, it makes it easy for you to access updates and also get solutions to various issues. 
• It comes with Automatic Reference Counting to manage memory safely. This helps in preventing memory leaks, thereby reducing security vulnerabilities. 

Ruby 

This is one of the trending programming languages for mobiles. Already popular for being a web technology-supportive language, it has been overlooked as a mobile app development language all too often. According to a survey, as of May, 2023, there are 661,621 live websites using Ruby on Rails.

However, you can bring the same results as you would on the web, to mobile apps, with the clever use of this language. Developers find it easy to handle Ruby on Rails, as it is called in long form. It works on multiple platforms like Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows. You should read the features to get a fair idea about its immense capabilities. 

Features To Consider

• The first attribute that strikes one, is the scalability feature. Mobile app users are known to have low patience levels. If the prospective customer cannot access a feature on any given app, he or she will leave. That is where Ruby excels. It can handle high incoming traffic, without getting stuck. 
• It is an open source programming language, with free plugins available online. This can help developers to save money as well as time, in creating the best mobile apps ever. 
• It also works with low-coding features. It might take some time to learn it, but once developers have learnt it, they can use it in a hassle-free manner. 
• It works on the agile development principle. Thus, leading to fewer errors and bugs. Once developers finish one segment, they move on to the next segment in the development cycle. This supports ease of development. 
• It also boasts a thriving community which is a big assistance for developers. Such support helps in keeping the apps up-to-date. 
• Ruby on Rails comes with built-in cross site scripting features, which helps to sanitize inputs. Additionally, it also guards against cross-site request forgery. Its Object Relational Mapping framework prevents SQL injection. So, there are quite a few security features. 

Conclusion 

Once you find out the suitability of the programming language for your app, you can choose it. However, your choice also depends on the framework you will be using, as described above. The specific needs of the project also needs to be ascertained, to get the best language on board. You should stay updated about the industry trends to find out which one will work for you, and which one you should give a miss. Get the best programming language for your project today.