Mobile application development is the process of developing software applications for mobile devices, and a typical mobile application makes use of a network connection to communicate with remote computing resources. Thus, the mobile development process begins with the creation of installable software bundles (code, binaries, and assets), followed by the implementation of backend services such as data access via an API, and finally, the testing of the application on target devices.

In today’s smartphone market, there are two dominating platforms. One is Apple Inc.’s iOS platform. Apple’s popular iPhone cellphones are powered by the iOS software. The second is Google’s Android operating system. Not only does Google employ the Android operating system, but many other OEMs use it to build their own smartphones and other smart devices.

While these two platforms share certain similarities in terms of application development, creating for iOS vs. Android requires the use of distinct software development kits (SDKs) and development toolchains. While Apple reserves iOS for its own devices, Google makes Android open to third-party developers who meet certain criteria, such as incorporating certain Google applications on their devices. By targeting both of these platforms, developers may create apps for hundreds of millions of devices.