Smartphones on Android and IOS have given application developers almost endless possibilities for creating multifunctional and, most importantly, convenient user apps. The development of a mobile app architecture is the first step towards creating such applications.
The development of the Internet and network standards, the introduction of machine learning and artificial intelligence into the operation of applications, and several other factors have led to a huge increase in the number of people using smartphones and tablets
In turn, we see the rapid growth of the app market which is estimated to hit $154 billion in total value by the end of this year at an average annual growth of 11.4% that should keep steady up until 2027. Let's take a look at how developers manage to create apps for such high demand and hit the spot amongst the vast competition.
What Is Mobile App Architecture?
Mobile architecture is a set of rules and methods that serve as the blueprint for a developer creating an application. The architecture is segmented into layers, the planning of which depends on the type of application, compatibility with certain devices, and so on. Having analyzed these levels, it becomes to understand exactly how developers make applications comfortable to use for a variety of devices.
The Levels of Mobile Application Architecture
It is important to understand that the layers of the mobile application architecture do not work in isolation but in terms of a single interconnected process.
Presentation level
It is this level that will be presented to the user as an interface. The size and type of the font, the location of the icons, the overall design - the user interface (UI) - that is, what this level is responsible for. Its convenience determines how effective the next two levels will be.
Business level
This layer provides the components necessary to follow the established business logic. The business layer is responsible, for instance, for making transactions, the data on which will be processed at the layer, which we will discuss below. Interactions with the user's story can be customized at this level according to the type of business. For example, if a user has made in-app purchases before, they may receive a newsletter, a special offer, and so on.
Data level
Without this level of mobile app architecture, the functioning of the previous one is impossible because it is here that it is planned how the client data are processed. Also, the necessary permissions for accessing data, algorithms for working with data, ways to save them, and so on are set here.
Maintenance level
It exists to establish interactions between the data layer and the layer responsible for the end user interface. The use of this level by developers is associated with the complexity of the functions that the application must perform.
Many transactions may be carried out in a single application, in which the business layer can negatively affect the operation of the UI. The service layer is designed to handle this job. For the same reason, there may be problems with transaction security, because at this level of the mobile application architecture, a limited set of operations that can be performed is defined.
As such, there are conditions that are necessary for the development of mobile app architecture levels to be truly optimal for the application:
- Simplicity of the interface;
- App navigation strategy;
- Optimization for a specific type of device;
- Accounting for Internet bandwidth of the target audience.
The simplicity of the interface can be trampled on, based on the desire of the designer to make the site as pleasing to the eye as possible. If the interface is not intuitive, it will negatively affect user engagement. For the same reason, careful attention to navigation strategies is important.
When settling navigation strategies, you must consider the specifics of the application and the conditions in which it will be used. In 2022, the choice of possible types of navigation is huge: scrolling, quick search in the application, gestures, and so on.
Navigation strategies and interface requirements are based on the types of devices used by the target audience. The developer takes into account the capabilities of devices, such as:
- Display size;
- Display resolution;
- Memory;
- Processor capabilities;
- Software version and so on.
Ultimately, the functionality that the developer can provide to the user depends on these features. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the Internet bandwidth of the target audience. It is this factor that often forces users to exchange a classic application for a progressive web app since the latter loads sections faster in poor Internet conditions.
Mobile App Architecture for Android and iOS
For app creation on these two operating systems, a similar mobile app architecture diagram can be used, but development on Android and iOS has some essential differences.
iOS appears to be a more complex OS for application development, as the developer is offered a set of recommended architectural standards focused primarily on the presentation layer. At the data level, most iOS applications offer the user to use a non-own device to process the request, but, when possible, send data to the server, therefore they are called "thin clients".
In turn, Android allows, through the use of fragments, to configure a more flexible application that will be optimized for most existing smartphones and tablets.
In the case of Android, there are several possible pitfalls to avoid:
- Ignoring the functionality of the application in offline mode;
- Blurring of boundaries between modules and their responsibilities;
- Setting services and activities as data sources.
Conclusion
From a basic presentation layer to the data level to the client-server mobile application architecture - handling the software "carcass" is a necessary part of application development. Modern apps are complex and feature-rich, forcing developers to create models that make it easier to create a new product. At the same time, mobile app architecture serves as an industry standard or can be used as a template provided by the client.
Professional selection of the required architecture is one of the most important parts of application development. Contact us if you are interested in developing your own application without sacrificing quality.
