Mobile Application Development & the Rise of Mobile Applications:
Which Mobile Applications are Worth Downloading?
In today’s competitive, rapidly-growing mobile market, thousands of mobile applications are released every month for devices such as the Apple iPhone, Google Android, RIM’s Blackberry, Microsoft Phone 7, Palm Mobile, and Symbian just to name a few. With so many applications in the Mobile Application Market today, it is hard for end users to decide and differentiate which application is worth downloading onto their mobile device and which ones are a waste of money/memory space. In the following few paragraphs, we will briefly discuss some tips to consider when downloading/purchasing your next mobile application.
1) Free Trial Mobile Application: Often times a customer can try out an application for a specific amount of time before deciding to download it. If there is any interest in an application, it is always worthwhile taking the opportunity to try the free trial and see if it is truly worth downloading. Apple’s iPhone and Google Droid have many applications that can be downloaded as on a free trial; basis and other devices such as Windows Mobile 7 are also following in those footsteps.
2) Free Mobile Applications vs. “Cost” Mobile Applications: Free Mobile Applications tend to be more basic and perform simple tasks while “Cost” Mobile Applications are much more complex and can perform a variety of functions. If an individual is interested in two applications that report sporting news (and he/she does not take pricing as a factor), the “cost” mobile application will more likely be the better application to download than the free mobile application. For example, many Mobile Gaming Applications have basic levels/stages which users are allowed to play but in order to play the “advanced” levels/stages, they must purchase the full mobile game application version onto their mobile device; it is times like these when “Cost” Mobile Applications tend to be the better way to go.
3) Mobile Application Reviews: In many Mobile Application Marketplaces (such as Apple’s iTunes marketplace for the iPhone or Google’s Droid Marketplace for the Google Droid Devices), there are reviews which are written by previous/current users about the mobile applications. It is always wise to go through the reviews and read what previous users have said about the mobile application which interests you. Reviews can be found for any application ranging from Social Networking Mobile Applications to E-Commerce Mobile Applications. The more reviews available for a mobile application, the better.
4) Mobile Application Categories: In many Mobile Application Marketplaces there are categories which organize which applications were: “Top Downloaded Applications”, “Top Free Applications” “Top Rated Applications” and so forth. It is always wise to glance briefly in those categorized groupings to see if any of these “top” applications that are available interest you. The iPhone, Blackberry and Droid Mobile Devices definitely have these categorized application options in their mobile marketplaces and other marketplaces are sure to have similar options.
5) Mobile Application Developers and Mobile Application Development: Many times the best option to do when debating which mobile application to download is to see which mobile application developer made the application. If it is a well known company such as RIM, Apple, V-Soft Inc, Microsoft, Palm, Nokia then chances are the application is stable and will be well developed. The easiest way to find out if a mobile application developer is good or not is to find out the company name and go to their website. For example, V-Soft recently developed an application named “Play Anywhere”; if a customer wants to know if V-Soft is a good mobile application development company, he/she can go to V-Soft’s website and see the variety of mobile application expertise offered by V-Soft; this can make one feel much more confident when downloading a mobile application compared to if there is no evidence/knowledge of who produced a mobile application.
The number of Mobile Applications to flood the Mobile Market in the coming years is going to continue to grow and there does not seem to be any end to it yet. With so many options available to individuals now, the ones who take into account the Mobile Application tips which were listed above will be the ones who will truly be able to benefit and reap the benefits of mobile applications and the world of wireless connect-ability.