Mobile developers are a type of software developer. They specialize in mobile technology such as building apps for Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone platforms. For this reason job titles for this type of role also include Android developer and iOS developer. Mobile developers learn the programming languages and software development environment for their chosen platform. Currently, there are a handful of major mobile platforms, each with its own core language(s) and development environment (eg Java for Android, Objective-C for iOS and C# for Windows Phone), but this is in a state of constant change to keep up with the pace of new technology.
Demand for mobile developers across platforms has never been stronger as the industry tries to keep up with surging demand. Mobile and tablet devices are increasingly accounting for a higher and higher proportion of internet usage over desktop computers.
The typical responsibilities of mobile developers include:
- discussing the client’s requirements and the proposed solution with colleagues
- developing application programming interfaces (APIs) to support mobile functionality
- keeping up to date with the terminology, concepts and best practices for coding mobile apps
- using and adapting existing web applications for apps
- working closely with colleagues to constantly innovate app functionality and design