As of January 2023, Apple had paid a total of over $320 billion to iOS app developers selling goods and services through the App Store. It’s 60 billion more compared to the previous year.
Statista also revealed that 33 billion apps were downloaded from the Apple Store in 2021. Even though Google Play demonstrates 111 billion downloads, Apple is stronger in terms of revenue generation because iOS users are more willing to pay for apps and make in-app payments.
So, if you are a business owner, who has come to a point of deciding on having a mobile app, this article is for you. We realize that the whole coding and app design thing can be overwhelming to the non-technical person, that’s why this post covers how to find iPhone app developers and how to choose the right one for your project.
Mobile app development is evolving in 2023, so we share some tips for you to hire an iOS developer who will make your product successful.
The Rise In The Demand For IOS App Development
It is well-known that the demand for the skills of Apple's developers is on the rise all around the world. The number of contracting and direct employment opportunities has grown over the past couple of years. The level of training, certification, and experience required to become an effective iOS developer is also increasing substantially.
The reason why iOS developers are in high demand is that the number of apps that are being developed on the Apple platform is increasing at an exponential rate. The popularity of Apple’s mobile operating system has made it one of the most common choices for app development companies.
With more than 1.2 billion iPhone users and 2 million apps and games available on the App Store alone, it's clear that hiring top-notch iOS app developers has never been more important for businesses looking to create or optimize their mobile applications. Moreover, it is estimated that 3.5 hours a day an average American in apps using mobile internet.
You've probably already seen that this niche is very important and promising. Let's find out how to enter it and succeed by hiring a good developer.
Essential Skills To Consider While Looking For iOS Developers
When you're looking for an iOS developer, there are many things to consider. You not only need a professional who knows how to build an app, but also someone who can create one that's attractive and user-friendly. In this section, we will walk you through some tips on what skills you should look for in an iOS developer so that your app gets the attention it deserves going live in the App Store.
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Here are some of the key skills you should be looking for when you want to hire an iPhone developer.
- Working with Swift. There's no way around it – you need a developer who knows Swift. It is Apple's main programming language used to write apps for macOS and iOS. This language was released by Apple in 2014 as an alternative to Objective-C used to create applications for Mac OS X and iOS devices since 1980. Swift is known as a fast and modern programming language that also supports concurrency and error handling without compromising performance.
- Knowledge of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines (HIG). Developers must understand how their designs fit into those established by Apple. They should understand what kind of features will work best within an iPhone app versus being cut from its final design altogether because it doesn't adhere closely enough to HIG principles.
- Aside from HIG, they should also be familiar with Xcode, UIKit, and CoreData. A developer should also have an experience with such technologies as Git, JIRA, SQL, and Confluence;
- Awareness of design principles. There are fundamental philosophies by which all Apple products are created. Every developer knows that creating a unique app is not enough. It also needs to be attractive and user-friendly. A professional should be aware of UI/UX and follow the principles of simplicity and user-friendliness.
- Knowing how to scale an app. Technology is always changing, so your app must be built in a way that will allow it to grow with future technology changes. Scalability will become critical for the success of your business as you grow and attract new customers. It makes sense to hire an iOS app developer who is knowledgeable about creating scalable mobile apps.
- Experience with API. APIs are the lifeblood of any application. When it comes to developing a mobile app, an API is what enables you to scale your development process since they provide a consistent framework for your application front-end to access the backend.
- Strong knowledge of OOP and mathematical algorithms and principles of mobile app development.
Soft skills
The main takeaway is that you need to understand what type of experience the developer has, how they work and how they approach problem-solving. Don't be fooled and hire an iOS programmer who is just good at writing code. You need to look for other important qualities, such as their ability to communicate with others and their passion for the work they do.
You should also know the developer’s background so that you can assess whether or not they are right for your company culture.
Pay attention to the ability to work effectively with other team members including designers or product managers on your team to create meaningful user interfaces that work well with the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
Salary of iOS Developers
If you are in the market to hire an iPhone app developer then it would be worthwhile to look at the salary of iOS developers. If you can manage your expenses well and don't want to burn a hole in your pocket, you must do enough research before hiring them.
So what is the average salary of an iOS developer?
Average salaries can vary widely depending on the industry, location, and experience. For example, a highly specialized programmer who has spent years honing their skills as an independent contractor earns around $94K in the USA or $82K in Europe. Junior iOS dev is paid $61K in the U.S. and $45.5K in Europe. It is $30-150 per hour.
If you need help building out a new iOS app for your business, it makes sense to take advantage of the wide range of talent available in Eastern Europe, Ukraine in particular. Junior specialists' salary starts here from $12000, but seniors earn 60K+. Ukraine is rich in talent and based on 550+ technical assessments’ results Ukrainian developers gained a score of 93.17%, more than Americans or Israeli experts.
Options for Hiring iOS Developers
The cost of the project, the time of implementation, and the result depend on who you trust to develop the app. There is a minimum of three options: find a freelancer, make the app in-house, or turn to a mobile development studio.
Freelancers
You can hire a freelance iOS developer with little or no upfront costs or risk. They are paid hourly (or per project), which means you don't need to budget for full-time salaries for each member of your team. You simply post your requirements on platforms such as Upwork or Freelancer and wait for bids from developers who meet your requirements.
In-house development
If you have a team of developers working for you and access to other resources such as servers, databases, etc., then it might be an option to develop an app in-house rather than hire someone from outside your organization. However, you should be aware of the cost you’ll bear: salaries, taxes, operational fees, etc.
Mobile development company
If you don't have any technical expertise or experience building apps yourself, then turning to a mobile development studio would be ideal. They can provide guidance and support throughout the project. Usually, agencies have a team with rich experience in releasing many solutions to the market, while respecting the terms of the contract.
The Process of Selecting Candidates in Stfalcon
When you are looking for a new IT specialist, you need to find the right person. The process of selecting candidates in Stfalcon is realized in certain steps, to ensure every aspect of cooperation. Below you’ll find the major stages, and each stage has its own rules and procedures.
Stage 1 – Recruiter checks team values
The first step in selecting new employees is checking the team values. The recruiter should know if the company's goals are compatible with those of the employee or vice versa. He also discovers whether there is any problem with a person's motivation or readiness for work.
Stage 2 – Checking English if necessary
Being a Ukrainian company, Stfalcon is working on many international projects. To be successful in these projects, we check the candidates' and team members' English language skills.
Stage 3 – The tech lead checks the team's skills
At this stage, the hard skills described earlier in this post are reviewed. What’s more, Team Lead is responsible for code review. That’s how we hire dedicated iPhone developers for our client’s projects. An example of the work of a dedicated team you can find below. It’s a “fresh” project delivered in 2022.
STRONGMom iOS App Development Case by Stfalcon
Clients contacted us with the solution they had but problems with the admin panel and the users' complaints about the platform’s confusing logic and malfunctions. We decided to develop the project from scratch.
The main goal of the STRONGMom project is to provide women with all the tools to maintain health and good physical condition before, during, or after pregnancy. The business idea was separated into the main functionality: activities, calendar, and timeline. Each profile contains info about a user, training guides, a guide for using the application, and useful resources from partners.
Read the full case study
We implemented the REST API for data exchange with mobile client applications. The admin is made with Symfony using EasyAdminBundle, which allows convenient customization.
IOS app development was carried out based on a modular architecture by the principles of clean architecture.
Conclusion
Even during the war, Stfalcon continues to deliver fresh solutions, innovative suggestions, and successful projects. We are open to any idea you have in mind and eager to bring them to life.
Contact us for a detailed discussion because the right time to enter the niche is now.
