Service
Mobile App Development
Full-service native and cross-platform mobile apps for iOS and Android, from concept to launch, built for performance and scale.
- iOS
- Android
- React Native
- Flutter
What is mobile app development?
Mobile app development is the process of designing, building and releasing software that runs on phones and tablets, distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play. It covers the app itself, the server and database behind it, and the release and update process that keeps it working after launch.
A mobile app is rarely just the screens a user sees. Most apps need an account system, a server that stores and serves data, payment handling, push notifications, and a way to ship updates without breaking the version already installed on people's phones. Deciding how much of that you need, and in what order, is usually the first real design decision in a mobile project.
What ABM provides
- Product scoping and user flows
- Interface design for iOS and Android
- Cross-platform or native development
- Backend, APIs and push notifications
- App Store and Google Play submission
- Post-launch updates and support
What can be built
- Booking and reservation apps with deposits or prepayment
- Ordering and delivery apps with live order status
- Customer account and loyalty apps
- Field and staff apps that work with a poor connection
- Marketplace apps with separate buyer and seller experiences
- Companion apps for an existing web product
- Apps with in-app purchases or subscriptions
Who mobile app development is for
- Businesses with a customer-facing serviceBooking, ordering, delivery, membership or account services that people expect to use from a phone.
- Teams working away from a deskField staff, drivers, technicians and shop floors, where a phone is the only practical interface.
- Founders validating an ideaA first mobile version that is small enough to launch and solid enough to keep building on.
- Companies with an ageing appAn app built years ago that no longer passes store review, or that nobody is maintaining.
How mobile app development works at ABM
- 01Scope and user flowsWe agree who the app is for, the two or three things they must be able to do, and what is deliberately left for a later release.
- 02Interface designScreens are designed for iOS and Android conventions, then assembled into a prototype you can tap through before code is written.
- 03BuildThe app and its backend are built in short cycles. You get installable builds as the app grows, not only at the end.
- 04Device testingTesting on real devices and OS versions, including the older phones your users actually own.
- 05Store submissionStore listings, screenshots, privacy declarations and the review process, submitted under your own developer accounts.
- 06UpdatesCrash monitoring, OS-version updates and improvements once real people are using it.
Technologies and integrations
The exact stack is chosen per project and agreed with you in writing before development starts. These are the tools and categories we work with for mobile app development.
Cross-platform
- React Native
- Flutter
Native
- iOS
- Android
Behind the app
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- Databases
- Authentication
- Push notifications
Release
- App Store
- Google Play
- Crash and error monitoring
When to choose mobile app development
- Your users need to do something on a phone repeatedly, not once.
- You need device features: camera, location, offline use, push notifications or biometric sign-in.
- Being present in the App Store or Google Play matters to how people find you.
- A mobile browser experience has already been tried and is not enough.
When something else fits better
- Web App DevelopmentYour users are at a desk, or the product is used occasionally rather than daily. A web app avoids app store review entirely.
- Rapid MVP DevelopmentYou are testing whether the idea works at all, and want the smallest honest version first.
- App Audit & RecoveryYou already have an app and the real problem is that it is slow, unstable or unfinished.
Where mobile app development usually fits
Questions
Mobile App Development: common questions
Should we build native or cross-platform?
Cross-platform with React Native or Flutter means one codebase for iOS and Android, which is usually faster to build and cheaper to maintain. Native is worth it when the app leans heavily on platform-specific features, heavy graphics or very tight performance requirements. We make that call with you during scoping, based on what the app has to do rather than on a general preference.
Do we need a backend as well as the app?
If the app has user accounts, stores data, takes payments or sends notifications, then yes, there is a server and database behind it. A purely offline tool does not need one. Budget for both when planning, because the backend is often half the work.
Who owns the app and the store accounts?
You do. Source code, hosting and the Apple and Google developer accounts are set up in your name, so the app is yours to move or hand to another team at any point.
What happens after the app is live?
Apps need ongoing work: operating systems change every year, dependencies get security patches, and store requirements move. That is covered by app maintenance and support, either as an ongoing arrangement or on request.
How long does a mobile app take?
It depends entirely on scope. A focused first release with a small set of features is a different project from a marketplace with payments, messaging and an admin console. We give a timeline in writing after scoping, not before.
Thinking about mobile app development?
Send a short brief. We'll reply within one business day with a next step, or honest advice if we're not the right fit.