With the advancement of technology, apps have now become an essential part of our lives. The invention of smartphones has given rise to numerous applications that have significantly changed the way people access various services and information by bringing them directly to their fingertips.

The history of Android can be dated back to the year 2003 in Palo Alto, California when Andy Rubin, along with Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White co-founded a start-up which was named Android Inc. In the year 2005, Google saw the potential and brought Android after seeing the potential at a massive deal of around $50 million. All four co-founders then shifted to Googleplex to continue developing the operating system (OS) future. On 5th November 2007, the first public Android beta version 1.0 was finally launched.

Over the past few years, there has been a significant rise in the number of Android applications for mobile phones due to the advancement of technology all around the world. As per the latest reports, total revenue for Android app development globally is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2027) of 8.58%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$755.50bn by 2027.

According to Statista, the total revenue on app development is expected to have an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2027) of 11.28%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$4,828.00m by the year 2027 in India. This has led to a rise in demand for app developers, making it one of the most sought-after professions in the IT sector globally as numerous companies have begun to hire Android app developers.

However, it should also be taken into consideration that the current demand for Android app developers is just one side of the coin. It is important to hire app developers in India who not only have all the technical expertise but are also aware of all the latest industry trends and tools.

Also read: How custom mobile app development can boost your business growth in 2023?

What skills should you consider while hiring Android App Developers?

As mentioned above, an Android app helps users to communicate with people globally more innovatively and engagingly. From streaming music and movies to ordering your favorite food online, there is a mobile application for each and everything. 

As a result, more and more companies across various domains and industries are hiring Android app developers who are up-to-date with their necessary skill sets to stay ahead of their competitors.

Now let us look into some of the must-have skills for Android app developers in India:

1. They should be aware of Android fundamentals

Programming language can be considered one of the most important building blocks of Android app development. Kotlin and Java are the two most preferred languages that are used to create Android apps.  An Android app developer can use either Kotlin or Java or even both at the same time to develop apps.

Having a good understanding of the core concept is very important to build apps seamlessly. A good app developer should have fundamental knowledge of the two programming languages, including the basics and syntaxes. In addition, being familiar with the concept of collection framework, concurrency and multithreading, generics, and overall functional programming can be an added advantage for hiring an Android app developer. 

2. They should be able to add smooth interactivity to the Android application

The interaction between the user and the Android app should be of utmost importance for any business organization as it helps to improve the overall user experience. A skilled Android app developer should be able to implement suitable gestures such as drag and drop, keyboard use, and pan and zoom in the right place. This user interactivity is majorly done with the help of an Android component called Activity.  

When a business organization hires the best Android app developer in India for Android app development, they should keep in mind that these app interactivities are small gestures that may seem insignificant but hold immense importance while delivering an excellent user experience.

In addition, an Android mobile is available in two different screen configurations such as landscape or portrait mode. All activity tends to exist in either landscape or portrait mode. However, the current activity gets destroyed when a screen is rotated. An experienced app developer should be able to maintain the stability of the activity when screen orientation changes.

3. They should have knowledge about Firebase on Android

Firebase can be considered as the mobile platform that helps an app developer create high-quality apps faster. This is an alternate way of backend coding. If an app developer wants to automatically run backend code in response to events triggered by Firebase features and HTTPS requests, they can use various cloud functions. 

In short, Firebase tends to provide several utility features to make the life of a developer much easier. So hiring an Android app developer who has good knowledge of Firebase can be considered helpful. Few other firebase features include firebase performance motoring, firebase invites, A/B testing and firebase remote config.  

4. They should be able to test the Android app correctly

Users tend to interact with a mobile application on various levels- from downloading information on the phone or pressing submit buttons. A good mobile app developer should ensure that the app is scalable and user-friendly for better customer satisfaction. Hence it is very important to perform Android app testing to verify the app’s correctness, functional behavior, and usability before releasing it in the market for public use. Some of the most commonly used testing libraries are Expresso, JUnit, Mockito, Robolectric, and UI Automator.

So before hiring an Android app developer, a business organization should ensure that he or she knows how to test various use cases and interactions so that the application responds promptly and smoothly. 

5. They should be able to implement proper navigation

Navigation refers to the act of moving between screens of an app to complete tasks. It can be achieved through various methods such as embedding navigation behavior into content, and dedicating navigation components. 

Proper user interface navigation can be implemented through various elements, including toolbars and tab bars. The toolbar can be considered the most basic app bar where Android app developers can add a popup menu, menu icons, and a navigation drawer icon.  

The navigation drawer icon allows the app developer to open and close the navigation drawer. In addition, it also allows the developer to implement additional menu items. These menu items help them to swap fragments in the current Activity or perform some other relevant actions. 

In addition to the above-mentioned navigation element, there is BottomNavigationView which helps the developer switch between different Fragments in the same Activity by using tabs at the bottom of the screen. 

User intention should be considered as the key aspect while building efficient and effective Android app navigation. An intent helps mobile app users to share data and start a new activity within the same app or move to another app. It is up to the android developer to decide whether they want implicit or explicit intent.  

As a result, one of the essential skills that a business organization should consider while hiring an Android app developer is that he or she should know how to implement perfect navigation in an Android app that helps to enhance its usability and deliver an excellent user experience.

6. They should be able to apply effective security features

There are many built-in security features in an Android that protect the phone against any kind of application security issues. The system is designed in such a way that Android app developers can design their app with the help of the default system and file permissions and avoid difficult decisions about security as and when required. 

Permission requests tend to protect various sensitive and important information that are present on the mobile device. Hence they should be used only when access to those vital information is essential for proper functioning of the app. This is because restricting access to sensitive permissions helps to safeguard the app against any kind of data breach by attackers.
It is essential to hire an Android app developer who can design glitch-free apps with better functionality without requiring access to such sensitive pieces of information.

Salary of an Android App Developer

According to Ambition Box, an Android Developer’s salary in India tends to range between ₹ 1.4 Lakhs to ₹ 10.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 3.6 Lakhs. 

This average salary can vary from place to place and person to person based on several factors, such as experience, location, core skills, and additional skills

What is the checklist for hiring an Android app developer? 

Below is a list of a few qualities to look for in an Android app developer before hiring:

• Experience in Android app development

Hiring an Android app developer who has good experience tends to make a lot of difference as that experience goes on to add lots of value to the final product. Developing an Android app is not a cakewalk as there are lots of snags that might come up with time which only a skilled app developer can deal with ease.

• Should be able to communicate complex ideas

Communication is the key to success. A business organization should hire an Android app developer who can communicate their ideas and reasons behind choosing a particular tool for app development hassle-free without any hindrances.

• Can manage time properly

A business organization should hire an Android app developer who has mastered time management. He or she should meet deadlines and manage time efficiently. In addition, they should be able to prioritize tasks, estimate project timelines accordingly, and communicate progress at regular intervals. 

The future of Android App 

With the advancement of technologies, Android, one of the most popular mobile operating systems, has undergone numerous updates and improvements to attract more customers with attractive and innovative features.

Let us now look into some of the latest trends and developments in the field of android app development :

• 5G network 

Over the past few years, the 5G network has gained momentum. It allows the user to transfer information in milliseconds, which in turn reduces latency and provides faster results. 

In addition, with the advancement of 5G networks, there will be an increase in the overall speed and capabilities of Android apps. App developers will be able to provide more innovative and interactive user experiences with the help of Android apps especially in the field of real-time multiplayer gaming and high-resolution video streaming.

• Instant app 

Instant apps are not exactly a new technology  but are definitely on the rise in terms of popularity. One major benefit of instant apps is that it allows users to access certain parts of the app without actually downloading the app on their mobile device. This technology can be considered as a boon for e-commerce businesses and the gaming sector. Say for example a tourist might book a hotel or order a cab from their app without downloading an app.

Now from the developer’s point of view, it is relatively easy to create an instant app as it requires the same Android API and source code. This in turn saves a lot of time, energy and money. 

• AR & VR technology 

Remember the game Pokemon Go that had taken the world by storm all thanks to Augmented reality (AR), which tends to impose artificial images on real-life objects!

Both Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR) technologies are flourishing and expanding to other industries including travel and real estate. With the increased digitization since Covid-19 pandemic, attractive and user-friendly android applications have become more popular especially in banking, video calling, e-commerce, gaming and e learning apps.

Wrapping Up

The future of android app development is full of possibilities. In today’s competitive age, in order to stay ahead in the race and earn more profit, a business organization must adopt the latest trends in Android app development. Innovative and interactive apps help a business venture reach out to more customers, boost its sales, improve its brand image and create a loyal customer base. 

As a result, it is very important to hire the best IT outsourcing companies in India with experienced Android app developers. Skilled developers use the latest technologies to create custom Android applications that can even run on different platforms.