Android and iOS are the two most popular platforms for mobile application development. These two operating systems capture almost all of the OS market share 86% belong to Android. Now a question arises that with such a huge market of Android why there is a need for developing an iOS application and for this hire an iOS developer. The reason is that the remaining 14% is also a big portion which represents millions of iOS app users. You can’t ignore this portion and also the iOS users are more profitable in comparison to the Android app users.
There are more than 2 million apps available in the Apple App Store. In comparison to the Android apps, users spend 80% more on Android apps. Such a tendency led to $38.5 billion in revenue, $26.5 billion of which was paid off to iOS developers for 2017.
You should be aware of the fact that iOS is not only just because of the financial reasons but also because of development simplicity and minimalistic approach. There are very fewer fragmentation problems as the Apple Devices lineup is quite small and all of these iOS devices have a unified UI.
For developing an iOS mobile application, you need to hire an iOS mobile application developer who has experience with Objective-C or Swift in Xcode or any other IDE.
In this article, we will be discussing all the important points that you need to consider while hiring an iOS mobile application developer.
Roles and Responsibilities of an iOS application developer
Not everyone can understand what the responsibilities of an iOS developer are. In fact, an iOS mobile application developer is not limited to just writing down the code lines but is involved in every stage of the iOS application development such as planning, design aspects, wireframes, screens, etc. to testing and launching the app on the Apple App Store. In simple words, an iOS application developer can turn the specifications of your mobile application into a perfectly working product.
Knowledge is one of the key points that you should consider while looking for an iOS app developer. The app design not only comes under the mobile app designers but iOS app developers are also responsible for providing a better user experience. Hence, the iOS developer should have a good understanding of UI/UX, understand their principles, and should be good at programming.
Developers Experience
There are 3 different types of developers: Junior, Middle, and Senior iOS developers on the basis of their experience. Obviously, the more projects are done by a developer, the more will be his ability to do complex tasks in the projects.
Junior iOS Developer
These developers are novices and have just begun to work in the development industry. During development, they may require the support of senior developers and can perform only simple tasks. The efficiency is quite lower, so they take more time. If you don’t have time issues then you may choose the junior developers for your project.
Middle iOS developer
When the junior developers get experience of more than 2 years they get more knowledge. They can work on a project independently and can deal with complex technical problems.
Senior iOS developer
As the name suggests, these are the most efficient programmers of their niche and have experience in almost each and every aspect of the technology they work in. They also require less time in comparison to other developers for developing a project.
You firstly need to analyze the requirements of your project and then decide whether you require a junior developer or a highly experienced iOS developer. This will definitely impact the cost, a junior developer’s rates are quite lower than its counterpart senior developer. The complexity of the project also matters as a junior developer can’t meet complex tasks.
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Skill Set
The technical skills of the iOS developer required to depend upon your project. However, there are some general skills that every proficient iOS developer should have. These are:
- Proficiency in Swift or Objective-C
- Experience in working on Xcode IDE
- Skilled with APIs such as Cocoa Touch and UIKit
- Understanding of RESTful APIs;
- Knowledge of UI and UX design standards
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines knowledge
- Metal or OpenGL experience
- Skilled in working on code versioning tools like Git
- Core Data framework knowledge
Types of Hiring Options Available
After knowing the roles and responsibilities & skills of iOS developers, you should know exactly how you can hire iOS developers regarding the type of hiring.
There are 3 main types of hiring options for iOS developers or any other type of developers. These are:
- Hire a freelance iOS mobile application developer
- Make an in-house team of iOS developers
- Hire an iOS development company for your project
Let’s find out which would be the best option for you.
Hiring a freelance iOS mobile application developer
Hiring freelancers is a very popular option for any kind of service and these are easy to find on many different freelancing platforms such as Upwork, People per Hour, Freelancer, etc. They may be a good choice if you just need to fix a bug or implement a small feature or functionality. However, if you are looking for long-term cooperation and commitment then freelance developers are not a good option.
Freelancing sites like Upwork is highly reliable for finding and hiring freelancers. You can also find freelancers or potential candidates on LinkedIn.
Benefits:
- Freelancing market is full of iOS developers and you can find developers as per your required skills
- Freelancing is a comparatively cheaper option than other options
- Can hire on hourly basis or project basis
- No need to worry about taxes, office space, vacations, sick leaves, etc.
Demerits:
- They can’t cooperate with in-house developers like others such as an in-house team
- There is no guarantee that the freelancer will not abandon your project before completing it.
- Failed deadlines is a notorious problem among freelancers
- Language and cultural barriers can also arise.
- No surety whether your hired developer is doing only your project or any other project too.
Make an in-house team of iOS developers
A plethora of companies has looked upon the option of forming an in-house software development team. If you are a startup then the most feasible options are to make an in-house team or outsource software development. The viability comes when you have launched a product to the market and see that investors or users (or both) start taking interest in it. This fact alone may indicate the perspective of attracting fundings or generating profit from monetization in the future.
You can start making an in-house team of iOS developers to work with your other tech staff and keep the team afloat.
Benefits:
- You can be in touch with the developers 24 x 7
- No issues of languages or distance in communication
- Developers get in-depth knowledge of your product
Demerits:
- You have to pay developers even if they have no task to do.
- Hiring the best talent is challenging, and they will also leave time to time, so you must be ready for the new ones
- You have to pay for an office, hardware, software, and other expenses
- Vacations, sick leaves, and other benefits your employees enjoy, while you’re paying them off
Hire an iOS development company for your project
If you want cost-effectiveness, commitment, and best quality work, then hiring an outsourcing iOS development company is amongst the best choices. There are two different models offered by most of the companies:
- You can hire the iOS developers as per your need, and pay on an hourly basis. The developers will dedicatedly work on your project. This is also referred to as outstaffing. If you opt for this model, the management responsibility would be yours.
- You consult with the business or sales team of the company and share your requirements. The team will analyze them with the iOS developers and will give you a time and cost estimation along with the Scope of Work. If you are agreed with the cost and time, they will develop a product as per your requirements. In this case, all the management aspects, as well as responsibilities for the entire chain of processes (from design to release), lay on the company.
You can find these companies on Clutch or Goodfirms. At these platforms, there are reviews, feedback, and all other necessary details of the companies.
Benefits:
- Companies are best for finding iOS developers with a great experience. The companies hire only good candidates and also enhance their productivity and experience.
- No need to worry about leaves, holidays, etc. as the company will give a time estimation considering all these factors and will never leave a stone unturned to deliver the project within deadlines.
- Mostly there is a project coordinator who is always available to communicate with you or you can directly contact the developer
- Companies are worried about their reputation and hence focus on providing the best services to the clients
Read more: Benefits of Apple Card for Small Businesses
Demerits:
- If the chosen company is in another country, then you may find a problem in communication. However, now most of the companies are having different shifts as per the clients’ timezones.
- Cultural gap and the language barrier in some countries.
Mark up your iOS app development requirements:
Before hiring an iOS app developer, you should have complete details of your requirements. The developers will ask multiple questions to know what you require. Here are a few tips for this:
Explain the overall idea
Firstly, got down your idea so as to not miss anything. You can make a document of your idea and focus on the use cases or the problems you will solve through the app. This will help you concentrate and put your thoughts together.
Set your goal
Mention your goal on both short term and long term basis. E.g. get a thousand downloads, find investors, hit the top on app stores etc. By evaluating your goals you can understand the scale of your app and set the direction for further development.
Explain the features and functionality
This is an easy thing. You can easily explain what features and functionalities you require in the app. The developers will easily understand this. It will also help them to give an estimation.
Read more: Prototype vs MVP vs PoC (Proof of Concept): What to Choose?
Set priorities
It is a good thing to prioritize the features. You can list down the essential features and then additional features in the list.
Salary of an iOS developer
The hourly rate of an iOS developer is the most important factor while considering him/her for hiring. The rates can vary depending on the hiring option.
The average salary of an iOS developer
The average salary of an iOS developer in the US is nearly $108K. Hence, if you want to recruit experienced developers you need to give them a very competitive salary. However, in south-east Asian countries like India, you can find experienced iOS developers at quite cheaper rates with the same qualities.
Salary of a Freelancer iOS developer
The average salary of a freelance iOS developer can vary between $80-100 per hour. This way, 1 day will cost you $640, 1 week will cost you $3,200, and $12,800 a month. But these are approximate figures. The developers can charge lower or even higher.
Salary for hiring an outsourcing company
The cost of hiring an outsourcing company depends upon the country or even a continent in which the company is situated. For e.g. the salaries in companies in North America is far high, the same goes for eastern Europe. However, in countries like India, the rate is quite lower and affordable.
Why choose Amplework?
The iOS application developers at Amplework are highly proficient and have more than 7 years of experience. You will get quality services at very affordable rates. The iOS department in our company works with both Objective-C and Swift programming languages. We use Agile development methodology in order to provide our customers with a high level of flexibility and transparency. This methodology allows customers to see the result after each sprint. You can get a free consultation for your idea. Just let us know your requirements.
