Top 6 Best iOS App Development Languages For Programmers

Apple is a major mobile device maker. The Apple App Store generates $640+ billion in billings and sales worldwide, and 48.7% of US cell phones are iPhones. Therefore, iOS app development is a big business and an essential skill for mobile app developers. 

Learning the top iOS programming languages pays off for developers. We'll start with the basics of making iOS apps with the top 6 finest iOS app development languages in this blog.

Why Do We Need iOS App Development Language?

iOS app development languages instruct Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, etc.) how to function and show iOS app features. These languages connect our thoughts to the device app. Their importance includes:

• Create Functionality: Apps can't act, process data, or communicate with hardware like cameras and GPS without these iOS app development languages. They enable animations, user interaction, and data storage.

• Native Experience: These languages are optimized for iOS development, letting apps maximize Apple devices. This makes the user experience faster, smoother, and more responsive than generic languages.

• Integration with Apple Frameworks: iOS app development languages operate perfectly with Apple's built-in frameworks, which include pre-written code for animations, networking, and security. This speeds up development and ensures apps follow Apple's requirements.

• Security and Performance: These languages are optimized for Apple's hardware and OS, making programs more secure and performant. They allow developers to build code that optimizes device resources for faster, more stable app performance.

• App Store Compliance: Apple has tight App Store standards. These languages let developers build code that fits these standards, publishing their programs to a big audience.

6 Popular iOS App Development Languages

Here are 6 most well-known iOS app development languages for developers to refer to:

Swift

Swift is a popular programming language for iOS, iPads, macOS, WatchOS, and itvOS. This dialect is genuine and accurate. Swift syntax is compact, expressive, and interactive. Modern features coders enjoy are also included.

The program is designed to avoid entire classes of hazardous code, which makes it perform fast and secure. Swift code is converted to machine code optimized for modern hardware using the fast LLVM compiler.

Features:

• Flexible, robust, and simple.

• Using automatic reference counting to identify unused instances and destroy them immediately.

• Simplifying multi-value output for functions.

• Finding programming errors through generics by using types as parameters.

Example case applied Swift:

Instagram - This popular social media app uses Swift for its clean, modern appearance and fast performance. Swift enables developers to create a seamless user experience when browsing photographs and videos, adding filters, and communicating with other users.

Objective C

Objective-C, a top iOS app development language, was created by the Objectives Computing Corporation in the 1980s to simplify programming. Objective-C remains popular among programmers, especially Apple app developers. It is still a modest and strong set of ANSI language extensions.

Features:

• Speeder hardware-accelerated compiler than competing programming frameworks.

• Cross-platform app development with C, C++, and Objective-C.

• Class and method access without programmers' syntax.

• A language for scripts with automatic memory management like garbage collection.

• Managed data types through garbage collection.

Example case applied Objective-C:

WhatsApp - While some elements of its codebase have been converted to Swift, the company continues to rely significantly on Objective-C, particularly for fundamental functions. The mature ecosystem of Objective-C, as well as performance optimization, were critical in laying the groundwork for this popular messaging application.

C#

C#, released by Microsoft in 2000, is a versatile programming language used for building various applications. It's popular for Windows development (desktop apps with Visual Studio and web services) but can also create apps for other platforms (Android, iOS, macOS) through tools like Xamarin. C# even allows for game development and code sharing across devices.

Features:

• Preventing errors by allowing structured and reasonable error handling.

• Supporting classes and object-oriented programming.

• Supporting low-level memory management.

• Using generics to alter the application.

• Integrating many programming languages.

• Running slower than other languages but lasts longer.

Example case applied C#:

Skyscanner - This travel booking app uses Xamarin for cross-platform development. Using C# allows developers to maintain a single codebase for the iOS and Android versions of the app, easing development and maintenance.

Flutter 

Flutter would be the fastest language to learn in the 21st century's digital age. Because of its direct experience and rapid reload, users may see all the latest changes without losing important information. Flutter uses Dart, a Google programming language that has been enhanced to create cross-platform apps, especially for iOS development.

Features:

• Speeding compilation without affecting code quality.

• Rendering reliably on iOS and Android; therefore, it generates apps fastest because iOS and Android render similarly.

• Using the same language to construct programs for both platforms, makes code maintenance easy.

• Employing Google's Dart programming language, which is simple to learn and use.

Example case applied Flutter:

REFLECTLY is a fitness app that employs Flutter to provide users with a visually pleasing and interactive experience while tracking their exercises and fitness goals. Dart's single codebase approach facilitates rapid development and ensures user experience across iOS platforms.

>> Read more: 

• Is Flutter Good For Web Development? Benefits & Drawbacks

• 18 Flutter Project Ideas For Newbie And Experts

JavaScript

If you want to customize a web app development to iOS, use web technologies such as Javascript. When starting a new app project, you need developers who know HTML 5, CSS, and JavaScript because these work together. Facebook and Instagram use JavaScript frameworks for iOS mobile app development.

Features:

• Providing code reuse between platforms (iOS, Android, etc.). Developers can write most app logic in JavaScript and leverage platform-specific code for native functions.

• Speeding up development by using web development expertise and pre-built components.

• Providing hybrid app development resources, libraries, and plugins through a large, active developer community.

• Reusable code and a smaller developer team due to cross-platform capabilities can minimize development expenses.

Example case applied JavaScript & React Native:

Facebook Ads Manager - This app, built with React Native, allows advertisers to manage their Facebook ad campaigns on the go. JavaScript enables faster development for the app's core functionalities like campaign creation, budget management, and performance tracking.

>> Read more: A Comprehensive Guide of SOLID Principles in JavaScript

Considerations Before Choosing An iOS App Development Language

1. Be Aware of Your Market

Before building an iOS app, you must identify who will use it mostly. Knowing the target demographic and how they use their devices will help you develop the app and determine which features they value. 

Knowing your target demographic makes app ad campaigns easier because you know who you're talking to. First, undertake market research to identify your target audience by gender, age, geography, and other factors. 

2. Know Your Problem 

Before building your iOS app, you must know the problem you want to tackle. This should always be the first stage since if your software fails to solve a market need, no one will use it. You can also identify competitors this way. 

3. Your Application Scope

After defining the app's purpose, determine its capabilities. If you are making a fitness app, you must choose exercises. You can always expand the app's scope later, but it's best to start strong by covering the basics. 

4. Devices to Support

Apple has made iPhones since 2007, so choose one your app will support. You can tell which iOS devices have the database your app needs by its capabilities. Knowing which devices can operate your app can assist you choose iOS versions and languages to write it in. 

5. Assess Your App-Building Ability 

Building an app requires multiple developers with diverse talents. Before writing your first line of code, you must determine if you have the skills to construct the program you want. 

The team may need frontend and backend developers, UX/UI designers, graphic designers, QA developers, and a project manager. 

Startups can have one developer perform two or three tasks. You may eventually hire remote engineers to scale your app.

>> Read more: Top 9 Best iOS App Development Companies in Vietnam

Conclusion

Now you can build mobile apps for Apple devices using a variety of iOS programming languages, whether you're a newbie or an experienced developer looking for a new challenge.

On the other hand, if you are seeking an iOS app development service provider, Relia Software offers holistic iOS solutions using Swift - the qualified iOS app development language by Google, React Native, and Flutter. We have dedicated and qualified developers in this category who promise to give you the best quality product for your project! 

>>> Follow and Contact Relia Software for more information!