What is Swift Development and How it Can Benefit Your Business?

Back in the day when Java wasn’t a go-to option for Android app development, this programming language was seen by the software development community exclusively as a solution that was frequently updated to achieve more stable, reliable, and versatile tech.

However, that’s no longer the case. If you’ve been reading a lot about mobile app development and the latest trends in this field, you’re probably aware that Java is now loved by lots of developers from all over the globe and used for various projects every day.

Swift technology shares a similar history to Java.

Swift gradually grew into a powerful language that’s known for its consistent improvements and constant enhancements.

According to JetBrain’s study, 53% of questioned developers have opted for Swift and no other language. But, despite this amazing trend, Swift is still invisible to a wider audience that could benefit from its offerings. Lots of businesses are still unsure which language they should use to build their mobile apps.

Even though we have been talking a lot about Flutter, we at Share IT believe that Swift is also a great option for building outstanding mobile apps.

In this blog post, we’re going to cover the basics of Swift and explain all the business benefits that come with developing apps with this programming language.

Swift vs Objective C

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A lot of complex applications have been built with Swift. Brands like Slack, Uber, Lyft, Robinhood have all used Swift to build their iOS mobile apps.

Professional developers prefer Swift over Objective C because:

  1. It is more interactive
  2. It gives greater flexibility because the syntax is concise and expressive.
  3. The coding part is easy to master and implement.
  4. It makes the development process more enjoyable because Swift contains modern features that programmers find amusing and easy to play with.

Swift takes the best of both C and Objective C and puts it in a package where limitations regarding the C compatibility no longer exist. The language is available for macOS, watchOS, tvOS and iOS, and more.

Most experts agreed that Swift is a safe and secure solution. Especially now when Swift 5 entered the scene!

Swift 5 Brought Even More Flavour to an Already Tasty Treat

With its latest version (Swift 5), the programming language has solidified its position as one of the strongest solutions for building iOS apps. This update contributed greatly to the language’s versatility and the growth of its engaging community.

In addition to offering outstanding ABI stability, Swift 5 runtime has been added in the current and future Apple’s OS versions for varied platforms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS). This thing alone has made Swift look like a real deal in the eyes of passionate iOS developers.

The latest version brought several new competencies to the fold. But we don’t want to get overly granular here by going over every single competency in great detail. If you’re interested in learning more about the specifics that came with the March 2019 update, click on this link.

Most Common Benefits of Building Apps with Swift

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There are too many to cover, so we’ll focus on the 3 most important ones:

1. Smaller Sized Apps

Size is a major factor but for speed and storage. It affects the user’s experience across multiple levels. Nobody wants an app that eats too much of their storage, nor do people have the patience to deal with slow apps.

Swift 5 makes the language compatible with binary. This means that the end result of Swift mobile development benefits the “smaller users” for running and their new operating system i.e. macOS, iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, and tvOS 12.2.

2. Open, but Secure

Swift is an open-source tech, which sort of means that it’s prone to changes and improvements (especially on the design and structure fronts).

In addition to this, Swift has been recognized as one of the safest and secure mobile app development solutions out there. It has a dialect and structured development that avoids the errors that are possible to come in Objective-C.

3. Quicker Launch, Better Performace and Readability

Since every library is now dynamic with this update, a quicker launch is guaranteed. Every dynamic library is utilized by an app that will be cached in the memory and will be shared among the apps.

In addition to this, Swift 5 comes with great API stability that helps the apps to perform at an optimal level at all times. Gone are the days where glitches and screen freeze used to frustrated your users and make them delete your app from their mobile devices. With Swift 5, everything runs as smooth as water, and your user that what they opted for.

Readability is also a massive plus with Swift 5. It makes the code super easy to write, change, and read. As we mentioned above, the syntax is clean and unique. Swift 5 requires fewer code lines compared to Objective-C when building iOS apps. For startups and SaaS businesses, this is a massive advantage. They opt for Swift’s super easy syntax enables faster and simpler work, which automatically cuts down the cost of developing apps and overall development time.

Swift is Continuously Improving and Becoming More Powerful

These were the core benefits that make Swift an interesting option for lots of businesses. With Swift, companies of all sizes and stature can cut down development costs and speed up their time to market, which is probably everyone’s top objective. The fact that Swift is also a safe solution, makes the whole offer even more exciting.

The great thing about Swift is that it’s constantly being updated and upgraded. This programming language is slowly maturing into a more powerful, fun, beautiful, and stable solution for everyone interested in building killer iOS apps.

Having said that, certain factors still need to be considered before you jump the gun and opt for Swift without getting familiar with other solutions on the market. We at Share IT are always available to talk and provide you with guidance for your next project. We work with Swift, Flutter, and all other latest tech on the market. Our experience has thought us that every project is different and that choosing a perfect “tool” for it requires a “look from a trained eye”.

Feel free to get in touch with us here and our seasoned experts will help you decided what’s the best tech for your next big project!