Technologies

OBJECTIVE-C

Objective-C is the official native programming language for iOS. Programs for the first Apple personal computers, after Steve Jobs licensed Objective-C in 1988, were created using this object-oriented extension of the basic C. Nowadays, most applications in the App Store are written in it and, even if developed in Swift (the second official native Apple language, created in 2014), often include part of the code in Objective-C.

Objective-C is the main programming tool for creating applications for the iPhone, iPad, iMac, MacBook, Apple Watch, and other branded devices. It's a classic, reliable, and powerful language that's best suited for complex projects and is known to every iOS developer.

Native

"Native" code is developed to write programs for a specific operating system installed on a specific hardware. In the case of Objective-C, these are iOS / iPadOS / MacOS / watchOS and the corresponding smartphones, tablets, computers, and Apple smartwatches. Native code is compiled and executed in the device's processor, not in add-ons: frameworks or virtual machines. It's faster to write and more stable than any cross-platform solution, and it gives developers easy access to hardware such as cameras and geolocation, as well as tools and APIs prepared by Apple.

Familiar UI and good UX

User interface and experience are important factors in the success of an application. Objective-C or Swift, as native languages, use interface elements that are familiar to users. Menus, navigation, notifications, checkboxes, etc. will look and work just like in all other iOS apps. You will be able to make a beautiful personalized design, but it will definitely not confuse users and will remain intuitive, which means that the application will not lose potential users and will receive good reviews.

Popularity and updating

Most of the apps in the App Store are written in Objective C. These are more than 1.2 million apps, the first versions of which appeared in the store immediately after its creation. You will find developers for your project who will have the experience to solve the most unusual problems. Users are used to apps written in Objective-C, even if they don't know it. You can easily modify, modernize, and expand the project's capabilities whenever you want without losing users.

A FAMILIAR AND RELIABLE TOOL 1 / 3

Objective-C is more than 30 years old - 90% of iOS developers in companies and freelancers use it and know how to quickly write an application or fix errors. The language itself has also been improved many times, and it is the language in which iOS system libraries and frameworks are written. The stability of Objective-C is manifested in the stability of the syntax, albeit a complex one, and in updates. Each of them has almost no effect on the work of older versions, even if you need to change something, it can be done quickly and without serious damage to the monetization of the application. As a result, maintaining projects written in Objective C requires a minimum of resources.

SUPPORT 2 / 3

Apple releases a lot of training materials, official documentation, courses, and more for developers. The original objective c programming implies that your developers will have access to UI components, libraries with tools for working with various file formats, from audio and graphics to three-dimensional animation, and even game engines. Over the same thirty years, the language has gained a huge community, and all programmers who know Objective-C, C, or C++ will be able to find answers to various questions and ready-made solutions to their tasks.

INTERACTION 3 / 3

The Objective-C programming language allows you to assemble complex structures for unusual functions. If a programmer has code written in C or C++, they can insert it into an Objective-C framework. You can use Objective-C modules in Swift projects, but not in other languages of the family. You can't paste Swift code into Objective-C either. Thus, it is better to use a classic programming language to create complex projects from scratch and expand the capabilities of existing ones.

iOS users spend more in app stores. This is confirmed by statistical market research and can be seen for yourself by spending a little time comparing the number of downloads and purchases from potential competitors. You can make your app paid at first and it will be bought in the AppStore with a higher probability than in the PlayMarket, and this is taking into account the competition that is ten times less. If you use other monetization methods, such as an extended pro version or a subscription, you are almost guaranteed to generate income.

The new iPhone app in Objective-C is enough to adapt to the latest model and several previous ones. In 2020, Apple supports only 15 models: from the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 7 and SE2. This will not be difficult to do, especially considering the native language and the fact that Android developers have to test the project on a much larger number of devices with huge differences in both software and hardware.

All supported iOS devices, which is 65% of the total number of iPhones in use, can automatically update to the new version as soon as it is available. At the same time, Apple supports the previous one in order not to lose 25% of those users who did not have time or do not want to buy a new smartphone. Thus, only two versions of the app will make it available to 90% of potential users. Android developers have to create and support different versions of the app for several generations of the OS and its proprietary shells from different brands, because sometimes even flagship smartphones stop being updated a year or two after they are launched, although their hardware is still not outdated.

Objective-C has its pros and cons, but it has been and remains the fundamental programming language for Apple technology. Thousands of developers create large-scale, interesting, and profitable projects in it, and the high entry threshold associated with the difficulty of learning the language ensures that your project will be worked on by those who have already solved complex problems many times.

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