Even though still in the Alpha version, many developers welcomed the new Paging 3 library from Android Jetpack considering the previous attempt was poorly designed and required a lot of coding.
Also, one of the main cons was the lack of support for combined network and local queries, which is actually a very common case in our apps.
Luckily, Paging 3 came to the rescue and as it looks like it performs better and it’s actually not THAT complicated to implement. However, there’s always a but!
Oh RemoteMediator, the great source combinator
The new library introduces the RemoteMediator class. It helps you combine local and remote queries to provide consistent data flow to the user, regardless if the network is available or not.
Basically, everything you fetch from a remote source should be saved to your local…
Preparing a good mobile application brief can take some time and effort, but it’s definitely worth it.
Companies like ours usually receive a couple of project briefs per day and have to get back to clients with feedback. To get that feedback as quickly as possible, it is important to fill the brief with relevant information. Let’s take a look at what that relevant information really is.
What is the purpose of the app?
Tell us what problem are you trying to solve with your mobile application. This information often gets neglected, but to really come up with the best possible app that suits your needs, we need to know what the purpose of the app will be.
Users today mostly consume multimedia content on their mobile phones because mobile networks are fast enough and data plans are getting cheaper by the day.
I remember when playing a single YouTube video via mobile data was a definite no-no, but now I would play an entire playlist without breaking a sweat. Does that mean we don’t have to pay attention to data usage when we develop our apps? Of course not!
Even if your users have larger data plans and they wouldn’t mind extra traffic from your app (but be assured, most of them will), there are other benefits of optimizing your data flow. It will result in faster data loading and making your app more responsive. Your users will love that!
Here are…
With every new model, smartphones get more powerful — they get additional functionalities, additional sensors and additional ways for mobile applications to maximize that potential.
As technology advances, mobile screens get better, batteries last longer, cameras on your phones get almost as good as the ones on standalone DSLRs… Add to that a variety of different touch, motion, sound, wireless and other sensors that became the standard in most smartphones, and you get yourself a giant list of available functions you can utilize. And that list keeps on growing every time a new smartphone is introduced.
A large number of powerful features that simplify everyday tasks is always a plus for users, but if you’re in the process of creating a mobile application for your…
Clients often approach us with requests to rethink their business communication over WhatsApp or Facebook because these tools don’t meet their requirements.
Facebook, WhatsApp and other similar mobile apps are great for chatting and posting holiday photos, but what about the business aspect of it?
Private social networks
When advancing their communication and collaboration towards digital solutions, a lot of companies will use some of the more popular web tools and apps as a first step. Many start with private groups on Facebook as their official communication channels, some use Slack, others stick to standard email threads. But, when your business is rapidly growing, standard tools no longer meet your requirements and custom solutions become a more desirable option.
The prime example of such a…
Share knowledge, meet new people, talk about your experiences and enjoy Tuesday evenings.
That’s what it’s all about at our Apps & Pizza mobile meetup. Or at least what our attendees see. Let’s see what does it look like from the inside.
Android Instant Apps are a cool new way to consume native apps without prior installation. Only parts of the app are downloaded and launched, giving the users a native look and feel in a couple of seconds.
How do they work?
First of all, don’t confuse them with Progressive Web Apps where a launcher icon opens a web app via the Chrome browser. An Instant app will actually be installed on your phone, but without the need to search for it on the Play Store.
Web URLs will trigger the Google Play Store on your phone and fetch only the part of the app…
Virtual reality is here and it’s big. Your clients will want to have their own VR projects, so start embracing this new wave and jump on the virtual train before it’s too late. We wrote some tips for you on how to get started with VR development.
First, let’s have an overview of VR hardware.
Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR are the most advanced consumer VR sets at the moment, but they are also expensive. Most of the time, your clients will want to have their apps available to broader audience, so building apps for those platforms might not be the best solution.
Cheaper solutions are VR glasses like Google Cardboard or Samsung GearVR. They offer a similar experience, but they’re powered by smartphones (which everyone has in their pockets nowadays). …
Tomislav Smrečki
Android Development Team Lead @ Bornfight.
