The next version of Apple's iPad and iPhone operating system is approaching launch, with a reveal of the next iPhone devices pencilled in for 9th September. There's also the ongoing first ever public beta test of an iOS, allowing end users to try out the features, all of which means that many users will be looking for apps to support the new features come the launch date.

One of the mos.....

On the 29th July Microsoft launched their Windows 10 operating system which has already been downloaded by over 14 million users. As with the release of any new operating system, mobile app developers will be asking themselves; how will this affect the production of my existing and upcoming apps? To help resolve this dilemma, listed below are three of the main ways in which Windows 10 will impa.....

Many companies coming to mobile app developers and looking to build an app for their business have a wide range of questions. The first is usually: 'should the app be developed for iOS or Android?' Fortunately, in terms of most apps, developing for both platforms is not a major issue. Only if the app requires specific features of one platform such as Health or Passbook on iOS, or is graphically.....

If you've developed a great mobile app, the next challenge is getting people to use it. In a world awash with applications, fantastic innovations can sometimes get lost if developers struggle to market them effectively. Knowing how to brand and advertise the app can make all the difference, ensuring your mobile app develop.....

The Windows Store on both desktops and mobiles is a pretty barren place compared to the iOS and Android equivalents. However, as Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile near launch, Microsoft is making it easier for mobile app developers to port their web apps to the app store via a range of services.

Currently in the news is Project Westminster, which helps developers publish their responsive.....

According to a Design Contest infographic, only 22% of all downloaded mobile apps are used more than once. Consequently, it is imperative that your company's mobile app directly engages with its users and encourages them to frequently utilise your business products and services. To help you do so, here at Lexel we have assembled a list of the most common mobile app development mistakes committe.....

The cost of app marketing has reached record heights, and is likely to keep climbing. The critical measurement, the Cost Per Loyal User Index (CPLUI), is higher than it has ever been, with companies spending £1.94 for every loyal user. That’s the verdict of Fiksu, a Boston-based firm that analysed app marketing trends over the past four years. Fiksu classified a loyal user as using the app a.....

Apart from perhaps Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) has been one of the major technology stories of the past few years, with big players such as Intel vying to become "the platform" for building it on.

So far many of the IoT start-ups have primarily focused on creating various forms of well connected, portable se.....

At the company's World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco this week, Apple helped move the goal posts for mobile app development by announcing Swift 2, with a host of new features. Not only are there the usual performance increases, there are also new error-checking APIs and exception-based handling. The compiler can also detect pieces of code that won't run on older devices, allowing c.....

According to a recent infographic posted on Design Contest, it is predicted that there will be 5 billion mobile users by 2018. Although this figure highlights that there will be a vast audience of potential customers that can be directly targeted via mobile apps, this infographic also highlighted that only 22% of downloaded apps are used more than once. Consequently, it is vital that your compa.....

Augmented reality - the supposition of digital images over what your smartphone's camera can see - has largely been a bit of a gimmick. However, as the technology improves, it is becoming more useful for retail and other apps. While the technology can add interactivity and fun - from Starbucks cups that animate digitally, to ASDA's augmented Halloween experience for children in its stores - the.....

Mobile app development is now a necessity for ecommerce businesses, and the statistics prove it. Surveys show that 89% of all mobile browsing is done through mobile apps, rather than mobile websites. In addition, when presented with the choice between using a mobile app or a mobile website, 33% of users chose the former. Studies also show that the consumer conversion rate is much higher for eco.....

Mobile app development is now a critical part of firms' operations, according to a new survey that shows most companies believe it's "essential" to doing business. Some, however, were concerned about high costs associated with developing mobile apps.

The study, carried out by moBack, a mobile service company, found that 80% of those questioned were of the view that mobile app developmen.....

People are constantly on their smartphones nowadays. It can be a bit annoying if you go out for a meal or a coffee with a friend and they get their phone out and start tapping away. It's a fact of life, people are obsessed with their phones, and nine times out of ten they'll be using an app. But instead of letting it grind your gears, you should be inspired!

Clearly an app could be bene.....

A few weeks back, we were looking at the possibilities for mobile app developers when it comes to smartwatches. Now that the Apple Watch is out on the wrists of a million or so early adopters, and some 3,000 launch apps are being dissected by users, reviewers, and UI and app designers, what are the early lessons to be learnt?

The first feature we've noticed is the breadth of apps bursti.....

It’s already a cliché that there’s an app for everything these days. Like most clichés, however, this one is founded on a pretty solid truth. In the age of the smartphone, mobile apps feel like a very natural way for customers to interact with the products and services they use, from chatting to mates on social media to ordering a pizza.

So, whether your business deals with techno.....

The rising influence of mobile apps has been demonstrated by HP entering the development software market.

Mobile apps are becoming crucial for all kinds of businesses and software developers such as HP are providing fresh ways to create apps.

Customers enjoy being able to connect with their favourite products via mobile apps, with other benefits including that productivity gains.....

Magento’s 2.0 upgrade is nearing release and there’s plenty to be excited about within the developer community for users of arguably the most trusted open-source e-commerce management system.

There’s plenty of conjecture and discussion regarding the new features that could revolutionise Magento development and on-site user experience, so here is the low-down on some of our favouri.....

Alongside ourselves, there are thousands of Magento Developers around the world. One common problem we all have is linking a small business that wants an online store with a team like ours. You've already found our site, so that's a good start, but for the many businesses that could use Lexel's services, Magento has a new program to help link us together. Magento's Small Business program is de.....

Mobile app developers have had plenty of time to think about how the conceptual link between smartphone and smartwatch might change app functionality. What are the essential notifications users will want to see? What is the best way to display them? How will users want to respond? With Apple finally confirming its Watch launch dates for April, those ideas now need to start being laid out in pra.....

Earlier in the week, Globo - an enterprise mobility management firm - introduced a new, super secure platform for mobile app development, with plans to target it mostly towards regulated industries, including the financial, legal and healthcare sectors.

A breakthrough

Security is (or should be) of the utmost importance to mobile app developers, so the introduction of the new GO!.....

In continuation of what looks to be Yahoo’s return to being a major online player, the company announced at their first ever mobile developer conference that they are launching a new mobile development suite. The suite combines Flurry Analytics, which the company purchased last year, and its own in-house Yahoo App Publishing platform, and is a continuation of the company’s drive to maximise.....

Mobile applications are big business these days, and almost everyone is attempting to grab a slice of the action. Whether you decide to go it alone, or work with a team of mobile app developers, you need to carefully consider your options, find the right audience, decide which platforms to appear on, weigh up the value of the product or service you're offering, and finally, formulate a sound ma.....

With the huge amount of users that frequent Apple and Android's app stores, mobile app development can be extremely lucrative for software developers. One of the toughest decisions developers have to make, however, is whether or not to make an app free to consumers. Due to this difficulty, this decision often gets overlooked, and a lot of software houses don't consider how they're going to make.....

As Valentine's day quickly approaches, many people are prompted to reflect on their love lives. Despite claims that technological innovations are leading to a disconnect in the modern world, mobile app development can actually help people to improve their connections. Singletons can get help with finding a relationship, while those already coupled can get help with keeping the romance going. He.....

During mobile app development, resources are often stretched, and the time, money, and manpower you have to devote to your goals can be extremely limited. Before your mobile app development team picks up their tools and starts getting to work on a new piece of software, it's a good idea to start figuring out exactly who will be interested in downloading your latest offering.

Determining.....

Queen of the mobile analytics market, App Annie has published its report on 2014's most popular apps and trends. You can download the report for free (by providing some basic details) here (http://blog.appannie.com/app-annie-index-retrospective-2014/). It provides some useful insights for mobile app developers, product planners and designers as to what could be the next big thing in apps.

With hundreds of thousands of apps vying for users' attention across both the Google Play and iTunes stores, competition in the world of apps is incredibly fierce. To find success in this crowded marketplace, you have to create an app that resonates with your audience. It's no coincidence that the most enduring apps are the ones users revisit regularly, growing in popularity overtime, instead o.....

Android and Apple devices are becoming more and more powerful as technology advances, cramming increasingly speedy processors and dizzying amounts of RAM into their thin plastic frames. These forward leaps in computing power don't necessarily mean every piece of software your mobile app development team pushes through the pipeline will perform at peak efficiency though. For those of our readers.....

We can safely say, one of the most frustrating aspects of mobile app development is not knowing whether or not the people downloading the piece of software you've poured your blood, sweat, tears, and bundles of cash into for the last six months are actually using it regularly. Hundreds, nay thousands, of people download apps on to their phones, only to flick through them once (twice, if you're .....

The writing is on the wall when it comes to the most successful way to market an app for a smash hit right now. A cursory look at the Apple store any time recently shows that all of the top selling apps make their money from In-App purchases. Essentially this means that the biggest moneymaking apps out there are all free. If you're scratching your head over how that works, here is an introducti.....

The speed of recent mobile app development has meant that apps are now a part of almost all of our lives. They help us book everything from trains and planes to hotel rooms and gig tickets and get our shopping done at our favourite stores, wherever we are. They have proven themselves to be extremely useful tools in a number of areas of our day to day lives, but what about helping us with someth.....

Since the dawn of the smartphone, mobile app development has become a hugely influential industry - it’s hard to remember a time before apps! We use them for everything from shopping to socialising, and good design is central to the success or failure of each. These are the three keys to getting it right…

Good responsive design

Good responsive design is key to any Read More

January is a time of year when many of us look at the excesses of Christmas and decide that it's time to make changes, in the form of New Year's resolutions. While many people fail to keep their resolutions, others are determined to change their lives for the better - with many actually choosing to use Read More

Zombie apps are products that are never used or downloaded by anyone, and there are plenty out there, unloved, hiding on an Apple or Google server, waiting to be claimed. Many of them are perfectly good apps, but simply fail to take off for a variety of reasons, explained below.

Failing to offer any value

No one will download your app if there's no reason for th.....

Android, iOS and Windows devices all work a little differently and have their own stores for application downloads. When you're developing an app, you can't simply create one that works on every phone. Mobile app development is a much more complex process, so how can you decide which oper.....

Take a tip from the best and be inspired by the most successful mobile app developments that the world has yet seen. From the quirky to the simply business minded, these top three mobile apps will be sure to provide plenty of ideas for those who are currently working on mobile app development projects.

Instagram

The photo taking and sharing app instagram blended.....

‘Real world’ mobile applications are looking set to make huge strides in the next year. These include applications that serve specific functions such as ecommerce apps that increase convenience and aid daily interactions in a time poor environment by offering consumers an alternative payment methodology.

Many retailers have mobile enabled versions of their websites available but sti.....

From the recent iCloud scandal to the Sony hacking incident, the security of private information on web based software has never been more of a pressing issue.

With both apps and the privacy threats to them being international and without borders, it can be hard for legislative bodies to come up with solutions that effectively tackle the problem. In addition to this, there is the ongoin.....

It's no secret that mobile app development is big business. Millions of people are turning their backs on desktops and using mobile devices to browse, work and shop. As a result, the demand for apps is at an all-time high and business users and consumers are putting increasing amounts of pressure on designers and developers to deliver cutting-edge mobile experiences. For some businesses, howev.....

Research industry big wigs Forrester have put together a list of what they predict will be big in app development in 2015 (http://blogs.forrester.com/michael_facemire/14-11-03-mobile_development_the_2015_crystal_ball). Even though they might be experts, some of their predictions seem a li.....

With the app industry dominating software downloads, mobile app development is more in demand than at any other time. We are no longer limited to just one platform either: iOS may have ruled the roost early on, but recently competitors like Android and Windows have taken the fight to Apple, giving consumers (and by extension, Read More

While your app needs to have some basic core functionality that relates to your business, users will see more value from it if it can offer something extra. At a basic level, that can be from social media sharing to encourage more interaction, or payments to enable then and there purchasing. But with iOS 8 adding widgets, your app can suddenly do quite a bit more, thanks to your Read More

The prediction that mobile apps would be less popular than the mobile web has been discredited by research that shows Facebook and games are instead increasing application usage.

The premise that users will move away from using native apps on their smartphones to using HTML5 sites that offer the same functionality has not occurred, according to the research company Flurry. Instead, use .....

One of the hottest trends these days for businesses is to have a mobile app that customers and clients can use. It can be something completely simple and easy to use. In fact, the whole point of having an app is to simplify your users’ experiences. When you have an app that is fun and easy to use, it brings your business constantly to the forefront, and this is what ensures that you get an ed.....

Online shopping is fast becoming a part of the developed world’s lifestyle, as revealed by a recent article in Forbes that claimed that 55% of consumers prefer to make their purchases online. At the same time, sharp business owners across the world are realising the power of mobile devices, resulting in greater demand for Read More

It may be a little while before we can get our hands (or should that be wrists?) on the Apple Watch, but the mobile app development community can get a sneak peek at what the tech-giant has in store by downloading the latest iOS beta, which comes loaded with an early version of WatchKit. This handy tool allows developers to start planning their apps, and get them up and running before Apple's w.....

Mobile apps have become big business in recent years, with the public spending nearly three hours per day on their smart phones and shopping on mobile devices showing an 18 per cent increase in the past year.

But research has found that half of the UK's companies do not have a mobile app or a website that's optimised for mobile devices. Are these businesses making a massive marketing mi.....

A mobile phone can be an essential lifeline in the world of an elderly, infirm, or disabled person. Whilst there's been a growing trend for "simple" mobile phones for older users, it's a proven fact that mobile applications aren't just for twenty and thirty somethings sporting the latest smartphones. There is a equally powerful movement in the mobile app development world to create applications.....

Our Director Jason Gaved questions if you really need an mobile app and outlines the cost.

Accessing the internet on the go has become the norm, so having a mobile presence seems more crucial than ever for small businesses. A recent survey by app analytics provider Flurry revealed that while web surfing has declined in 2014 to date, mobile app usage has increased.

So how .....

There are thousands of mobile apps available, which can quickly overcrowd your phone's screen. While apps are meant to improve our lives and efficiency, trying to find them in a plethora of colourful icons can be a frustrating business.

There's no simple method to solve this thorny issue. Plus, with mobile app development snowballing into a burgeoning business, there are bound to be mor.....

Just because many mobile apps are free to download, don't assume that a good app can be built in one afternoon.

The mobile phone age has, in many ways, proven that the cost of creating a product hasn't really changed all that much. The infrastructure to do so has just shifted so that now most of the capital goes into software, instead of bricks and mortar. But the age-old saying remains.....

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook took to the stage at the 2014 WWDC to announce a range of new products to add to Apple’s already impressive mobile product line, and announced changes to its mobile operating system that would feature in iOS 8.

Starting with the new iPhone 6 and its bigger sister the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple’s first foray into the smartphone and tablet hybrid market, the new smart.....

The meteoric rise of the smartphone and other mobile devices, such as tablet computers, presents vast opportunities for companies to engage with wide audiences and gain new business. It’s an altogether different digital environment than reaching out to people through a personal computer, whose sales have been dropping in recent years as more people become digitally mobile.

Now, rather.....

At Lexel, we know that creating a great user experience is of the utmost importance when it comes to mobile app development. On that note, we've put together some of the essential ingredients you need when coming up with the best mobile apps for your customers. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself:

Is it relevant?

In other words, is it something.....