How Much Time Does An APP Development Take

How Long Does App
Development Takes
A guide by Emirates Software Group FZ LLC

Mobile apps offer
everything!
The idealists had always dreamt of a world where
you could get your life managed at your fingertips.
That very era has arrived! Mobile applications
today have given us power beyond understanding,
adding ease to everyday operations, such as
shopping or education to sophisticated business
management requirements to complete
accounting functions. Today, mobile apps offer
everything!

The Rising Popularity Of
Mobile Apps.
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Users
Mobile applications have the edge of over 3
billion smartphone users
Downloads
More than 204 billion app downloads were
recorded in the year 2019, which are expected
to rise over 300 billion by the year 2020
popularity
Over 2 billion apps have been launched on
each android and iOS application stores

ABC’s of App Development Process

Project Brief
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Project briefing can take up to 2 days to a maximum of a week in 90% cases.
The aim of the brief is to give the developer or development company a
better idea of your expectations. It usually comprises of:
Project outcome and expectations
Request for proposal, also known as an RFP
Approximate delivery date to ensure the development time frame
Budget range
Non-disclosure agreement

Project Estimation Time & Cost
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This phase could take over 1 to 2 weeks maximum. This phase is
executed solely by the developer who estimates the development
cost and estimates the time for product delivery. In this phase
developers often also share a prototype/mockup/dummy app for
the client as well to show him/her how the final product will look
and behave

App Design & Development
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This is the longest and most productive part of the app
development process. This is the part where actually your idea gets
shape and gets converted to reality. It takes around 6 to 8 weeks in
most of the cases where the goal is to deliver an MVP (minimum
viable product) to the client. Based on this MVP the developer
estimates the cost and delivery time as mentioned above. In this
process designing of the interface happens, actual code gets
written and testing of the expected app processes is done.

Launching App
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After the app is developed and is functional to be released to the
public, the next thing is to put it up on the app stores so that people
can download it. it takes up to 4 hours for android and maximum a
week’s time for iOS.

Post-Launch Development
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This is the phase where the development of the app STOPS and support
for the app STARTS. Many mobile app development companies offer
free 3 months, 6 months or 1-year support. It depends on the deal which
you get with them. But support is a must, it is a kind of warranty for your
app that everything is working as expected and agreed between you
and the developer.
As a separate note, it is also worth mentioning here that if your app is a
database-driven app then you might need to pay for a database server.
In these days developers setup MS Azure or AWS Cloud-based
accounts for mobile apps backend database which cost around AED 300
to AED 500 for database hosting per month or there are some free
options also with noSQL database like Google Firebase Firestore which
works pretty well for small to medium level apps. Please also check the
evaluation plans for MS Azure and Amazon AWS. You can also speak
with your developer about this to get assistance.

The Factors Having Impact on Process
Timelines
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There are a lot of factors that can make the development process lethargic and it could be either from
the developer’s end or the client’s end, mostly due to confusion in the explained scope. If the
expectation is not stated clearly, it could confuse the developer about what is expected in the app.
The speed of development depends on numerous aspects, from the experience of the developer to
the category of the app itself. Also, going cross-platform could save even more time and money as
compared to making a different app for Android and iOS. But again, going cross-platform introduces
new cons like the user experience is sometimes not very native. Prototypes save a lot of time as the
application in the process is thoroughly checked at every step and is fixed, so each bug is removed as
soon as it is detected.
It is always a wise to get at least 3 quotes from different mobile app development companies for the
same idea and this will give you an idea that which company is best for you and which steps one
company is missing and what extra another company is offering like free support, free mockup and so
on.

FAQ’S
Should you
develop an app
for iOS or
Android?
Both! Because Android and
iOS are popular operating
systems being used
worldwide.
How do you get
more downloads
on the app(s)?
Give value to your user; if
your app is adding
someone’s life (mobile)
they will download your
app and share it with family
and friends also.
How much time
and money does
it take to develop
an app?
It could take from 6 to 8
weeks to create a fully
functional app and the cost
could range from AED
12,000 to AED 15,000
Emirates Software Group FZ LLC