📱 Mobile Development

iOS, Android & cross-platform app development

🎯 Warm-up Discussion

Let's explore what you already know about mobile development:

What do you know about mobile development? Have you built mobile apps before?
Tell me about your experience with iOS, Android, or cross-platform development.
What have you heard about native vs cross-platform approaches?
Have you worked with mobile frameworks like React Native or Flutter? What was it like?
What challenges in mobile development have you encountered or heard about?

🎬 Listening: An Android Developer's Journey

Watch this video about Vincenzo Colucci, an Android developer from Italy who created Smart Launcher.

📝 Listening Comprehension Questions

1. What does Vincenzo say being a developer gives you?

Answer the question in your own words after watching.

2. What was Vincenzo's first app, and how did he feel when he made his first $5?

Describe his reaction and what it meant for him.

3. What is Smart Launcher, and what makes it different from a regular Android home screen?

Explain the main features he mentions.

4. Why did Vincenzo choose Android as his platform?

What reason does he give in the video?

5. What did his brother Daniele say about Smart Launcher before it was released?

What was the prediction, and was he right?

6. How many downloads does Smart Launcher have now?

Include both free and pro version numbers.

7. Why did Vincenzo decide to stay in Manfredonia instead of moving to a bigger city?

What reasons does he give for his decision?

8. How does Vincenzo define success in his life?

Explain his personal philosophy about success.

💭 Discussion Questions

Vincenzo says developing is "a form of art." Do you agree? Why or why not?
He stayed in his small hometown. Could you do the same, or would you prefer a tech hub?
His app is the "most exported product from Manfredonia." How does that make you feel about software?
What do you think about his definition of success? Is it different from typical tech culture?

📌 Vocabulary to Listen For:

inventor · exported · launched · automatically organized · failure · downloaded · exciting · living in my city

📖 Reading: The Mobile-First World

Mobile devices have become the primary way billions of people access the internet, making mobile development skills essential for modern developers. With over 6 billion smartphone users worldwide, mobile apps drive everything from social connections to commerce, entertainment, and productivity. Understanding mobile development approaches—native, hybrid, and cross-platform—is crucial for building successful applications.

Native development using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android offers the best performance and access to platform-specific features, but requires maintaining separate codebases. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter allow developers to write code once and deploy to multiple platforms, trading some performance for development efficiency. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) offer a third option, delivering app-like experiences through web browsers.

Mobile development presents unique challenges: diverse screen sizes, varying device capabilities, offline functionality, battery constraints, and app store approval processes. Developers must consider touch interfaces, mobile-specific UX patterns, push notifications, and integration with device features like cameras and GPS. As 5G networks expand and foldable devices emerge, mobile development continues to evolve rapidly.

📚 Key Vocabulary & Concepts

Learn these important terms:

Native app: Application built specifically for one platform using platform-specific languages

Cross-platform: Code that runs on multiple operating systems with minimal changes

Responsive design: Adapting layout and interface to different screen sizes

Push notifications: Messages sent from apps to users' devices

Offline-first: Designing apps to work without internet connection

App Store Optimization: Improving app visibility in app store search results

Touch gestures: User interactions like tap, swipe, pinch on touchscreens

Deep linking: Links that open specific content within an app

✏️ Practice Exercise: Vocabulary in Context

Complete this paragraph about a startup's mobile development journey using vocabulary from the reading and key terms.

When building our startup's first mobile app, we had to choose between native development and frameworks. Native development using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android offers better performance, but requires maintaining .

We chose a cross-platform approach instead, allowing us to write code once and to both iOS and Android. The app uses to ensure the layout adapts to different screen sizes.

We implemented like tap, swipe, and pinch for natural mobile interactions, and added to keep users engaged with timely updates.

Since many users travel to remote areas, we designed it with an approach to work without internet. Finally, we had to navigate the processes for both platforms.

💡 Discussion Questions:

Would you make the same choices as this startup? Why or why not?
Which of these features (responsive design, offline-first, push notifications) is most important for user experience?
What other challenges might they face when launching this app?

💬 Speaking Section: Mobile Development

Discussion cards for meaningful conversation

Have you ever built a mobile app?

💡 Discussion tips:

Share your experience: "I built...", "I've worked on..."
Use vocabulary: native app, cross-platform, framework
Discuss challenges: performance, UX, platform differences

Native vs Cross-platform: which would you choose?

💡 Discussion tips:

Compare approaches: "Native apps are faster, but..."
Reference Vincenzo's story from the video
Use conditional: "If I needed performance, I'd choose..."

What makes a mobile app successful?

💡 Discussion tips:

Discuss UX/UI importance: responsive design, intuitive navigation
Talk about performance and user retention
Compare apps you love vs apps you uninstalled

iOS or Android: which platform do you prefer developing for?

💡 Discussion tips:

Compare Swift/Kotlin experiences
Discuss market share and monetization differences
Share opinions: "In my experience..."

Would you use React Native or Flutter for your next project?

💡 Discussion tips:

Apply vocabulary: cross-platform framework, code reusability
Discuss trade-offs: development speed vs performance
Use First Conditional: "If I use React Native, I can..."

How important is responsive design in mobile apps?

💡 Discussion tips:

Connect to different screen sizes (phones, tablets, foldables)
Share bad experiences with poorly designed apps
Use examples from apps you use daily

What's the biggest challenge in mobile development?

💡 Discussion tips:

Discuss fragmentation: OS versions, device variety
Talk about battery optimization, memory constraints
Compare to web development challenges

Progressive Web Apps vs Native Apps: what's the future?

💡 Discussion tips:

Apply reading knowledge: PWA advantages and limitations
Discuss offline capabilities, app store distribution
Use future tense: "I think PWAs will..."

How has mobile-first design changed the industry?

💡 Discussion tips:

Reference the reading about mobile-first transformation
Compare desktop-first vs mobile-first approaches
Share examples from your work or apps you know

If you could build any mobile app, what would it be?

💡 Discussion tips:

Describe your app idea and target audience
Explain tech choices: native, cross-platform, or hybrid
Use Second Conditional: "If I built it, I would..."

🎯 Conversation Starters:

"When Vincenzo mentioned Android development, I thought about..."
"In my experience, native apps perform better because..."
"If I had to choose between iOS and Android development..."
"The mobile-first approach makes sense for..."

💡 Remember to use mobile development vocabulary: native app, cross-platform, framework, responsive design, UX/UI, performance optimization!