• While the first cellular mobile phone was invented in 1973 by Martin Cooper, the modern definition of mobile development i.e mobile application development can trace its origins back to 1994, when IBM released the 'IBM Simon Personal Communicator', the first mobile phone with built-in apps such as notebook, calendar, world clock.
• In 2002, we then saw a breakthrough in mobile app development with the introduction of the Blackberry 5810. This mobile had a little bit of something for everyone. It could fully integrate wireless emails for business professionals, and also offered gaming apps for people.
• In 2008 we witnessed the next jump in mobile app development, with the release of the App Store on the iPhone 4. From 2008 to 2012, there were many releases of app marketplaces across various Operating Systems.
• In the last 10 years, mobile applications have entered a new age as they have now become a one-stop medium for business, utility, and entertainment for the masses. With these new functionalities, mobile development has now become a prime and inseparable part of any sort of business development.

• Mobile application development improves accessibility for a business across different online platforms. They help businesses reach a vast target audience and provide real-time, functional access to their products, services, and information.
• With mobile phones being one of the most heavily used devices in our day-to-day life, a mobile application that captures a user's attention helps improve brand visibility, cultivates customer loyalty, and helps reinforce brand value.

The following are some of the tools used by mobile app developers at various stages of development:

1. Xamarin

Owned by Microsoft, Xamarin is the preferred mobile app development tool for native apps. It allows cross-platform mobile app development.

2. Appcelerator

Appcelerator uses JavaScript for mobile app development which allows developers to create native apps with shorter lines of code and speeds up a time to market with cross-platform development

3. Android Studio

Android Studio is the official Android IDE based on IntelliJ IDEA software which has built-in tools to build a high-quality Android App. It's known for its capability to accelerate the development process without compromising the quality.

4. AppCode

AppCode is an IDE used for developing iOS and macOS apps. It supports Objective-C, Swift, JavaScript, C, and C++.

5. Sencha

Sencha is a mobile development framework with high-performance UI components which provides a great level of responsiveness for the app.

Below are some key points that we at Flexiple have learned through trial and error - a process of filtering through over 15,000 developers. You can use these in your process to hire mobile app developers.

• Years of software development experience: Be specific about the technology you’re looking for and the number of years of experience needed. A proxy to years of experience can be the number of production-level apps worked on.
• Type of products built in the past: Based on the type of product you are trying to build - social network, SAAS product, etc. - you can prioritize certain developers over others.
• Exposure to specific industries: Developers who have built products in certain industries will already know key aspects of laying the foundation for a great product and will be able to predict possible problems.
• Experience working remotely: A developer with past remote work experience is an added advantage as they would have first-hand experience of everything - right from how contracts work to streamlined communication, as well as timelines and deliverables.
• Strong communication: An essential thing to look at when hiring a freelancer is excellent communication skills. Since all the interaction happens online, a freelancer should be able to effectively communicate to ensure a streamlined execution of all work.

Now that you have made a quality JD, it can still be tricky to evaluate the skills of your applicants when you hire mobile app developers. To help you with that, we have created a pool of questions that a good mobile app developer should be comfortable with.

It is important to note that the ability to answer these questions doesn't imply that you have a top-quality candidate. But it definitely is a big step in that direction.

To help you navigate through these questions, we’ve categorized the interview questions in 3 parts:

A. Basic concepts: Includes all basic concepts used across languages. This section will give you an understanding of how strong their programming foundation is.

B. Advanced concepts: Includes all concepts that someone with higher expertise should know.

C. DS/Algorithm questions: To test the logical capability of the candidate.

A. Basic concepts

Coming soon!

B. Advanced concepts

Coming soon!

C. Data Structure/ Algorithm

Coming soon!

As discussed, it isn't easy to find a quality freelance mobile app developer but this guide makes the process easier for you. To offload the entire hiring process, reach out to us at Flexiple. We've designed a high-quality, 6-step screening process to find the top 1%, freelance developers. You can find the best freelance mobile app developers here. We've already served over a hundred clients, earning great reviews for the quality of service.

Lastly, to quickly summarize the process of hiring a mobile app developer for you:

• Note your project requirements and hire accordingly. Do not go for the lowest or the highest-paid developer.
• Don’t hire without vetting- consider asking questions right from the basics to advanced to logical questions.
• Look for companies like Flexiple that help you find the perfect fit.

That is everything you need to know to hire mobile app developers. Happy hiring! :)