While many entrepreneurs attempt to develop a successful iPhone application, it is also important to outline the various types of iPhone applications available in the market today. This is what the article aims to achieve by listing down the various app types and also citing examples for each type.

Most popular types of iPhone applications

With the ever-growing popularity of the iPhone, many entrepreneurs and companies are continuously trying their luck in the field of iPhone application development. There are plenty of categories to choose from in developing your app including food, lifestyle, sports, etc. After you select a category, you also have to decide about the type of application you want to develop. It is always better to remain intuitive and read the market pulse. However, a few pointers for selecting the app type include:

iPhone application development types
iPhone application development types

Table-based apps

Just as the name speaks for itself, these applications have a simple design for displaying basic information. The email app on your iPhone is an example of a table-based application. In it, you have an opening screen with big topics, and clicking any of these topics presents a whole new set of lists to click on. Many iPhone application development companies have found success in developing such simple applications.

Database-driven custom apps

These applications are more suited for a requirement when you want to utilize a large amount of content in your app. For example, you have content describing various international cuisines that you want to organize and display differently. In such a situation, a simple table-based design would simply not work.

The development becomes a lot more demanding. Ultimately, you have to decide if you want the data built into the application or dynamically fetch through a web service. All this is done through the database-driven custom functionality.

Games

This is probably the most popular iPhone application development type. However, games are also associated with the largest range of complexity. Since users are given countless options in making their moves in a game.

Accordingly, there is a high level of difficulty involved in iPhone game development. Apart from this, the game needs to keep track of points scored. Eventually, you have to incorporate the user experience through the physical movement of the device.

You may also need the device to be hooked into a game center. All these requirements only present a maze full of intricacies. It demands careful and well-thought-out decisions during the design and development phases of the application.

Fully dynamic apps

Such applications are similar to database-driven apps. However, these applications completely rely on external information. Some examples of fully dynamic apps include Twitter, Weather Channel, Flickr, etc.

Custom utility apps

These apps are all about allowing the user to input content in a specific way. Examples are Pages, Adobe Ideas, etc.

Modifying the device firmware/hardware

This implies that you take a certain function of the phone such as its alarm, camera, or flash and then further enhance it. These types of iPhone applications are considered add-ons; usually facilitating the users in performing phone functions. For example, the Camera+ app adds filters to any pictures you take on your phone.

Conclusion

The list above covers around 95% of what is available in stores today for iPhones. While considering iPhone application development, you should consider the content you have. You must also decide on the level of control you want over the entire iPhone application development process.

With proper analysis and designing of the application, you are likely to create an app that is done quickly and cost-effectively. For a better evaluation of the iPhone application you want to develop, you can also consult a mobile application development company. These companies provide consultancy and development services to match your business requirements.