Geolocation App Development | eSource Technology

Think of the recent apps you have used. One of the online food delivery services, or hailed a ride on Uber, logged in your daily run with Adidas Runtastic, or used a dating app. The use cases are endless for apps that have made our lives easier by using Geolocation as an integral part of their app idea. Not large businesses. But start-ups and SMBs are realizing the potential of this versatile technology to build a strong value proposition.
There are many geolocation services available like GPS, Beacons, and more. But integrating them into your mobile application is not all that straightforward. There are many pitfalls that your team of developers must stay clear of when you create a mobile app with geolocation. Let’s dive straight into them.

What to watch out for in Geolocation app development

These are the most important priorities. to take care of when begin to create a mobile app with geolocation

Choose the right tech stack
Ensure data safety
Avoid consuming heavy battery life

Choosing tech stack for geolocation app development

First of all, it is clear that your tech stack will be determined by the platform (iOS/Android/Web) and business objectives. However, whatever platform you choose, to build a geolocation app, you’ll need to use Application Programming Interface (or API) – one to learn a user’s location and another to put those coordinates on a map.

In short, API is an interface that helps developers integrate third-party features, exchange data between apps, and connect systems. So, the API geolocation tool, enabling you to learn and display the location, will provide an ability to integrate location-based services (LBS) into your app without the need to develop them from scratch. Let’s take a closer look at these APIs.

iOS geolocation

To locate an iOS device, you can use:

Google Maps API, the most popular map service in the world. It’s localized into most languages and is incredibly easy to integrate. You can customize the map’s colors to fit your brand image, modify road density or remove labels from the map.
Apple’s Core Location API allows to locate a device and determine the direction it faces, its altitude or the proximity to an iBeacon.

To display the location on the map, you can use Google Maps SDK or Apple MapKit. Both are pretty accurate but there are some important differences:

Data quality is still one of the biggest aces up Google’s sleeve. The map shows building outlines, even in tiny villages, as well as a street view mode for major cities across the world (except in China, where Google Maps is unavailable). As explained by a former Apple Maps cartographer Justin O’Beirne, Google’s data is generally more extensive and accurate.

Routing. Apple MapKit lists several routes for driving/walking (and detailed public transit schedules that are only available in major US cities). Google provides a single route for driving/taxi, walking, cycling, or public transit in most cities around the globe, along with more accurate traffic info due to the partnership with Waze.
Augmented reality and offline maps are only available in Google Maps.
Privacy is Apple’s trump card. Most navigation data is stored on the device and the user location is obscured when making a search. Apple doesn’t collect the search/location history and associates all collected data with randomized IDs.
Indoor maps. Google provides indoor navigation for about 10,000 buildings around the world. Starting with iOS 11, Apple is adding detailed maps for major airports and malls. The company plans to expand this feature, offering a seamless transition between outdoor and indoor navigation.
Pricing and data limits. MapKit is free beyond your Apple Developer Program membership and doesn’t have limitations on the number of API requests/day. Google features, on the contrary, are offered by a pay-as-you-go model. The pricing is similar across the globe despite significant variation in monetization potential. For instance, you get $200-worth of free requests per month which translates roughly to 100,000 static map loads or 40,000 direction calls. However, geolocation mobile apps with a simple dynamic map can use the geolocation service for free.

To sum up, in many cases, the choice is purely stylistic. Featurewise, Google Maps remains the best choice for location based apps on iOS, unless you require a massive amount of API calls or target locations like China/US.

Android geolocation

To locate Android devices, you can use Google Location Services API which is easier to work with, provides more accurate results, and has lower power consumption compared with android.location package which is no longer recommended by the platform. Google Location Services API allows you to:

locate the user’s position via GPS, Wi-Fi, Cell ID, or A-GPS.
detect user movement and react to these changes with notifications or other actions.
determine the distance to selected places such as stores or cafes which can be used to set up geofences (virtual fence or perimeter around a physical location).

To visualize a location on a map, you can use:

Google Maps API and MapView class. You’ll have to install the relevant Google App libraries before implementing the map functionality, otherwise the API won’t be supported by Android.
Google Maps Directions API to provide directions and plan routes. This solution supports public transit, cycling, walking, and driving.
Google Distance Matrix API determines the expected travel time depending on the chosen route, means of transportation, and traffic conditions.

Market Insights of Services that Use Geolocation

The COVID pandemic has affected geolocation-based industries like logistics and tourism. Every company or management team is now looking for options to keep their consumers happy. But despite a great decrease in consumer activity. companies are adapting to modern methods of managing the lockdown regulations.
These adjustments involve using geolocation apps. Like the Apple Mapkit to bridge the gap between businesses and retailers. Healthcare services now rely on convenient geolocation services and platforms. For example, patients can find a doctor near them with a certified medical app.
According to MarketsandMarkets. The location-based services (LBS) and real-time location systems (RTLS) market. will experience a 17% compound annual growth rate within the next five years. Professional projections have determined the current market value to be around USD 17.8 billion in 2021.
This number is expected to increase to USD 39.2 billion by 2025. which signifies an estimated revenue growth increase of 50%.

How to create a location-based app: A step-by-step guide to geolocation app development

1. Explore the opportunities within the market

You can choose one of the above-listed geolocation app use cases or come up with a new one. Talk to some potential users. and get to know the existing market leaders (as well as their failed projects). The key here is to find the unique benefit that will appeal to your users and set you apart from the competitors.

2. Choose the location tracking technology and the tech stack

Most location-based service apps rely on the default Google Maps SDK. On iOS, you can also make use of the native MapKit, provided by Apple. There are also some less popular frameworks. you can consider instead, e.g. HERE or OpenStreetMap.
In case you don’t want to rely on traditional GPS technology. you can consider using WiFi, cellular networks or Beacons to identify a user’s location.
One more thing to consider when creating a geolocation app is to make it fast and reliable. Take into account that GPS-based apps can drain a user’s battery. Additionally, certain inaccuracies are always possible with GPS technologies.

3. Functionality

Some of the core elements of apps with geolocation include:

a map view

user location detection

route mapping

a places near me finder

location-based notifications

location history

Other features will depend on the purpose of your app and its category. For example:

setting the radius

rating and recommendations

location sharing with friends

weather forecast pinned upon the map

Search location by photos

parking spaces finder

real-time updates on traffic jams, etc.

Yet, it’s important to keep the number of features small, at least for the first version of the app. Building an MVP first is a low-risk strategy to verify your concept.

Why Choose eSource Software?

eSource Software is among the leading software outsourcing companies in Malaysia. Providing quality software outsourcing services, catering to clients across the globe. for projects of any size and scope.

Get in touch today to learn more about our services!

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