Mobile Development Skill

Quick Reference

Platform	Language	Framework	Timeline	Job Market
iOS	Swift	SwiftUI	6-9 mo	High
Android	Kotlin	Compose	6-9 mo	High
Cross-Platform	Dart	Flutter	4-6 mo	Growing
Games	C#	Unity	12-24 mo	Moderate

Learning Paths

iOS Development

[1] Swift Fundamentals (4-6 wk)
 │  └─ Types, optionals, closures, protocols
 │
 ▼
[2] SwiftUI (4-6 wk)
 │  └─ Views, modifiers, state, binding
 │
 ▼
[3] Navigation + Data (3-4 wk)
 │  └─ NavigationStack, SwiftData/Core Data
 │
 ▼
[4] Networking + Async (2-3 wk)
 │  └─ URLSession, async/await, Combine
 │
 ▼
[5] Testing + App Store (2 wk)
    └─ XCTest, TestFlight, submission

2025 Stack: Swift 5.10 + SwiftUI + SwiftData + Xcode 16

Android Development

[1] Kotlin Fundamentals (4-6 wk)
 │  └─ Null safety, coroutines, data classes
 │
 ▼
[2] Jetpack Compose (4-6 wk)
 │  └─ Composables, state, effects
 │
 ▼
[3] Architecture (3-4 wk)
 │  └─ MVVM, Room, Navigation
 │
 ▼
[4] Networking + DI (2-3 wk)
 │  └─ Retrofit, Hilt, Flow
 │
 ▼
[5] Testing + Play Store (2 wk)
    └─ JUnit, Espresso, release

2025 Stack: Kotlin 2.0 + Jetpack Compose + Room + Hilt

Flutter (Cross-Platform)

[1] Dart Fundamentals (2-3 wk)
 │
 ▼
[2] Flutter Widgets (3-4 wk)
 │
 ▼
[3] State Management (2-3 wk)
 │  └─ Riverpod or Bloc
 │
 ▼
[4] Backend Integration (2 wk)
 │  └─ Firebase, REST APIs
 │
 ▼
[5] Deploy to Both Stores (1 wk)

2025 Stack: Flutter 3.x + Dart 3.x + Riverpod + Firebase

Game Development

[1] Game Basics (4-6 wk)
 │  └─ Game loop, input handling
 │
 ▼
[2] Unity/C# Fundamentals (6-8 wk)
 │  └─ GameObjects, Components, Scripts
 │
 ▼
[3] Physics + Graphics (4-6 wk)
 │  └─ Rigidbody, colliders, shaders
 │
 ▼
[4] Audio + Polish (2-4 wk)
 │
 ▼
[5] Publish (ongoing)
    └─ Steam, App Store, Play Store

2025 Stack: Unity 6 LTS + C# OR Unreal 5.4 + C++

Platform Decision Tree

Which platform?
│
├─► Apple ecosystem only?
│   └─► iOS (Swift + SwiftUI)
│
├─► Android ecosystem only?
│   └─► Android (Kotlin + Compose)
│
├─► Both platforms?
│   ├─► Performance-critical? → Native for both
│   ├─► Budget/time limited? → Flutter
│   └─► Web developer background? → React Native
│
└─► Making games?
    ├─► 2D/3D indie → Unity
    ├─► AAA quality → Unreal
    └─► Simple 2D → Godot

Game Engine Comparison

Engine	Market	Language	Learning	Best For
Unity	51%	C#	Medium	Indie, mobile, VR
Unreal	31%	C++/BP	Hard	AAA, high-fidelity
Godot	10%	GDScript	Easy	Indie, 2D

Troubleshooting

Native vs Cross-platform?
├─► Need platform-specific APIs (HealthKit, ARCore)? → Native
├─► Performance-critical (AR/VR, complex animations)? → Native
├─► Budget or time limited? → Flutter
├─► Team knows JavaScript? → React Native
└─► Starting from scratch? → Flutter (best DX)

Simulator works, device doesn't?
├─► Missing entitlements/capabilities?
├─► Different iOS/Android version?
├─► Network connectivity issues?
└─► Always test on real devices from day 1

App rejected by store?
├─► Read rejection reason carefully
├─► Check App Store Review Guidelines
├─► Most common: metadata issues, crashes, spam
└─► Appeal if unjustified

Common Failure Modes

Symptom	Root Cause	Recovery
Slow UI	Too many recompositions	Profile, optimize state
Memory leaks	Not cleaning up resources	Use lifecycle-aware components
App rejected	Guidelines violation	Read guidelines BEFORE building
Game stutters	Draw call overhead	Object pooling, LOD, batching

Portfolio Projects

Mobile (Progressive)

Todo App - CRUD basics
Weather App - API integration
Chat App - Real-time, auth
Payment App - Stripe, security

Games

2D Platformer - Physics basics
3D Runner - 3D graphics, particles
Multiplayer Game - Networking

Next Actions

Specify your target platform for a detailed learning plan.

mobile-development