8 Best-Selling Mobile Development Books Millions Love

This isn't another mobile development book promising vague design tips. Ryan Cohen and Tao Wang, drawing on their work with Intel Software College and Shanghai JiaoTong University, deliver a focused guide for Android app interfaces specifically tailored for the Intel platform. You’ll learn essential principles of GUI design, backed by clear tutorials, code examples, and practical case studies covering smartphones, tablets, and embedded devices. If you aim to refine your design skills with a grounded understanding of Android's UI constraints and opportunities, this concise volume will suit you well, though it’s best for those already familiar with app development basics.

What if everything you knew about mobile application development was challenged by the realities Valentino Lee, Heather Schneider, and Robbie Schell explore? Their book delves into the complexities behind deploying desktop applications to mobile platforms, addressing issues like connectivity, device ergonomics, and high development costs. You’ll gain detailed insights into mobile infrastructure, client user interfaces featuring handwriting recognition and biometrics, and security protocols including data encryption and self-destruct mechanisms. This isn’t just a how-to; it’s a deep dive into the architecture and management of mobile apps, making it a solid guide if you’re involved in developing or managing mobile solutions.

This tailored book explores battle-tested mobile development techniques, crafted to align with your unique background and goals. It examines essential concepts such as platform-specific design, efficient coding practices, and performance optimization, all tailored to reflect your interests and experience level. By focusing on your specific challenges, this personalized guide reveals insights that many developers find valuable, integrating proven methods with your own development journey. The content covers both foundational principles and nuanced topics, enabling you to deepen your understanding effectively. This focused approach ensures you engage deeply with mobile development practices that matter most to you, fostering practical knowledge and confidence in your projects.

Greg Shackles challenges the conventional wisdom that native mobile apps require separate codebases for each platform. Drawing on his experience with C# and the .NET Framework, he guides you through building native iOS, Android, and Windows Phone applications using shared business logic combined with platform-specific user interfaces. You’ll learn practical techniques for reusing non-UI code, leveraging MonoTouch and Mono for Android tools, and integrating platform features like filesystem access and mapping. This book suits developers seeking efficient cross-platform mobile development without sacrificing native performance or functionality.

When Reza B'Far realized how traditional software design fell short for mobile applications, he set out to bridge that gap with this book. You’ll find a thorough exploration of mobile-specific challenges, from architectural differences to interface design, framed around UML and XML as core tools. The book doesn’t just describe concepts; it walks you through applying them, particularly in chapters dedicated to user interface construction for mobile platforms. If you’re a developer looking to deepen your understanding of mobile app architecture or want a solid grasp of UML’s role in mobile projects, this book offers a detailed, technical guide without unnecessary jargon.

The breakthrough moment came when Jeff McWherter recognized the complexity developers face juggling multiple smartphone platforms. Instead of forcing you to relearn each platform from scratch, this book leverages your existing skills to build cross-platform applications efficiently. You’ll explore native development alongside web app techniques and third-party tools like Appcelerator and PhoneGap, with detailed guidance on Android, iOS, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry. For developers aiming to navigate the mobile ecosystem’s diversity without losing productivity, this book offers clear pathways through the tangled landscape of mobile app creation.

This tailored book explores step-by-step mobile development guidance designed to accelerate your learning journey. It covers essential concepts from app design to deployment, focusing on your interests and background to deliver relevant, actionable content. By tailoring the material to your specific goals, it reveals a personalized path through popular mobile development techniques and tools, helping you build skills efficiently. The book examines core topics such as user interface design, platform differences, and coding essentials, all structured to match your pace and objectives. This personalized approach ensures you engage deeply with material that matters most to your development success, making your 30-day learning experience both focused and rewarding.

Peggy Anne Salz draws from her extensive experience as a mobile marketing analyst to demystify the complexities of app creation for business owners. You gain practical insights into choosing the right app format, budgeting for development without overspending, and leveraging apps as a strategic marketing tool. The book covers how to navigate market competition and how an effective app can directly contribute to increasing your revenue. It's particularly useful if you're a small business owner or entrepreneur aiming to enter the mobile space without a hefty tech background.

When Nishanth Nair and Ragini Bhandari Kumbhat recognized the gap for web developers transitioning into mobile development, they crafted a guide centered on Kendo UI Mobile and ASP.NET Web API. This book walks you through building mobile apps with practical examples that hinge on familiar web technologies like HTML, CSS, and jQuery, making it approachable if you have a web development background. You’ll gain hands-on skills in integrating Kendo UI Mobile components with backend APIs, which is essential for creating responsive, data-driven mobile applications. It's particularly useful if you want to expand your skillset from web to mobile without starting from scratch, though seasoned mobile developers exploring Kendo UI will find value in its focused approach.

Erik Hellman's deep dive into Android programming invites you to explore the limits of what the platform can do beyond the basics. This book assumes you’re comfortable with creating simple apps and pushes you toward mastery by exposing advanced techniques like custom Views, multi-touch gestures, and integrating cloud services. You'll learn how to optimize user experience through smooth component design and leverage features such as geofencing, text-to-speech, and cryptography APIs. If you’re aiming to elevate your Android apps from functional to innovative, this guide offers practical insights to help you push boundaries and refine your development skills.