Android-based smartphones are flooding the market. While the iPhone continues to dominate the US market, Android smartphones and tablets from various manufacturers such as Samsung, Asus, Sony and HTC are selling like proverbial hotcakes worldwide. At a time like this, the demand for custom Android app development is extremely high.
Developers and programmers who have the ability to create custom apps for Android based on customer needs can make a lot of money. Experienced developers can use tutorials and books to learn Android development and create apps. While a basic understanding of coding is essential for people planning to develop apps themselves, you don’t need to be a mobile development expert to teach yourself how to create apps for Android mobile devices.
The following five best books will help you hone your skills and teach you how to create custom apps for one of the most popular mobile platforms of our time.
1. Android Application Development All-in-One
Written by Donn Felker and part of the Dummies series, this book is ideal for people who have never attempted mobile app development. As the title suggests, the book covers all different aspects related to developing apps for Android. It starts with the basics: how to download the Android SDK and how to build apps with Eclipse. At the end, there are detailed instructions on how to submit the apps, how to price them, and how to market them.
2. Start developing Android tablet applications
Not only Android-based smartphones are successful, Android tablets are also doing quite well. Developing apps for mobile is very different from developing apps for tablets. Written by Wei-Meng Lee, this book teaches you how to use Android 3.0 Honeycomb and later OS versions to create apps that work perfectly with various Android tablet devices.
3. Sams Teach yourself Android application development in 24 hours
Written by Lauren Darcy and Shane Conder, this book is the ideal book for experienced developers who want to master app development for Android quickly and efficiently. The book is divided into 24 sections; Developers can complete each section in about an hour. It covers all common aspects of Android app programming, including design, development and marketing of Android apps using different versions of the operating system.
4. Professional Android 4 application development
Written by Reto Meier, this book is part of the Wrox Professional Guide series and will help you create innovative applications with the Android 4 version. Whether you’re a newbie diving into the world of mobile development or a seasoned developer looking to unravel the mysteries of the latest Android releases, this is the book you need.
5. App Inventor for Android: Create your own apps – no experience required!
If you know nothing about mobile development or Android, but want to capitalize on Android’s popularity by creating innovative apps, this is the book for you. Written by Jason Tyler, this is an immensely accessible book that even developers with limited experience can understand. Not only does it teach the basics of app programming, but it also guides you through the development and integration of several handy Android OS features.
To top it off
After learning these skills, developers can either work for a mobile development company or build apps on a freelance basis. You can also earn a lot of money by developing apps based on your own concepts. The best part is that when you sell the apps on Android, you keep 80% of all sales revenue your app generates!
