High Performance Android Apps

Preface

You are building an Android application (or you already have). Despite this, you are not totally happy with your app’s performance (why else did you pick up this book?). Uncovering mobile performance issues is a job that is never complete. In my research, I found that 98% of apps tested had room for potential performance improvements. This book will cover the pitfalls of mobile performance and introduce you to some of the tools to test for issues. My goal is to help you acquire the skills necessary for catching any major performance issues in your mobile app before they impact your customers.

Studies have shown that customers expect mobile apps to load quickly, rapidly respond to user interactions, and be smooth and pleasing to the eye. As apps get faster, user engagement and revenue increase. Mobile apps built without an eye on performance are uninstalled at the same rate as those that crash. Apps that inefficiently use resources cause unnecessary battery drain. The number one complaint carriers and device manufacturers hear from customers concerns battery life.

I have spoken to thousands of developers about Android app performance over the last few years, and few developers were aware of the tools available for solving the issues they experience.

The consensus is clear: mobile apps that are fast and run smoothly are used more often and make more money for developers. With that information, it is surprising that more developers are not using the tools that are available ...