Ask HN: Is it too late to learn native mobile programming?

2 points by hkarthik 13y ago ↗ HN

I've been a web programmer for the past 10 years and aside from some isolated forays into learning iOS and ObjectiveC for a few weeks at a time, I've done nothing significant with mobile.

So I'm wondering, what's the overall feeling on learning native mobile these days? Would it be better to focus on mobile web or is there still significant value in learning iOS or Android development?

3 comments

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migueldiab 13y ago ↗

I believe there's always value just for the sake of learning. That aside, I am mostly a server-side and web-programmer and found lately closer and closer to native mobile programming... So I will go with it and embrace the native power of mobile devices :)

27182818284 13y ago ↗

In short, no, it isn't.

It might be harder to be an independent developer these days in the mobile landscape, but having those skills makes you valuable. I don't think it is too late.

jefflinwood 13y ago ↗

I think there's definitely some advantages to learning native mobile app development, especially if you're more of a strongly-typed language developer.

I've personally gone from all web development to probably 80% native mobile, and I really enjoy it a lot better. I find front end web development extremely frustrating compared to Android or iOS development, though both have annoying quirks when it comes to the layout engines.