According to a TechRepublic report, Android is the most stable mobile OS. While iOS was a popular mobile operating system that developers loved for a long time, Android is now the most stable and least likely to crash. According to TechRepublic’s latest research, Android is the most stable mobile OS. It processes over 30,000 requests per minute from over 1,000,000 mobile users. Crittercism found that Android KitKat had a 0.7% crash rate, which is well below the iOS 7.1’s 1.6%.
With Android’s high stability rates and its status as the most widely used mobile OS in the world (thanks to the wide range of affordable phones and the large number of free apps in Google Play store), the platform has huge potential for app developers. Many companies have placed their iOS app at the top of their priority list for a while, mainly due to the Apple-related hype and higher monetization potential. But now Android is leading the charge.
Should you become certified as an Android developer? What career path should you take?
Android Academy Certified Developer (AACD)
The Android Academy Certified Developer (AACD), covers all the knowledge a competent Android programmer needs to avoid making rookie mistakes and create better Android code. The AACD curriculum can be found here.
The AACD exam uses advanced computerized adaptive testing techniques (CAT). The system selects questions based upon what is known about the examinee through previous questions. The difficulty of the exam seems tailored to the examinee’s ability. If an examinee does well on an item of intermediate difficulty he will be presented with a harder question. If he did poorly, he will be asked a simpler question. Computer-adaptive tests are less accurate than static multiple choice tests, which almost everyone has taken. They have a fixed set to be administered to all examinees.
It will appear that you are just going through random multiple-choice questions when you first start the test. There’s more to the test than meets the eye. It’s almost like playing chess: everyone starts at the same place, but the flow becomes difficult to predict after a few moves. The system learns from your responses and uses that information to determine which questions to choose. As you move through the exam, the system learns more about you and can tailor the questions to your specific level of knowledge.
Employers who require AACD when they hire Android developers are likely to value it. You can easily enhance it with additional certifications such as CompTIA Mobile App Security+ Android.
CompTIA Mobile App Security+ certification is CompTIA’s way of ensuring that mobile app development is secure. The CompTIA Mobile AppSecurity+ Certification Exam, Android Edition (ADR-001) covers the following domains.
Mobile application security, SDLC and threat models
Android SDK, APIs and Security Features
Web service and network security
Data security and encryption
Reverse engineering and application hardening 5%
Secure Java coding
Combining CompTIA Mobile Security Certifications and AACD certifications will show your employer that you have the knowledge and skills to create secure Android apps. It sounds great, right?