How much does it cost to hire an offshore Swift developer?

Swift is a programming language developed by Apple to create iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS applications. It was initially released in 2014 and has since been used by iOS developers extensively. The language follows the Objective-C runtime library, enabling Objective-C, C, C++, and Swift code to run in the same program.

Swift is very easy to learn and is extremely powerful and efficient for app development. In fact, it is simple enough to be someone's first development language, so there is a pool of Swift developers for hire.

It is safe, concise, and runs very fast. Swift is built with the LLVM compiler and has been a part of Xcode since version 6.

By using Swift, the object-oriented and procedural parts of the language are combined. So, no separate library is needed to support functions such as string handling or input/output.

Objective-C was the first language that was used to develop software for Apple devices. But it was introduced in the 1980s. Since then, a lot of alternatives have come up. Swift was released in 2014 to make programming easier with the inclusion of a lot of modern features. And since then, it has become a vital part of iOS engineers' workflow. Here is a brief description of how Swift is used.

iPhone and iPad app development:

Objective-C and Swift are the top two languages that you can choose from for iOS development. Because of the modern features, most developers choose Swift over Objective-C.

Apple TV development

tvOS is the operating system that is used to power Apple TV. Swift is used for game development on tvOS, creating appealing visuals and powering the Apple TV app that is used for streaming.

macOS app development

Mobile development is not the only benefit of using Swift. It also caters to Apple's desktop and laptop operating systems. A large number of apps in the App Store for macOS are written in Swift.

A number of tools in Swift are used to help build scalable, functional, and robust iOS apps. Here are some of the most popular tools and frameworks:

XCode

XCode is the first choice for most mobile engineers looking to develop apps for Apple. It is one of the most reliable tools on the market in terms of Swift development.

AppCode

Launched by JetBrains, this framework is compatible with several other programming languages such as C++, JavaScript, and Objective-C. AppCode helps make writing and analyzing code very easy and seamless.

Mockingbird

The Mockingbird tool allows developers to conveniently outline the development process. It allows engineers to create visual prototypes very easily and share them with designers.

Essentially, a Swift developer uses this programming language to develop a web or mobile app for Apple's line of products. Here is a brief description of the tasks and responsibilities of Swift engineers:

• Create web and mobile apps and software for Apple devices.
• Work with a team to develop new features of the apps and identify shortcomings.
• Fix errors and bugs in the apps regularly.
• Ensure the responsiveness and operability of the developed applications.
• Prepare training manuals for the users of the apps.

Depending on the developers' years of experience, and their skillset and knowledge, they can be classified into three categories:

Junior developer

Junior Swift developers need to have a basic understanding of how development in Swift works and be able to work with basic tasks on Swift projects. Entry-level engineers usually work in collaboration with other team members and have to be mentored by senior developers in order to get a better understanding of programming and get new development skills.

Middle developer

Usually, you can find developers with the word middle in their job title, but middle developers are considered as engineers who have experience of 2-3 years focusing on using Swift on their projects. They are usually the ones coming up with ideas and working to execute them. Middle engineers also know other languages such as C++, Java, or Python and use them to build more efficient software solutions.

Senior developer

Senior software engineers usually have more than 5 years of experience, but it more depends on skills and knowledge. Senior developers need to have expert-level knowledge of Swift and be aware of other frameworks and tools that can be used to improve the project. Moreover, they should also have a list of soft skills like management and responsibility to lead the project and mentor junior team members, proactiveness to come up with new ideas of product improvement, etc.

Swift engineers work on developing web or mobile applications. They are responsible for the development stage and for adding new features and making the software more user-friendly.

As Swift can be used for both back-end and front-end development, Swift engineers are considered full-stack developers and can create apps without additional help.

When you are recruiting a Swift developer, here is a list of requirements to consider in your applicants:

• Understanding software development life-cycle procedures and software development environment.
• Knowing software architecture and knowing how to use the technology at the front-end and back-end of app development.
• Being thorough with the concepts of Objective-C, Swift, Cocoa Touch, and the principles of object-oriented programming.
• Using Core Data to ensure that the apps save the user data on Apple devices. This ensures that data isn't lost whenever the app is opened.
• Being familiar with spatial reasoning, which means the ability to visualize in 3D. The use of spatial enjoying allows you to make the same app usable on multiple jobs.
• Proficiency in code versioning tools, including Mercurial, Git, and SVN.
• Experience with push notifications, cloud messaging, APIs, and continuous integration.
• Knowledge of RESTful APIs to connect to back-end services.

According to your needs, there are three main types of software developers that you can hire. 

Freelancers

These programmers are usually not associated with any software development companies and work independently. They will be signed on only for the project, and their contract will end when the project is completed. So, you don't need to worry about firing them when they are no longer needed. Freelancers are quite common in the startup scene since they are often cheaper. However, they are not a good solution for long-term projects, as they can leave at any moment. Also, it usually takes some time to find a really quality developer among all freelancers.

In-house engineers

If your company needs developers to create a software/app from scratch or to have a full-time development team for a long-term project, then hiring in-house engineers is a great idea. They are dedicated and more interested in a project, devoting all their time to your product and helping to create the best software solution for your business.

Outsourced developers

Outsourced software developers are usually hired from software development agencies and can work as a dedicated outsourced team of developers or as a contractor to help your in-house team. Hiring developers from reliable agencies abroad is not only a chance to get quality tech talent, but it also helps to save costs as offshore engineers are usually cheaper than in-house hires.

When you're planning out the Swift project, you need to identify your needs to understand what you require from a developer.

When you write a project description for candidates, try to briefly explain your business model and the industry of your project – it can help to find a developer with experience in your area (e.g., healthtech, fintech, real estate, eCommerce). The developer needs to understand the business problem and the solution they need to create. And shortly notify if the project is on the early development stage, or it is already launched and needs support and improvements.

Then, specify the product they need to develop and the responsibilities the developer will have on a project. Then, list the needed previous experience and skills.

It's always important to evaluate the candidate's tech skills during the interview. You can provide online code tests and also ask basic questions that can help identify the developer's level. Here are some hard skills questions that you can ask to ensure that the job candidate is competent enough to work with you:

• What are the differences between Swift and Objective-C?
• Where can the apple iPhone apps be tested in the absence of iOS devices?
• In which iOS version was multitasking introduced?
• What are the collection types available in Swift?
• Explain what optional chaining is?
• Explain what Lazy stored properties are and when it is useful?
• Output-based questions where the candidate examines a block of code and finds out the output that the code will give.