Android and iOS are two of the global dominating mobile operating systems in existence today. Any business that requires an app for their business, needs to build apps for the Android operating system or the iPhone operating system. While both the platforms offer a substantial set of users base, it may prove to be difficult in carrying out android application development and iPhone application development at the same time.
Most of the app developers choose one of the two platforms first and develop their app and approach the other platform once the previous app has garnered a substantial user base. Whether business takes up android application development or iPhone application development, it depends on their audience targeting strategies. Let’s look at this example, Android has the world’s largest share in terms of user base but iOS has the highest app store revenue stream.
If you are targeting users in up and developing markets, Android may be your best bet moving forward. But, if you are looking to target users in North America and other such developed markets, iOS seems to be your best bet. Let’s have a look at a few statistics that may help you in better concluding whether you need to pursue android application development or iPhone application development for your business. Let’s begin!
iOS App Development Tend to be Faster and Less Expensive
iPhone Application Development tends to be cheaper and considerably faster than Android application development. The primary reason for this is the language deployed for development. Android apps tend to be written in Java, a language that requires more code for an app to provide similar functionality that Apple’s very own Swift.
Another factor is the fragmentation. Since there are a plethora of Android devices available in the market today, there is a lack of standardization and software’s to account for. Since the iOS is a closed operating system and there are only a handful iPhone models available in the market, it is considerably easy to develop and maintain codes for your iPhone apps.
Apple’s coveted App Store has stricter rules for app publishing and may reject your app if it does not meet their standards. Since Apple manually reviews each submitted app, it may take longer to get published. All in all, iPhone application development tends to be faster and cheaper for an equivalent Android alternative.
Android App Development Enables Higher Flexibility and Features
Android app development allows for more features in apps as the platform is open source in nature and you can easily include features in your app that your audience may demand. One primary demerit that android application development has is the fact that Android users tend to be slow in updating their devices.
A few types of research also suggested that a percentage of Android users are still stuck on a 2-year-old operating system version. This means that android developers need to spend more time developing and maintaining their apps as a percentage of their prospective users are still running a legacy operating system.
iPhone app development, on the other hand, enjoys a higher quality user base where users are more likely to update to the latest and greatest operating system. This means that fewer resources need to be diverted in ensuring whether users with an old OS version are still able to use your app.
Android or iOS: Choose As Per Your Business Requirements
When developing an app for your business, it is crucial that you choose the platform that fulfils your business requirements precisely. It’s all about the audience that you are targeting. If your target demographic comes from a developing nation, Android seems to be the way to go. But if your target audience resides in affluent areas of the globe such as western Europe, USA or Australia, iOS seems to be the better option.
iPhone application development champions android application development in terms of developing a minimum viable product and the reduced costs are favoured by many developers globally. Alternatively, if you are exploring monetization options for your app or are looking to develop an e-commerce app, iPhone application development seems the sure shot way to pursue.
Emerging markets have a deeper penetration of Android devices due to the cost factor and the variety present in the market. There may be a few instances where a feature demanded by your audience is not present on iOS but Android readily provides that. This may push you to develop the app for the Android operating system first.
Whatever platform you choose to primarily deploy your app, it is crucial that your app is bug-free and all the kinks are ironed out. Once your app is successful on a platform, it is imperative that users from the other side of the aisle would start clamouring for a version they can use on their devices. This is the time that you start the development on the next developing the app for the next operating system.
This modular approach would not only ensure that the following operating system gets a more refined version of the app but also ensures that your app development and deployment strategy remains highly cost-effective.
Conclusion
Whether to choose Android application development or iPhone application development first, it all depends on the user demographic that you are targeting and the scope that your app provides to its users. Android apps tend to be more feature-rich but require a considerable amount of head-word in their development process. On the other hand, iPhone apps are bound by Apple’s strict App Store policies and need to comply with Apple’s norms. Both the platforms offer their own set of advantages and caveats, but in the end, it all depends on what your users want, and what side of the aisle they reside. What do you think about the app ecosystems of both the platforms? Do let us know in the comments.
