Android vs iOS_ Which Platform is Best for App Development
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<strong>Android</strong> <strong>vs</strong> <strong>iOS</strong>: <strong>Which</strong> <strong>Plat<strong>for</strong>m</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>Best</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>App</strong> <strong>Development</strong>?<br />
There <strong>is</strong> no doubt about the requirement of mobile apps <strong>for</strong> today’s businesses that’s why the businesses all over<br />
the world are now fast going <strong>for</strong> mobile app development to stay relevant and competitive in the market. There <strong>is</strong><br />
no other choice now. But <strong>for</strong> th<strong>is</strong> they have to first take an important dec<strong>is</strong>ion of choosing the right mobile app<br />
development plat<strong>for</strong>m i.e. Either <strong>Android</strong> and <strong>iOS</strong> as these two plat<strong>for</strong>ms <strong>for</strong> mobile app development collectively<br />
hold more than 96 % of mobile market as of 2017.<br />
If you want to launch your app on both of these plat<strong>for</strong>ms by going <strong>for</strong> <strong>Android</strong> <strong>Development</strong> or <strong>iOS</strong> app<br />
<strong>Development</strong> then you have to understand that it <strong>is</strong> r<strong>is</strong>ky and expensive too to build an app <strong>for</strong> both plat<strong>for</strong>ms at<br />
the same time. Generally, most of the developers choose to build an app <strong>for</strong> one plat<strong>for</strong>m to start with and then<br />
launch the app on the other plat<strong>for</strong>m later - once the first version of the app <strong>is</strong> launched and becomes successful.<br />
Deciding whether to build a business app <strong>for</strong> <strong>Android</strong> or <strong>iOS</strong> mainly depends on 4 factors namely,<br />
• Your Target Audience<br />
• A Project Timeline<br />
• Monetization of the <strong>App</strong><br />
• Your choice based on several factors<br />
In th<strong>is</strong> article, we will d<strong>is</strong>cuss about all of these factors to help you choose between <strong>Android</strong> or <strong>iOS</strong>. Let’s start.<br />
• Target Audience<br />
If you want to go <strong>for</strong> <strong>Android</strong> app development or <strong>iOS</strong> <strong>Development</strong> then you should understand that there are<br />
some differences in the users of <strong>Android</strong> and <strong>iOS</strong> smartphones. <strong>Android</strong> devices have the largest market share but<br />
<strong>App</strong>le dominates the <strong>App</strong> Store <strong>for</strong> customer spending. Hence you should consider your target audience’s<br />
geographic and demographic character<strong>is</strong>tics when deciding <strong>for</strong> which plat<strong>for</strong>m to develop the app first.<br />
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If your target audience <strong>is</strong> global then <strong>Android</strong> <strong>is</strong> the best choice. If your audience <strong>is</strong> in Europe<br />
and North America then <strong>App</strong>le <strong>is</strong> the better choice.<br />
<strong>Android</strong> has much larger market share in developing countries in Asia and rest of the world. Also<br />
<strong>Android</strong> users mostly work in technical jobs. While <strong>iOS</strong> <strong>is</strong> best choice if your target audience <strong>is</strong>
Affluent and young people mainly from Europe, North America and Australia.<br />
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Women are more likely to use iPhones than <strong>Android</strong>.<br />
<strong>App</strong>le users generally have higher educational degrees and are more likely to be in professional<br />
and managerial jobs. <strong>iOS</strong> offers better security there<strong>for</strong>e it <strong>is</strong> more prevalent in the enterpr<strong>is</strong>e<br />
market.<br />
<strong>App</strong>le users spend more on the app purchases and are more likely to shop and make purchases<br />
using their mobile devices.<br />
• Developing an <strong>App</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>iOS</strong> <strong>is</strong> Faster and Less Expensive<br />
Generally it <strong>is</strong> much faster, easier and cheaper to develop an app <strong>for</strong> <strong>iOS</strong>. <strong>Android</strong> development takes about<br />
30-40% more time than <strong>iOS</strong> development. <strong>Android</strong> <strong>is</strong> an open source plat<strong>for</strong>m hence there <strong>is</strong> a lack of<br />
standardization and there are more devices, and software fragmentation in it while <strong>App</strong>le has a closed ecosystem<br />
there<strong>for</strong>e it requires you to develop only <strong>for</strong> a few standardized devices and operations systems. But <strong>App</strong>le has<br />
longer app review process as <strong>App</strong>le Store has stricter rules. So although the <strong>iOS</strong> app can be developed faster but<br />
it may take longer <strong>for</strong> the app to be approved and even your app can be rejected if it <strong>is</strong> not upto <strong>App</strong>le’s quality<br />
standards.<br />
• Monetizing Your <strong>App</strong> <strong>is</strong> Easier in <strong>iOS</strong> than on <strong>Android</strong><br />
When we talk about Monetization then the difference <strong>is</strong> that the <strong>Android</strong> users are less willing to pay <strong>for</strong> apps<br />
than <strong>iOS</strong> users hence <strong>Android</strong> has more free apps with ads. There<strong>for</strong>e <strong>App</strong>le <strong>App</strong> store generates more revenue<br />
than Google Play despite having less number of downloads. Also <strong>App</strong>le users are more likely to make in-app<br />
purchases. Hence if you want to monetize your app through subscriptions or in app purchases then <strong>App</strong>le <strong>is</strong> your<br />
best option. Revenue from <strong>Android</strong> apps <strong>is</strong> also growing and it <strong>is</strong> a major player when we talk about monetizing<br />
using ads.<br />
• Choosing one either <strong>Android</strong> or <strong>App</strong>le <strong>Plat<strong>for</strong>m</strong> to Develop the <strong>App</strong> First<br />
Where your target audience <strong>is</strong> from, what features they want in the app and your development timeline and<br />
budget determine <strong>for</strong> which plat<strong>for</strong>m you should build your mobile app first i.e either <strong>Android</strong> or <strong>iOS</strong>. If you want<br />
to build as minimum app quickly and cost effectively then <strong>iOS</strong> <strong>is</strong> the best choice. if you want to generate money<br />
with your app then also you should go <strong>for</strong> <strong>iOS</strong> app. But if your target audience <strong>is</strong> from developing and emerging<br />
markets especially in Asia then go <strong>for</strong> <strong>Android</strong> app first.<br />
Conclusion
As we have just d<strong>is</strong>cussed there <strong>is</strong> no one line answer to whether you should go <strong>for</strong> <strong>Android</strong> or <strong>iOS</strong> app. You<br />
should think about all aspects and factors be<strong>for</strong>e making the final dec<strong>is</strong>ion. We hope that th<strong>is</strong> article will help you<br />
in your dec<strong>is</strong>ion making process to select the first plat<strong>for</strong>m to develop your mobile app. <strong>Which</strong>ever plat<strong>for</strong>m you<br />
select, once you built a user base on your initial plat<strong>for</strong>m and you find that users on other plat<strong>for</strong>m are also<br />
looking <strong>for</strong> a version of your app then th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> the best time to build another version of your app <strong>for</strong> the other<br />
plat<strong>for</strong>m as in th<strong>is</strong> case it will be a hit instantly.