Today, around all the talks about cross-platform app development and its promising prospects, the debate whether to build an Android app or an iOS version first is still on the rise. As a developer intending to build an app, this is the very first challenging decision you need to make, and the answer doesn’t get any tougher to get.
Now here’s a thing, whether to develop an Android app or an iOS app first depends on a couple of factors that developers around the world need to be mindful of. From the total revenue generated to the user reach of both platforms, there are multiple factors involved in the process of app development that identify which is the best platform to work on first. Through this exclusive article, we intend to reach a conclusion on the issue by focusing on the top 5 vital factors involved with both Android and iOS app development.
By analyzing each factor, developers will be able to make out the pros and cons involved with both Android and iOS app development and to eventually make up their mind about a particular platform to work with first. So let’s take a look at these factors before we proceed.
Five Factors Identifying the Pros and Cons of Android and iOS App Development
Take a look at the top 5 Factors affecting the pros and cons involved with Android and iOS app development.
- The user reach of both platforms
- The time frame of development
- The number of features that can be covered
- Maintenance of the app
- The targeted revenue
An Insight into the Factors Determining the Pros/Cons of Android and iOS
Here’s our take on the factors determining the pros and cons involved in Android and iOS app development.
1. The User Reach of Both Platforms
User reach is one of the major factors in determining whether an app developer should opt for Android or iOS app development first. While there’s a huge contrast when it comes to the audience reach of Android and iOS globally, both these platforms are preferable in their own way. So here are some vital points you need to keep in mind when opting for a particular platform for targeting the audience.
- The Dominance of Android Globally: As per an estimate, the user reach of Android is nearly 75% as compared to the 15% of iOS. Though figures are staggering in this case, it could also be due to the fact that not many users are able to afford iOS.
- The Dominance of iOS in European Countries: Even though Android has a considerably large share of user reach globally, the popularity of iOS in western European countries is a notable point, as it is considerably higher (by at least 35%) than Android.
- Users Prefer iOS over Android in e-commerce: This is a factor that perhaps applies only to e-commerce apps developers. As per a survey, iOS users are found to be more shopaholic and make more online purchases through apps as compared to Android users.
Now, while there are many more points involved when it comes to the user reach of both platforms, the above-listed points clearly portray how developers need to be mindful of the industry and geographic location which they are targeting while opting to develop an app for either of the platforms.
2. The Time Frame of Development
The time frame is a vital aspect of app development. Whether you’re developing an app for Android or iOS, the amount of time that it takes to develop an app directly affects the amount of money you spend on the development process. Let’s take it this way, the lesser the time taken, the lower the money spent.
Now speaking of the most preferable platform, in this case, the development of iOS app development is estimated to be less time taking as compared to Android. The reason perhaps is reasonably easy to understand. Android is an open-source platform, and the developer wanting to develop an Android app needs to take multiple devices and other factors into account.
Whereas, when it comes to iOS, it only works on limited devices. Hence, the amount of time taken to develop an iOS app is significantly lower when compared to Android. Moreover, iOS app development is a comparatively cheaper process. Thereby, if budget is an issue for any app developer, iOS app development in that case virtually becomes a go-to pick.
3. Flexibility with Features
For any Android or iOS application development company, the flexibility of features remains a hot topic. Nowadays, app development companies lay a lot of emphasis on the features they can integrate into their apps. Whereas Android is still considered to be flexible in terms of the features you can add, things are not the same when it comes to iOS.
In terms of flexibility, iOS still has some restrictions in terms of features. As for Android, since it is an open-source platform, the opportunities to customize and integrate apps with innovative features are immense for developers.
4. Maintenance as a Major Factor
For any developer around the world, merely developing the app isn’t enough. It is the maintenance of the app that determines whether an app would be a success in the future or not. Hence, speaking of app maintenance, a report says that Android users around the world pay much less emphasis on updating their software, whereas iOS users actively update their softwares.
What that does is that it leaves very little room for developers to work on the maintenance of their apps. Speaking specifically in the case of Android, if developers update their applications, then the apps may be compatible with higher versions of Android but will not work on devices running on older versions, and the majority of the Android users don’t update their Android. This eventually hampers the overall user base of the app.
5. The Targeted Revenue
Monetization is considered as a major point when it comes to getting that valid return from the app. The majority of the developers today focus on generating a considerable amount of revenue from the app. However, there’s a notable disparity in generating revenue from both Android and iOS applications. Take a look at these points.
- iOS users lay more emphasis on making in-app purchases as compared to Android users.
- Asian countries like China and India are the biggest drivers when it comes to generating iOS app revenues.
- As per a survey, Android users are likely to delete apps with in-app purchases more often than not.
Hence, if you’re an app developer thinking about whether to develop an iOS app or Android app first, the above-mentioned points are worth looking at if your aim is to generate a considerable revenue through the app.
Summing Up
Now when it comes to app development, choosing which platform to work with first depends on a number of factors including the ones discussed above. From the question of revenue to the user base of a particular platform, thorough research is needed from the developer’s end to come up with a decision.
So if you’re an app developer wondering which platform to work with first, here are a couple of key takeaways from the above-discussed points that all but sum up the issue.
- If your target is to develop an app that reaches the global users, then opting for Android is perhaps the best option.
- If an app developer is working with a budget, then opting for iOS app development first should be the go-to pick.
- If the aim of the developer is to bring in a variety of innovative features and be flexible in customizing them, then opting for Android app development first is the best option.
- iOS app development is considered as a preferable option when the question is of maintaining and updating the app.
- If you’re an app developer and your aim is to develop an app that generates revenue, then developing an iOS app should be the pick.
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