Which Platform Should You Build First: Android or iOS?
iOS and Android are without a doubt the two biggest rivals in the mobile development industry. And unless you have budgeted to cover both platforms, you must choose which platform to chose first when you are ready to invest a fortune on mobile development. We made an effort to compile a number of recommendations that could aid you in making a choice.
1) Target Audience
You should start by considering who will be utilizing your application. The next thing you need to do is find out how many people in your target market use iOS devices and how many use Android. It is best to concentrate on the kind of people who favor iOS and Android when responding to this question.
The Big Picture on Android users
- Includes those who desire a wide range of economical selections and brand options.
- Persons who enjoy having the freedom to configure and customize anything. There are hardly any limitations to it.
- Android is more common for men.
- Only 8% of Android users are college graduates. There are several reasonably priced solutions, and a larger audience is targeted.
- Although they earn above average salaries, Android users have less money available for spending.
- Most Android users work in the retail, food, manufacturing, and other related sectors. Android is also popular among techies and programmers. A significant portion of users regularly reads technology news and keeps up with the most recent advancements.
- Because Android users are more likely to switch phones, it doesn’t matter as much when something gets challenging. Compared to 67 percent of iOS users, only 37% of Android users keep their phone.
The Big Picture on iOS users
Includes those who need or desire to use the products from the company to prove their worth.
Includes those who have trouble setting up their mobile phones. It offers just “enough” freedom and options for settings.
In contrast to boys, women are more likely to use iOS, which opens up a wide range of accessory and design possibilities and increases brand importance.
Higher education is preferred by 27% of iOS users.
iOS users typically earn more money or have more available cash.
iOS users who have occupations are frequently managers, directors, and entrepreneurs.
It won’t come as a surprise if we say that iOS users have trouble switching phones.
2) Revenue Generation or Monetization
Additionally, it’s crucial to consider how you plan to monetize your iOS or Android app. And a lot depends on the features each platform has to offer.
- Statistics show that more users on the iOS platform are active and more likely to buy software. Therefore, iOS users are more inclined to purchase your programme if you decide to sell it. Users do not frequently pay for Android apps, so it is preferable to choose a different monetization strategy there. Additionally, iOS users favor subscription-based apps, whereas Android users don’t really enjoy this strategy.
- Ads are the most typical form of Android monetization. Although the adverts in the apps are bothersome, it appears that Android users are happy with them. You should be aware that Android customers are likely to take advantage of freemium sort of monetization if we’re talking about specific programme categories (such as games, learning apps, etc.). Although they can use an app for free, they gladly purchase some of its items (like coins or other trophies to proceed to the next level in a game, or earn a reward in learning app).
- At the same time, the iOS company has rigid rules that force you to use its in-app purchase native payment mechanism. In terms of payment methods, Android offers more choices.
3) Development Possibilities
Because iOS is a more closed platform, there are some restrictions on what may be done with hardware and software. For instance, you’ll never create a programme that makes the Home button inactive. Unless iOS decides to accomplish this on its own, you will never be able to prevent someone from using their phone while driving. But in this, Android is more flexible. As a free platform with hundreds of markets, it offers developers limitless opportunities, leading to more apps being made available and more ways for you to utilize your phone. iOS has consistently claimed that they prioritize quality by prohibiting developers from uploading apps to the iOS App Store, even for absurd justifications.
4) Your Project’s Timeline
If you start the app development process, you presumably have deadlines you want to meet. When deciding the mobile operating system to design your app on, you should keep the project’s time frame in mind. Consider Android. It’s common knowledge that it runs on a wide range of devices, from the most basic phones to tablets, therefore there are a wide range of screen sizes to consider when designing your app. Users may also have smartphones running earlier versions of Android, which has an impact on the development process and lengthens and complicates it. Therefore, the Android app release cycle will be substantially longer than the iOS app cycle.
With each new iOS device model, the iOS devices actually get less and less standardized. For instance, the increased screen sizes that were added to an iOS device and other recent models are currently being dealt with by iOS developers. This led to some UI limitations. Even so, creating an app for an iOS device is quicker and easier than for an Android device. However, submitting an app to a store takes more time.
5) Development Cost
One of the factors we had to consider when producing this post was the budget. You are aware that the cost will directly correspond to how complicated your application is and how many features you want. If we talk about apps of the same complexity, though, will it be the same for iOS and Android devices?
We may claim that the cost of developing for Android is often more than for iOS. Why is it the case? As we’ve already discussed, a lot of devices run the Android operating system, and each of those devices has a different OS version and a varied screen size, which makes development more difficult. While with iOS, you may concentrate more on supporting the newest operating system versions and device variants. From the perspective of developers, this element enables them to shorten the cycle of development and testing and focus on optimizing the software, making it more effective for newer devices.
When to choose iOS or Android first
Taking into account everything that has been said so far, we’d like to highlight a few ideas that will help you choose which platform you should develop your app for first. Of course, it would be ideal if you could reach iOS and Android customers with a single solution and boost your overall revenue, but it is OK to start with one platform that is best for your specific requirements. With the right technological advances, it is also possible to convert iOS apps to Android and vice versa.
So iOS app can be a good idea for you if you:
- Want to increase revenue per user and target business people.
- Value the Security and Privacy of User Data.
- Don’t Need to Customize Much.
- Need to Build Your Solution Quickly and Complication-Free.
Develop your programme for the Android operating system if you:
- Desire a larger audience to identify and use your app.
- Need more customization possibilities for your offering.
- Don’t want to wait weeks for your app to be accepted by stores.
Concluding
When it comes to choose which platform to build your app on, both are appropriate. However, we hope that our advice and suggestions will assist you in choosing wisely. But if you’re still on the fence, don’t hesitate to ask our staff for assistance. We’ll make sure to conduct a market analysis and suggest the best platform for you. Choose The Yellow Strawberry, an mobile app development company in Navi Mumbai. They are known for building top-notch mobile apps.