Android vs iOS: Which platform for your project? 9 points to ponder…

As of 2018, four billion people are online, connected and absorbed in some way into the digital age. With almost three billion mobile social media users across the world, this is most definitely a market that cannot be ignored. Businesses that do not yet have a mobile app will find themselves losing out to their competitors as more and more users prefer easy to use applications, instead of browsing on their laptop, or even mobile screen.

But as a developer, which platform should you start building for first? iOS or Android? In terms of popularity, it is a pretty even split so there are additional factors to be taken into consideration. Read on to find out more!

 

1. Number of users

Before you start any project, you need to make sure you know who is going to be using your product. Where do they live, what income do they have, and what platform do they prefer are all questions that you need to be able to answer before you start developing. One main consideration needs to be what slice of the market share both iOS and Android have and how this will apply to your users. Consider that around 75% of users use Android when compared with around 20% iOS users.

 

2. Operating System Version

You also need to know how many customers are using the latest version of each operating system especially if you are intending on using VR objects or AI chatbots. All of these fancy functions need users to have the latest operating systems, but as we know, not everyone stays up to date. iOS updates automatically but Android requires users to manually update meaning that they end up using over five different platforms all with different levels of capability.

 

3. User Loyalty

This is another vital metric that requires consideration. iPhone users are much more loyal to apple than Android users are to their devices, with 92% of iPhone users saying they wouldn’t buy a different brand device.

 

4. Demographics

Where you want to reach geographically can be a very important part of your decision making process. If your app is targeted at a specific local area, make sure you choose the most popular platform that area. For example, iOS reigns supreme in North America, Western Europe and Australia, but Android is number one in South and Central America, Eastern and Southern Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is also important to be aware that iOS users are generally younger than Android users as well as having more disposable income.

 

5. Revenue and Spending Power

iOS users have more disposable income and are therefore prepared to spend more on apps. Despite having less users than Android, the Apple Store brought in almost $40 billion in 2017 when compared to just $20 billion for Google Play. iOS apps make up to 45% more profit per client than an Android app and more of them are likely to make in-app purchases.

 

6. Hardware

If you want to create an Android app, you can use literally any computer and operating system- Linux, Windows and even Mac. Those wanting to develop an iOS app however will have to use a Mac.

 

7. Device Fragmentation

There are over 18 different iPhone models in circulation at the moment and when it comes to Android, the number is impossible to calculate. This is what’s known as device fragmentation and when developers create an app they need to decide on a limited number of devices and screens that the app will work on as this directly influences the cost and complexity of the development.

 

8. Cost

To create and launch an iOS app you need to pay around EUR 99 a year as an individual developer or around EUR 300 as a company. Android on the other hand, only charges users EUR 25 as a one off payment with no limitations or cap on the number of published applications.

 

9. Approval Time

In the Play Store it takes a couple of hours for Google to approve and publish your application whereas with Apple, it can take anywhere between a day and a week.

These are just some of the things you need to consider when you are deciding whether to build on Android, iOS, or both. Just remember, that every detail matters and it can be the difference between a successful app, or a flop.

Credits:

Bloggers: Finerton’s News Team, February 2019
Images: Unsplash.com