With the development of mobile technology and with the rise in smartphones, the demand for mobile-friendly websites and mobile apps is growing day by day.
The latest research states that nearly 80% of online users prefer mobile devices to search for their queries and spend 87% of their time on mobile applications. As a consequence, missing out on this mobile-friendly feature is indeed a great loss for a digital marketer.
So, if you are desperate for mobile app development, you are certainly on the right track to boost your business. But the question is – which mobile operating system is better to choose first for app development, Android or iOS?
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Confused? Keep reading the article and get an answer at the end.
Android or iOS – Which app development platform should you choose first?
Choosing the right platform depends on multiple factors. What you need to keep in mind are:
- Your audience
- Time and cost investment
- Flexibility
- Maintenance
- Monetization
Let’s take a closer look at the factors so that it becomes easier for you to make a decision.
Targeted audience
Considering your targeted audience before selecting the OS platform is very important. Though both Android and iOS have a global reach, you must understand the difference. An Android app always targets a broad global audience that includes Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, Apple mainly dominates Western Europe and North America.
Are you planning to target the global audience? In that case, Android will be the better choice. But for an ecommerce enterprise targeting the young audience in Western Europe, Australia, and North America, Apple is the best.
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Development time and cost
Compared to Android, iPhone app development is less time consuming and cheaper. The main reason behind this is the coding language used to develop the app. Android is coded in Java while Apple uses its own official programming language to make such development. The less the coding is the less it is complex and faster is its development process.
Another reason that needs worth mentioning is Android is an open-source platform while Apple offers a closed ecosystem. This provides you only a few standardized devices and operating systems.
Do you have a good budget and enough time? Then simply go for Apple.
Flexibility and security features
Android is more flexible than iOS as it offers plenty of customizing options to develop the app. It includes features that the audience demands. However, this results in more insecurity and disruption in privacy.
Compared to Android development, iOS is much more secure and non-susceptible to pirate apps and malware.
Maintenance of app
Developing an application is not everything if you don’t know how to maintain the app. With respect to maintenance, both Android and iOS maintenance is easier if you update the OS to its latest version.
However, research has found that Android users are less likely to adopt new features and a new version. While the iOS users always remain ready to keep their app updated.
App monetization
Are you thinking of monetizing your app? Well, in that case you must understand one simple thing.
Android users hardly like to pay for an app, no matter how good it is. They always look for apps where they can spend time without paying a single fee. That’s the reason why free apps often come with in-app ads. However, if you focus on Apple apps. Apple users are willing to pay for apps, except for utility apps. There are only 40% of Android users who prefer to make in-app purchases.
Therefore, it is always a wise job to choose iOS if you want app monetization without ads. Here you get the access of subscriptions, in-app purchases, and freemium models.
Finishing up
So, which mobile app development platform do you think should be preferred first? Is it good to go for an iPhone app or better to choose Android app development? Well, the choice really depends on the factors mentioned earlier.
Moreover, choosing the wrong platform at the wrong time for app development is always a wrong approach. As this will distract you from targeting the right audience.
So, guys, take time but make sure your decision is correct.