Should you go with iOS or Android mobile application development? This puzzling question is a constant dilemma for developers who want to determine the pros and cons of each platform. Here, we’ll give you a swift outline to help you choose.
iOS and Android App Development: Road to Mobile solutions
Mobile application development is a fantastic solution to capture customers and leads. Nowadays, apps are a certainty for every product or service that aspire to have a mobile and online presence in the digital world. Because of its high demand and the numerous head-turning tools available, it is challenging to decide which way to go: iOS or Android app development?
Here, we outline crucial points to help developers with the decision: business model types and technical capacities attributed to each platform.
Selecting a mobile application development platform
Mobile app revenue is growing. Resting well above $78 billion as of 2017, it is expected to top this number by the end of 2018. It is a well-known fact that Android is the leader when it comes to a wider user reach, but iOS revenue demonstrates its dominance in terms of global platform revenue.
In simple terms, iOS mobile app development is the quintessential match for startup companies that seek immediate profits with paying customers. Oftentimes, once the iOS app is launched and gains popularity, developers begin to think about Android mobile application development to expand the target audience.
On the other hand, if the application’s business model does not entail selling the mobile app, developers may lean towards Android mobile app development.
In the duel between iOS and Android app development, Android is the suitable option if the main source of income comes from web traffic and in-app advertising. Otherwise, iOS is the best option for fast investment payback.
How to code an app for Android
How to write code for android apps? To be truthful, there is no one fit-all solution to selecting a technology stack for iOS and Android app development. Instead, developers need to focus on the project’s goals.
Once the development team selects the most appropriate technology stack and the web app is already written, the next natural step is to build the Application Programming Interface (API). The API connects mobile and web apps together.
Next, we highlight some of the most prominent Android pros:
- Wide customer coverage, especially in emerging markets such as Mexico, China, India, and more.
- Simple to launch. Android provides guidelines and recommendations rather than strict requirements to follow.
- Quick launch to the application store.
- No restrictions for alpha or beta app launch.
- Effortless hardware integrations.
- High degree of customization.
In contrast, these are some of the Android cons to consider:
- Writing apps for Android and testing takes a significant amount of time due to version inconsistencies and a large pool of devices.
- It is virtually impossible to target all device users at once, while tailoring the app for all screen sizes. The most viable option is to select the most popular device and develop the app to suit that model first.
- New app features are only supported by the latest operating system versions.
- Further development efforts due to API customization to launch the app in multiple application stores.
iOS Mobile App Development
How to make an iOS app? Similar to Android, iOS code can be written in two languages: Objective-C and Swift. Objective-C is said to be rather complex to learn and allows for mobile application development errors, while Swift is more powerful with its high-performance memory and simple syntax.
Apple is widely known for its strict app development requirements, but it facilitates this task by offering a robust Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Xcode. The most recommended libraries for iOS mobile app development are Hydra, Realm, and Moya.
These are the iOS key advantages:
- The iOS platform does not have a wide device fragmentation, making it easier to develop a more stable application.
- iOS users are more prone to purchase apps and make in-app purchases.
- Interface development takes less time and effort due to the clearly-defined user interface standards.
- Proven toolkits to run app development.
These are the iOS cons:
- Apple’s approval time frame is longer. Separate approval is needed for every release that is rolled out.
- It is difficult to customize an app due to the many iOS mobile app development restrictions.
- Beta apps can’t be released since only fully-operational apps are accepted.
- There are fewer opportunities to stand out from the pool of available apps due to app standardization.
Conclusion
The decision to select a specific development approach should be solely based on the needs of the mobile application. Nowadays, it is more common to put in the effort and develop an app for both platforms at the same time. While this option requires more effort and resources, it is highly beneficial for the mobile application’s success.
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