Smartphone users around the globe are divided into two major groups — Android and iOS.
The debate between the two platforms has a long history because they’re both unique in their own way. Both platforms offer a variety of features, and that’s what becomes the reason why the market is divided. When the developer starts building a mobile app, their choice is mostly influenced by the pros and cons of Android and iOS.
Since both iOS and Android are the leading operating systems, it becomes difficult to choose from either one.
We will weigh both platforms on the basis of the following:
AUDIENCE TARGET
To know which mobile app to develop first, you need to understand which platform your audience uses. Your target market primarily consists of Android or iOS users. If there are more Android users, developing an Android app first would be the best strategy. Top app development companies such as 5280 Software LLC can build you a perfect Android mobile app.
Additionally, if your app is a success on Android, then you can look into building an iOS app too. You can also look at this geographically. You may also want to consider app developer locations as well. Developers from different countries have different levels of development skills.
If your customers are outside the US, Europe, or Australia, Android should be your first priority because it dominates the market in Asian and African continents.
Likewise, if you have a more extensive market base in the USA, Europe or Australia, build an iOS app first.
However, sometimes a business has an equal number of Android and iOS users, which can make it tough to understand which app to build first.
To resolve that dilemma, consider these factors:
Why Choose Your Android Audience?
- Android has a more significant global market share.
- Android users work in technical jobs more than iOS users.
- Due to a more prominent global share, Android apps generate more revenue from in-app ads.
Why Choose Your iOS Audience?
- iOS users earn 40% more than an average Android user.
- iOS has more access to the enterprise market.
- iOS dominates the first world countries more than Android.
- They are more inclined to make in-app purchases.
Comparing the App Development Costs
A mobile app process usually consists of development, deployment, and maintenance.
Talking only about the app development cost right now – the difference in development cost between an iOS app and an Android app is not easy to estimate because there are various factors one needs to consider.
These factors range from:
- Platforms (iOS, Android)
- Type of app (Native, Web, Hybrid)
- The app-development timeline.
- Hardware used for the process.
- Design (Basic, Custom)
- Number of pages
- Features and infrastructures
(Check out our detailed blog to know more about the mobile app development costs.)
While the Android apps might have a higher development cost because of the long development time, the Android Studio application that is used for app development can be installed on any standard PC, which does not usually incur an additional cost. Custom mobile app development on Android focuses on using the best tools to develop your app.
On the other hand, iOS apps are developed using XCode, which works only on the Mac. This can be an additional cost because the investment in buying a Mac, as well as an iPhone or iPad can significantly add to the cost of custom mobile app development. Otherwise, the development time is less. Therefore, it leads to less time and cost for development and testing.
App Review Process- Android vs iOS
The review process for Android apps is more relaxed and is generally approved in 24 hours in comparison to iOS apps. iOS apps have to follow strict guidelines and these include
- The app will be reviewed against a definite set of technical, content, and design criteria
- should be able to work with the latest operating system
- App Built using XCode 10.2.
- Later, these apps are thoroughly tested and updated for the latest devices.
Apple’s exclusive ecosystem means you’re developing for a few standardized devices and OS
Monetization — Which will profit first?
There are multiple ways to boost revenues with your mobile app on both iOS and Android platforms. A good mobile app development company like 5280 Software LLC will guide you on your monetization strategy. While iOS is more profitable in terms of monetary value, Android apps also bring in a substantial financial ROI and here’s how:
- Freemium Apps — Free apps can have premium versions. It means some features users can access for free while others come at a small price.
- In-app Purchases — The apps are free to download, but users need to pay for virtual goods. For example, users buying gems for upgrades in a game.
- Subscription — Offer users a one-month free trial of the app, and later on, have them select from multiple subscription options.
- Ads — Place in-app ads for other brands. Then for every download, the brands receive via your app, you get a cut of the fee. It is termed a Pay Per Download business model.
- Interstitial Ads — These are video-based ads that usually pop up in games. Interstitial has higher impression rates and is proven to be very useful.
- Rewarded Videos — This model offers an incentive to the users. Offer your users a reward for watching the video ad. Users get a bonus, and you can charge the brand you’re advertising on the app.
- Sponsorship — Form a partnership with a well-reputed brand that will sponsor your app. It can only work if your brand is renowned too
As per a September 2020 report published by Statista, 3.5% of the Android apps on Google play store are paid in comparison to 7.7% of the iOS on the Apple App Store.
Android vs IOS — which should it be?
Your choice of the operating system for your first mobile app depends on your business needs and goals.
The factors I’ve listed above are just some of the many that you should consider in your decision.
However, if you can’t decide what is best for your business, you have the options to build an app for both platforms one after another, but this can be very costly.
To reduce development cost, look into building a hybrid app development to target Android and iOS simultaneously.
About 5280 Software LLC:
5280 Software LLC, located in Denver, Colorado is a premier software development firm. We have worked with a variety of clients over the years. Our expert team of developers have helped small to medium sized businesses, startups, as well as enterprise level clients such as RingCentral. If you are looking to build a mobile app, we can deliver flawless apple ios mobile apps as well as android mobile apps. Our mobile app development agency designs apps for smartphones, ipad and android tablets, wearable such as smart watches, and even smart TVs.
The power of a well-designed app to gain new customers is key in today’s market. Our cutting-edge mobile app development solution is what your business or startup needs! Our developers are adroit with any mobile app development platform you need. We help execute your app development to perfection. If you need the best mobile app development companies, you have found them!
We offer a complete solution with the latest technologies to solve your obstacles and scale your customer base. From the start of any project (and at every stage, step, phase, and release) we focus on the client and always ask for feedback while we develop the project. Creating a quality solution for a business or startup is our end goal. Our strategy and processes are based on solid communication with our clients. 5280 Software LLC is one of the top mobile app development companies in the USA. We are far better than other mobile app development companies that charge more money for lower quality.
All projects are built according to a clearly defined scope of work. If you need assistance with scope creation, we offer this as a service. This scope of work will be used in the provided development contract. Make sure whomever you hire for your project provides you a development contract with clearly defined pricing, development timeline, payment schedule, and deliverables. We would like to learn about your project and help refine your scope of work. Our custom website, software, and mobile app development agency is here for you every step of the way.
If you have an idea for a mobile app, please emails us your full name or company name and we will send you a signed NDA. We send NDAs to all potential clients to guarantee your ideas and documents will be kept in confidence. Once an NDA is in place, feel free to book a free discovery call. You can also fill out our app development questionnaire to share the details of your project before your call. We are the leading firm specializing in building solutions for the web, iphones and other smart devices including IOT. Our company can create a custom solution on a variety of platforms using the most current popular programming languages. Weather it is a cross platform hybrid app or a natively programmed solution, we have you covered!
We look forward to speaking with you about your project. Learn why clients around the world trust working with 5280 Software LLC. We support our clients from mockups, sketch, wireframes, and graphic design, development, product launch and ASO when we publish your app, and even code updates at a competitive price point. Feel free to visit us on our social sites Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or send us a LinkedIn connection request to learn about our offers to get answers to your questions. Want to hear firsthand from our previous clients the superior service we offer? Check out our testimonials!
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