Investors looking to build their first app have always found themselves at crossroads when it comes to choosing the right platform. This question hints at some form of the platform war in the mobile app development industry. Most developers trying to answer this popular question with the idea of using both app platforms but they are yet to decide which one should go first.
In this article, we are going to help you answer this question with some of the considerations that most companies make when deciding which platform to use first to build an app. Here are some key points that you should take into consideration.
Market Share
As of 2020, the number of apps in Google Play store was more than 2.56 million, while that of the App Store was shy of two million. These statistics show that the amount of competition to attract more potential users is quite high with Android as your first platform.
Currently, Android has the largest share of mobile device users in the world, while Google play records the highest market share of the number of downloads compared to other app stores. On the other hand, iOS apps perform well when it comes to revenue generation and user engagement.
Therefore, it is easy to conclude that building your app for Android puts you in a position of attracting more app users. Comparatively, building your app for iOS users will increase your app income due to high consumer spending and get you more feedback thanks to reliable user engagement.
Having more apps in one store could also be an indication of favorable platform conditions and standards. Therefore, the pull to build an app for Android could be the reason to increase your user base or due to favorable app store standards. Sometimes it is best to choose a platform that has high approval rates.
App Goals
The platform that you choose first for your app idea will rely on how you prioritize your goals and match them with reliable data. If your main aim goal of is creating the app, then going by statistics you are on the right path if you start with Android. On the other hand, if creating more revenue tops your list of app goals then we would recommend going with iOS due to high consumer spending and incomes.
If you are looking to grow your user base then choosing android first and reaching your critical mass target would be a good reason to move to the next best platform.
Target audience, company policy, and Demographics
The answer to the platform question varies because it touches on your target audience who use different devices. If you are building an app for your company, then the best answer will come from your employees. Here you have to consider the geographic and demographic characteristics of your target audience.
Companies that have mobile phone policies are better placed at finding the solution compared to the ones that rely on employee preferences. For example, a company that provides iOS mobile devices to its employees for office use will only build apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. The same applies to companies that use Android devices.
You may choose to develop your app on both platforms when your options are limited and you wish to reach the entire target audience population. If you wish to go with an operating system that has the highest global share, then you won’t go bad picking Android as your first platform.
It is important to know that Western Europe or North American audiences often use iOS devices, while audiences from up-and-coming markets are fond of using Android devices. Other studies have shown that iOS devices are often in the hands of younger generations, while the old audience prefers Android devices.
If you intend to market your app through the press, then you may also wish to know that most of the influencers use iOS devices. Therefore, you will need to reconsider your decisions to have your app covered in the press.
OS Release cycles
Android as an open-source platform relies on OEMs and mobile carriers to release new versions. Unlike iOS which is independent with frequent OS release cycles. This shows that you will be making more compatibility updates on iOS compared to Android. Therefore, it takes time for Android to release its latest OS versions. Since iOS provides more support to its latest OS version, targeting older versions may not be that effective for a longer time.
App features
As you thinking about your app design, you will come to find that there are situations where some features may not apply to certain platforms. There are certain features that you may only be able to run on Android or iOS only. Android as an open-source allows gives developers to tap into the operating system itself adding flexibility and customization to your design.
Comparing the iOS and Android Enterprise apps you will find that solutions for the iOS platform are more secure. The iOS platform provides more sophisticated tools for managing apps. Android’s open-source nature makes it vulnerable to security breaches.
Cost and Resources
Sometimes your budget and the availability of tools and equipment for building an app can determine the platform to use. Well-established companies with more resources will not find any problem with having their app on both platforms. Making the decision based on the financial position, most app developers choose iOS which is considered to be far much cheaper and fast to build.
Conclusion
The answer to which platform to build your app first will depend on your market research and the above considerations. We would recommend that you use relevant statistics and expert advice on the mobile app development platform if you feel like you can’t handle this decision on your own. Analyzing market data is the best practice when determining the platform to build first. In the end, the decision is yours to make!
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. These apps can be designed 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. We help execute your app development to perfection. A website is powerful tool for branding and showcasing the products or services you offer. We can build you a WordPress, E-Commerce, or custom coded website at competitive prices.
Once the site is launched, or if you already have a website, we offer Search Engine Optimization Services to achieve higher search engine rankings. Contact us today with your website’s URL and we will put together a free SEO analysis of your site with pricing and timeline to get your site ranked on the first page of Google and other search engines. Our experienced and dedicated team has a proven track record and provide regular reporting on tasks completed and keyword movements during your SEO project. We help businesses and companies gain rankings on all the major search engines.
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We can improve the understanding of your business and marketing outreach through the use of analytics. 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.
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.
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. Let us turn your idea into reality!
