iOS vs Android Apps: Which Should You Build Your Mobile App on First

Android

and iOS are the two major smartphone OS competitors currently used by the majority of people. They both have their pros and cons as well. Some people like customizations, while others like elegance. However, it should not matter to your business, since both operating systems have a fair share of the audience and you should make a prominent presence in both places.

The world of mobile app development is fast changing in terms of convenience and ease of use. Leveraging these development trends can help you gain maximum traction for your store. You can also be the mobile-only or mobile-first shop or market for your users. Therefore, you need a robust application that can provide all services to your consumers at the fingertips.

This is exactly where mobile application development comes into the picture. But if you are finding it difficult to make a selection between Android or iOS apps as the first step towards digital transformation, stay with us as we will help you decide the right path.

iOS vs Android Apps: Which One Should You Pick?

You should consider a few factors like revenue, audience, requirements, and so on before deciding which platform to tap first. Based on these factors, you can determine the platform you need to market your business on. E-commerce businesses are doing well on both platforms because they have tapped the right audience. Therefore, make sure you know your audience well.

Regardless of what we said, we would recommend you make a presence in both places. iOS users can get you revenue, and Android users can get you popularity. iOS users can help you grow faster, and Android can help you spread the word. There is so much to smartphone app usage that you can achieve a lot in a short period.

Android apps vs iOS apps

Android has a more significant market share as it focuses on the masses irrespective of their class.

On the other hand, even though iOS has a smaller market share, the people downloading the apps on these work for premium brands or believe in serving the premium customer base. Consider the following factors before making the right decision.

Location

Mobile operating systems like iOS and Android have their fair share of users distributed more or less equally across the world. The only difference is you should be able to tap the right audience through these operating systems.

For example, Apple focuses on premium customers, and Android has a well-spread customer base irrespective of the financial class. Simply speaking, Android and iOS both can help you grow at the right pace, but you should know that both of them have different target audiences.

It is, therefore, better that you start with one of the OS, preferably Android since it has a faster development cycle and more reach among the audience.

Revenue

iOS apps are paid, and most of these apps have in-app purchases. Despite the scenario, people are more likely to download an app on iOS than Android.

Most Android applications are dependent on ads-support. Therefore, if the ads-support is taken out, the chances of the app surviving are quite slim. Ads are a great way to monetize your app, but you should not overdo it. Users might get frustrated with a lot of apps, and you might lose your customer base, leading to revenue losses.

Features

The features and the nature of your apps should help you determine the OS. For example, market research has recently said that iOS users are 15% more likely to visit eCommerce stores through their smartphones as compared to Android. That indirectly also means that you get more people purchasing the app too.

Android still stands tall in spreading the word and popularity. Every e-commerce app also requires visibility and possibility. The more people know about it, more are the chances of your business growing more.

Cost

Costing is a vital part while we think of hiring mobile app development services. At an initial level, the cost does depend upon the number of features you offer, but there is a catch.

The iOS mobile app development is specific to iOS, and since the software or hardware part does not change drastically, a single code works for almost all devices. But, Android needs to optimize their app for almost every other device, and therefore, Android apps become more expensive than iOS apps.

However, the increasing ease of development and convenience is changing the way Android works and with the use of PWAs and other technologies, making one app suit all a better choice. These apps are now supported by iOS too. The support was added from iOS 11.3 and higher.

Release cycles

Android might be one of the most used operating systems around the globe, but it lacks support sometimes. Android is indeed open-source, but the OEMs and the carriers sometimes lock it down for new users.

On the other hand, iOS users get a new version update all the time and therefore, there are hardly 5% of the users who do not have an updated version of Apple. What does that mean? It is simple.

Once the dependency on an older version is finished, you no longer need to provide support and build testing cycles for them. This indirectly allows mobile app developers to focus on new APIs and make things only for future versions.

iOS vs Android Apps: Which one should be your first pick?

As a development company, we have experience building amazing mobile applications for a while now. We have experts from all walks of the development cycle, and the experts required to build all such apps.

One thing that all businesses should remember is that the more, the better. The more smartphones your business could cover, more are the chances of high popularity, fast propagation, and more visibility across the sector.

Therefore, we recommend that you do not think about choosing one of the two operating systems instead make both of them your priority. When more people understand about your business through their smartphones, more are chances of them utilizing your service as per their requirements.

Android is for businesses that have a focus on building communities, networks, and allowing fast propagation through the market. Therefore, you will see a lot more social media first coming to Android, and some of them moving from iOS to Android. You can build the name for the app on Android and then move towards conquering iOS.

Although if revenue generation is the plan for the long run, you should go for iOS. The chances of your app getting downloaded or purchased are way more on iOS than on Android.

You can go for both of them only if you have the resources to do so. You can also opt for both operating systems when you are a known name in the world of application development.

You can always get in touch with mobile application development services to make the right decision and then build your application as per your target audience.