Choosing the Right Platform to Develop for
The best approach to mobile application development is creating both
iOS and Android apps from the scratch to reach the largest user base.
However, this is not always possible for a number of reasons
including budget, time and resource constraints. These limitations
imply that companies require choosing a single platform for
development. The problem is that there are many variables in the
Android vs. iOS development issue. For certain companies, android may
be the right choice while it is iOS for others. The question that
arises here is that how you choose the right platform to start with.
This post is intended to provide some useful guidance with this
decision.
The Application Marketplace
Today, 37% of mobile development companies target Android as well as
iOS.
The larger portion chooses one over the other. However, there is no
clear idea on which platform is easy. Considering the volume, Android
has large user base but this does not mean you get the right users
according to your business and objectives.
Demography
Android
is a clear winner in application downloads when considering the
global market. Though iOS occupies a small share in the market, as a
group, iOS users show higher engagement rates and spend more money.
iOS apps make more money than android.
Development Cycle
It is not exactly true that it takes longer to develop an android
app. There are over 24,000 devices with varying screen sizes and OS
versions for Android. But as Apple makes all the required software
and hardware, there is very little developers have to worry about.
Android application development company actually has to employ a
short and easy development cycle for the app. It also depends on the
OS versions and devices targeted. Testing on all the targeted devices
and systems makes things complex. With less devices to test on, iOS
development cycle becomes easy and quick.
Cost of Development
The scope and complexity of a project defines the cost of
development. The more complex and larger a project, the more it is
going to cost. There is nothing specific to iOS or Android that makes
one more expensive over the other. A best graphic development company
can handle your development job to minimize cost and make things
easier.
Release and Approval
In this case, Android is the winner. For iOS, the process of release
and approval is somewhere between 2 to 3 weeks. Moreover, updates to
applications require approval as well. Android apps, on the other
hand, take one or two days to get approval and updates can be
executed in hours.
The Decision
The decision to build app for specific platform ultimately depends on
what works for your business. You can consider:
-
Type of app you are developing
-
Monetization
-
User demographics
-
Market
-
Project budget and time