Ever since the evolution of smartphones, app development has undergone various astronomical changes and have used various platforms. The two most prominent and popular app development platforms, IOS and Android have been locking horns with each other, trying hard to out-smart the other at every single opportunity. It's not a straightforward answer to the question which platform is the best? There are a lot of parameters and scenarios to consider before we can arrive at a decisive solution. Let's analyze both these platform with regards to the following.
The demographics
Determining the target demographic is a very critical factor for the success of any business venture and both these platforms have precisely defined their target demographics and was able to cater to their needs brilliantly. IOS targeted the demographic that included people who have a higher income, higher spending capacity and those who have a higher level of engagement. While the Android targeted, a slightly lower income demographic and the developing nations. This does not mean people in the IOS-targeted demographic are not using an Android and vice versa.
The Revenue Models
The revenue models of both the Android and the IOS platforms directly reflects the revenue-generating approaches of Google and Apple respectively. A high percentage of apps, those support ads are present in Android, while the IOS has more users who pay for the apps.
The Development Speed
Android, even though being an open source, has hurdles with regard to lockdowns by carriers and OEMs and results in the new apps taking a longer time to adapt to the latest OS in Android when compared to the IOS. This has a direct impact on the development speed as an Android app takes a longer time to build when compared to the IOS. Another consideration to the development speed is the release-to-approval ratio. On average, Apple approves 4-5 updates per month while Android approves the same number of updates per day. So we can positively say that Apple gets your app to the market quickly and Android allows the users of your app to get regular updates more quickly.
The Apps – Cost & Features
The Apps – Cost & Features
- Cost
Hiring an IOS App development company or an Android App development company or doing the development process in-house, the cost can be measurable on all scenarios. As Android apps take a longer time to build, the cost of building those apps are obviously higher. This is where IOS edges forward as their apps bring in more revenue compared to the Android.
- Features
Being an open source, Android offers the developer a much deeper access to the operating system itself, thus enabling the creation of apps, enriched with features. Some apps are built to be run on a rugged hardware with a customized ROM. An Android platform suits well for these kinds of apps and has an advantage over an IOS platform. IOS on the other hand, with its more “locked-down” OS, compared to the “open” OS of the Android, was able to penetrate effortlessly into the business sector, offering secure applications.
Final Words
It's very much clear by this point, that not one platform can be crowned a distinct winner. Each of the two platforms has its pros and cons and are put to use, based on the various necessities. You as an application developer or an entrepreneur should be able to decide the platform that's well-suited for your app and its users. Sometimes both an IOS and an Android platform can be used to create one app to capture a major share of the market. Hence, make the right choice and take your app towards a greater success.