8 Key Differences - Android Vs iOS Mobile App Development

It is the era of technological advancements, and when it comes to mobile apps, the raging question is between Android Vs iOS, which app platform to consider. According to a Gartner study conducted in August 2016 Android leads the market with a huge 87% market share whereas iOS operating system stands with a measly 12 % share. However, if you are considering expanding your business reach by getting a mobile app developed it is better not to get influenced by the numbers.

Let us explain to you what are 8 key differences between Android Vs iOS mobile platforms.

Demographics

Consider the kind of target audience you wish your app to cater to. This is because Android has been found to have more acceptance in the developing countries. Asia and Africa are the two zones where most of the android users can be found.

On the other hand, iOS as a platform is doing well in developed areas like USA, Australia, and Europe. Though there are no sure shot reasons why this trend exists, any mobile app development draws attention to this factor.

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2. Privacy concerns­

Android as an operating system is fairly much more open in comparison to an iOS app development. It leads to increased incidents of malware and cyber-attacks from external parties. There is a high level of device fragmentation and that coupled with minimum security checks imposed at the time of installation, leads to frequent breaches.

Apple iOS keeps all your information safe and refrains from disclosing any valuable information to any party. An Android app development company can foster a better understand of these concerns and guide you better in making a choice.

3. Flexibility of distributing an Android Vs. iOS application

When you create an app for public use the next step is finding their opinion and making changes in the app accordingly. However, when it comes to iOS platform, the process is not so simple. While android developers can update their android apps every two hours, the iOS platform takes almost two weeks for any change to be updated. Which means that however critical the change you plan to make, you have to wait in case of iOS. This wait is however much less in the case of an android mobile app.

4. Engagement with users

If we compare Android Vs. iOS one thing that should make the difference prominent is the user engagement received on each platform. Most of Apple apps are very well designed and presented in an easily demarcated iTunes store. As per a study conducted by Appsflyer in April and May 2016 iOS users spend near about 2.5 times more amount than android users. It reflects that the iOS platform of mobile app development is the leader.

5. The simplicity of development process

When we talk about the development process of both Android Vs iOS, the former is easy since the OS here is much deeper and allows high-level customizations. This is not feasible in the case of iOS as the guidelines are stricter and have to be obeyed. Though, one thing that needs to be mentioned here is that the android app development is 30% more expensive than iOS. However needless to say that you can comfortably publish your app and make as frequent changes as required.

6. Revenue model

The key difference between Android Vs iOS boils down to the most important factor, and that is which is the higher revenue generator. In spite of the huge difference in market shares, iOS is the one who makes over 75% more revenue than its competitors. In the case of an iPhone app development, most of the apps are paid and published after scrutiny which helps in making it one of the more reliable platforms for revenue generation. So if your clear aim is to create an app which also earns money for you, then you know which app platform to choose.

7. Publishing fees

It is clear that you do not get any digital exposure unless you are ready to pay the price. An app publishing in Google play store requires a charge of 25 $ whereas an iOS developer has to pay up to 99$. So if it is an android app that you are looking for, then all you need is a PC and a small amount of 25$.

However, for iOS, the cost is high, and a mac machine is required to start creating an app for the same. You could also outsource the mobile app development process to an external service provider. They would understand your requirement and also guide you as to which platform works best for your need.

8. The size of the app

For a company looking to develop its app for the first time this factor also needs to be kept in mind. An average app developed for android has a size of 6 MB. On the other hand, the same app when developed for iOS multiplies its size to nearly four times that is around 23 MB. Since most of the users do not just download an app to fill their storage space, you have to make sure that your app is unique enough to make people consider it. Outsourcing the function to an app developing company would let you know key ways to get the same done.

In Conclusion

Even though the iOS platform has much more revenues, the cost of publishing an app is also higher. This is one of the biggest reasons, why in contrast to Google play store, you would find more paid apps in the iTunes store. The points mentioned above clearly put the difference between Android Vs. iOS into focus. However, it is still a long distance before we can judge and say which platform works best when you want to get your app published. Both iOS Vs. Android have their share of positives and negatives, and it is your requirement that would make all the difference. While new developers prefer android development for those looking at revenue generation, the iOS platform works better. In the end, all that matters is that your app should be able to fulfill the purpose for which it was created.