Just as there has been a “team cats” and a “team dogs” since the beginning of time, there’s now very much a “team android” and a “team iPhone”. People who have only ever used android phones swear by them and are incredibly unwilling to try iPhones, and vice versa. This is a bit of an issue for anyone who’s considering making an app for just one mobile operating system.
Whether you’re looking to use a simple loyalty app builder to make your app, or you’re versed in coding and plan to make your own app from scratch, here’s everything you need to know about making for iPhone vs android.
1. Making an app for iOS tends to be quicker
If time isn’t of the essence to you, then feel free to ignore this point. But if you’d rather not slog it out for weeks or months producing your app, you have a better chance of getting the job done quicker for iOS. It can take up to 40% longer to produce an app for android – and it’s also up to 30% more expensive.
2. iOS apps tend to be easier to develop
Leading on from the last point, the reason why it’s often quicker to produce an app for iOS is because it’s much easier to code for iPhone. Apple’s official programming language is Swift, while android uses Java, which generally involves producing more code for the same results.
3. Android apps allow for greater flexibility
Apple, unlike android, is not open-source. This means that you’ll have much greater flexibility when determining the features you’d like to have on your android app. You will also have more flexibility with customization going forward.
4. iOS is more secure
Having a closed nature does come at an advantage for iOS, though – it means your iPhone app will be far less susceptible to security breaches and other risks associated with sharing data on the internet. This makes iOS the more popular choice for banking apps and the like. Note, though, that though data breaches can unfortunately happen, if you have the right security in place, they’re unlikely on iOS or Android.
5. Android is better for free apps
Recent data shows that Apple App Store generates twice as much revenue as Google Play, despite seeing half as many downloads. This suggests that people who use iPhones are far more likely to pay for an app on android. If you’re planning to put an initial price on your app, it will likely fare better on iOS. That’s not to say you can’t still make money on Android, by listing your app for free and adding advertisements (just be aware of coming across as spammy).
Ultimately, deciding between Android and iOS for your app should depend almost entirely on where your audience lives. It’s often considered that iPhones are preferred by business people and professionals, so keep your audience in mind when deciding where your app is best placed.
There is no definitive “right” or “wrong” location to put your app – it might simply be that one is better for you than the other.
