Android vs iOS: Which platform to build an app for first?

The first and most frequent question when developing a mobile app is: Android or iOS?  Until recently, iOS was prioritized as the more profitable platform. As the number of apps in stores increased – 2.2 million apps on Android and about 2 million on iOS – the competition grew and the situation changed. Now you have to choose a platform taking into account the social and demographic characteristics of future users, your capabilities, and your plans. This rule is relevant both for startups and for business applications. To make the right choice, all you need to do is answer the basic questions.

Who will use the app?

Identifying your target audience is the first, important step when you are considering using ios app development services. You should learn as much as possible about the age, geographic location, income and expenses, preferences and behavioral patterns of future users.

• Geographic location. If you’re developing an app for the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan, choose iOS. For example, about 58.8% of the population in the US uses Apple devices and 58.23% in Canada. Android smartphones are popular in the Asia-Pacific region, for example in China they are chosen by 72.01%.
• Income of the population. On the topic of which people prefer the iPhone there are a number of studies and articles. CivicScience conducted a survey of 139,000 Americans and found that people earning more than $150,000 per year are 66 percent likely to choose iOS. Android is used by low- and middle-income people.
• Age. Apple devices are mostly used by middle-aged people, while older people and teenagers prefer Android.
• Occupation. According to the same study, people in managerial positions prefer iOS, and technicians often choose Android. To learn more about user preferences, the top mobile app charts can help. Let’s look at the report on the ranking of paid applications in the App Store and Google Play.

The first places in the App Store among paid apps are from the category Social Networks and Games. In the top ten is an app for checking a car’s Vin code, a little further a few more apps related to cars. Applications from the Health and Fitness category are in the second top ten, as are financial and business apps. As in the App store, social apps and games, mostly puzzles, are at the top of the list in Google Play. Android users are eager to buy personalization apps. In the second ten are games and puzzles, two of which are popular with teenagers.

What’s your budget?

If you’re pressed for time and have a limited budget, it’s better to opt for the iOS platform. When developing for Android, programmers take into account the specifics of the many devices and versions of the operating system. The fragmentation of the Android operating system increases the cost of application testing and optimization. For the iOS operating system, designing UI/UX is easier due to the limited number of Apple devices and rapid acceptance of updates by users. At the same time, the number of available open-source libraries for Android speeds up work on the application and allows for more complex products. So in this case it makes sense to use android app development services.

How do you plan to make money with your mobile app?

Profit after publication is another important consideration when choosing between Android and iOS. When developing an app, you have to decide on a monetization model. The Apple Store has more paid apps and apps with in-app purchases than Google Play, where the ad-supported Free model is more popular. The App Store has higher revenue, but Android apps have a larger audience.