If your startup is to create a mobile application, then one of the first questions you need to decide is on which platform will you implement it?
Even if the startup budget allows you to invest in the development of both platforms, it is much easier to start with one thing:
• You will spend a lot of money and time to develop.
• The goal of a startup is to get the first customers and based on feedback, improve the product. If you implement the application on two platforms at once, be prepared to increase costs.
What to do:
• Create a working prototype of the application.
• Bring to the market.
• Collect feedback.
• Correct problems.
• You can go to another platform and expanding the reach of the audience.
Which platform to choose?
If you have decided that it is more expedient for your project to start implementation on one platform, then it is time to choose it. There is no single answer as to which platform is better and more profitable, it all depends on the features of the business model.
We will talk about the factors you need to focus on, without personal preference for iOS or Android.
1. Statistics
Android accounts for 86% of the global market. According to forecasts, this trend will continue in the future. If you are interested in the widest possible audience, then this is one of those facts that matter. At the same time, applications on iOS allow you to reach an audience that has greater purchasing power than Android users.
Conclusion: decide what is preferable for you: the largest coverage of the market or a large purchasing power of customers.
2. Look at the map
Despite the fact that, in general, the number of Android users leads, in some regions of the world Apple dominates the market. These are countries with a high standard of living in North and South America, Europe, Asia while Android leads the way in emerging economies.
Conclusion: pay attention to the standard of living of the region in which you intend to enter the market.
3. Target audience
This is one of the main factors for decision making. If you do not know the target audience, you are shooting blindly. Decide on the goals and type of services of the application.
Then write down the signs of an ideal client:
• age
• income level
• occupation
• education
• marital status
• interests, views, beliefs
Analyze the type and behavior of your target audience. What platform do they use for their daily need?
Conclusion: analysis of the target audience will help determine which type of device is preferable.
4. Save power
iOS development is faster and cheaper in terms of fragmentation. Android has many versions and many devices (24,000 different Android devices from more than 1200 manufacturers). This complicates the development and testing of the application, which leads to time and money costs. Only Apple uses iOS and has a limited number of smartphones and tablets.
Conclusion: iOS and Android development take about the same time. However, the situation with Android is complicated if you develop an application for a large number of devices. Therefore, choose the most popular flagships of the market and make a project for them, because on low-quality devices your project will look and work poorly. For your Android and iOS apps, contact app development companies to hire dedicated developers.
5. Source of income
If you want to receive income directly from the application, implement it on iOS. Users of this platform are more willing to spend money on applications. You can offer them to buy additional functionality or service on the application.
Android gives you more opportunities to make money from advertising. Thus, the application itself can be free, and advertising will pay for it.
In confirmation of this, shopping statistics in applications: Apple generates 45% more revenue per user than Android. In addition, iOS users make in-app purchases with a probability of 10% more than Android users.
Conclusion: decide which source of income is relevant to your service.
6. Launch difficulties
On the Google Play Store, publishing an application is easier:
• Create an account.
• Making a one-time payment of $25.
• Upload the application.
• After a couple of hours, users can download.
The App Store has a stricter approval policy:
• Create an account.
• Pay an annual fee of $99 and $299 for companies.
• Upload the application.
• Wait for an assessment of your application (about 2 weeks)
Conclusion: to create an application for iOS, you need to make sure that developers have experience in running apps on the app store.
7. Android defectors
When choosing a platform, consider the fact that more often the Android user switches to iPhone, and not vice versa. Apple users are “closed” in their ecosystem and practically do not switch to other platforms.
Conclusion: on iOS, you can target the market in which one and a half billion loyal customers, whose purchasing power is almost five times more than Android customers.
One factor that users consider when downloading an app from the store is the security of the store.
iOS is safer than Android. This is due to the already known point about strict verification from the App Store. The probability of getting a couple of viruses after downloading the application does not attract users at all. The market on Google has collected many different applications, including low-quality ones, in turn, the App Store is pre-moderating all new products. This indicates a qualitative approach and the level of monitoring of all products.
Conclusion: if your product is going to occupy the niches of both markets, try to make high-quality products for both operating systems.
Who wins? As always in business, there is no single answer. Despite the fact that there are more arguments in support of iOS, the features of your business and market can say the opposite. For your Android and iOS apps, contact app development companies to hire dedicated developers.
