App development with iOS or Android : Which one to choose?
Thinking of switching gears in app development? The demand for talented and Experienced mobile app developers keeps on exceed supply by quite some margin. It’s a lucrative field to build a career in, however before you begin, it’s important to discover the response to a basic question: which platform do you expertise in?
Android and iOS app developers have supreme authority among the preferred mobile app platforms.
And so, having to decide between the two – iOS and Android app development – can be bewildering if you are simply setting out. We’ll assist you with some essential facts to ease your decision-making process. See what suits you best.
First, we will start by looking into the two operating systems themselves, and then compare the upsides and downsides to app development with Android and iOS.
Battle of the Operating Systems: Android Vs iOS
Android: For you, as a prospective newbie in mobile app development, Android’s single greatest selling point is its adaptability. Android’s open-source model has paved the way for third-party developers to make a wide scope of applications and add-on functionalities that add to the OS’s inherent capabilities.
You can make and create anything from widgets and live wallpapers to applications that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store as well as from the Amazon Appstore or even directly from the app developer’s website.
This allows developers to test the water of Android app development and get a much wider scope for creating amazing apps that find superior usability.
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Android Platform
Some Pros:
- Android’s customization potential outcomes include the ability to install various gadgets and widgets to a device’s lock system.
- Allows the ability to set or change a specific program.
- You can install non-factory dialers and SMS applications.
- The standard pull-down notification system enables you to turn Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and sound on and off with a single tap instead of having to access system preferences.
- By default, Android has a file management system similar to PC and Mac, which distributes “hands-on” experience using mobile devices.
Some Cons:
- The freedom to adapt does not guarantee uniform performance of the interface.
For example, something that was good to perform in a particular OS, could not perform so well with an advanced OS.
- Also, Google’s app policies are not as strict as those of Apple, which means that the peak performance rate in the app is not guaranteed and there is also risk of security threats.
Despite its flaws, Android remains the more well known and broadly utilized among the two operating systems, and more mobile manufacturers use the Android OS than any other.
iOS: Whatever Android needs, iOS makes up for. With a simplified layout and vibrant colors, Apple’s interface guarantees uniform and consistent performance.
Numerous recently released apps, too, mostly enter the Apple App Store before finding their way into the Google Play Store or onto the Android market. This is more so because of the credibility that iOS applications appear to ensure. The strict quality control measures taken by Apple ensures greater security, unlike the case with Android.
iOS Platform
Some pros:
- It is quick, clean and much more secure than other platforms available in the market.
- Greater validity and security of applications has been assured.
- It is a user-friendly and more stable mobile interface.
- The interface of iOS is better for gaming and game developers.
Most often, the beneficial and disadvantageous factor of iOS overlap. Keeping the following in mind –
Some cons:
- Apple does not allow Flash functionality.
- Side-loading of apps with iOS is not possible. And although jail-breaking is an option to overcome it, but it can change later in reduced device operability.
- Although secure, iOS users restrict freedom to detect as many apps as possible.
In this way, it may be said while both the operating systems have their own sets of pros and cons, and perform similarly to each other, the choice of having to pick between them relies on the user and neither outweighs the other.
Android App Development Vs iOS App Development
Having discussed about the operating systems themselves, we will presently look at the application development platforms of both.
Most applications initially get released for the iOS platform and then for Android. But more applications are released for Android than for iOS, given its open-source model. Android has a larger user-base but iOS applications frequently convey greater revenue. They appear to finish up in a tie once more.
Here is a comparison table which has the characteristics of both platforms.
| Android | iOS | |
| Programming Languages | For Android, it is Java. It is very easy to learn and code this language, even for beginners too. | For iOS, it is mostly Objective-C and Swift. Objective-C requires more lines of coding. |
| Development Tools | Android’s development toolkit is the Android Studio. Both Android and iOS’ development toolkits are accessible free of expense.
This IDE effectively features mistakes and offers more choices for app development. |
To deploy applications onto iOS devices or distribute them over the application store, you would need to pay $99 per year.
Xcode needs an express form stage and offers fewer choices, but the GUI design tools will compensate for the setbacks. |
| Design System | Android’s design system allows for partitioning of applications into fragments and activity.
Activities relate to a screen. And fragments are part of activities.
Numerous screens implies various activities with only one active at any given time. Fragments, on the other hand, can be utilized to open different screens, enter values, and return to activity. Multiple fragments can be used with an activity. |
Navigation and organization is done by view controllers. And there are similar ones like: navigation controllers, page view controllers, split view controllers and so on.
There is additionally storyboard which helps you compose the pictures and illustrations. |
| Device Fragmentation | There are 19,000 screen size variations supporting Android. | The screen size variety in iOS is restricted to a few dozen and there are just three sizes of graphics for this. And this is an advantage, because you do not have to pre-scale large numbers of players with Android. |
| Simulators | Android’s simulators may end up being quite problematic. This is because of the various, differed models that keep running on Android.
With Android, you would need to settle on the choice of the operating system versions, screen size and will have to create one that suits your needs. Then, you have to make sure that it is an Intel-powered version, not Arm. Arm Simulator is quite slow and not very effective. |
Apple wins in this category hands down. With a couple of models, it gives only one simulator that you can invoke for the appropriate model. That makes things simple! |
| Documentation | The documentation provided for Android development is comprehensive and quite impressive. | The documentation provided in iOS development is well documented simply like it is for Android, and clarifies explicit ideas, similar to View Controllers, truly well. Moreover, it supports both Swift and Objective-C. |
So, both of these apps were about the comparison of the development platform.
Even considering other factors like market share, revenue, ease of up-gradation and more, both the platforms seem to be close to the winning edge.
So, as a learner venturing into this arena, it would only be wise if you based your choice on your personal interests and circumstances.
Whichever platform you choose to specialize in, a professional certification to validate your learning and skills will help immensely. Check out our courses here: