For ages, it has been always difficult for businesses to choose between Android or iOS platforms for their mobile app development needs. If iOS is said to bring in more revenue, then Android is said to enjoy the largest market share. Both platforms are unique in their own sense.

Android vs iOS – Understanding the Mobile Technologies 

Over the last few years, the mobile app development arena has grown significantly. For businesses, this means there are many opportunities to consider. However, the most common dilemma that businesses face is choosing the right mobile app development platform between Android and iOS. Now this can be hard as both of them come with their own set of pros and cons.  

With more businesses turning mobile-centric, it would be good for them to know which mobile platform can benefit them more as compared to another one.  

Here, in this post, we will see both Android vs iOS platforms in detail and then decide which can offer you more benefits as compared to the other one. 

What is iOS app development?  

iOS is a mobile app development platform that has been developed and maintained by Apple. This operating system had been specifically developed for Apple’s devices like iPhones and iPods. To develop applications using iOS, developers used C, C++, Swift, and Objective C programming languages. Of all these, Swift was used the most.

What is Android app development? 

Android platform is used to create applications that run on Android-powered devices. Android applications are developed for various purposes and for different industries. These applications are developed using programming languages like Kotlin or Java.

User Demographics and Market Share

It would be wise to know about user demographics and market share of Android and iOS apps. A better understanding of these things will help app developers and marketers to pinpoint and reach their target audience effectively. Here, we will see how market share and user demographics impact the success of an iOS and Android app.

User demographics of Android and iOS apps 

There is a significant difference in the user demographics of Android and iOS users. In the general case, the users of iOS devices are wealthy, young, and more educated while Android users cover larger demographics and usually belong to lower income groups as compared to iOS device users. 

Market share of Android and iOS apps 

As per statistics from Statista, Android is the leading mobile app platform even in 2023’s second quarter and it enjoys a market share of 70.8%. Now if we look at iOS, it enjoys a 28.4% market share for the same quarter. However, if we look at the market share region-wise, iOS enjoys a higher rate in regions like the United States.

How is an app success influenced by user demographics and market share? 

It is crucial for app developers and marketers to have a clear idea of the user demographics and market share when they are trying to reach their target audience base. If you are looking for an app that targets a larger mass with low-income groups, then you should consider Android app development and plan out your marketing efforts accordingly. Now, on the other hand, if your app is targeting a wealthier, young crowd that believes in easy spending, you should invest in iOS app development and plan out your marketing strategy accordingly.

Languages Vs. Tools Used App Development 

Android and iOS are different mobile operating systems that make use of different languages and tools for carrying out app development. So, to help you out in selecting the right app platform for your business, let’s compare the tools and languages used for Android and iOS app development.

Languages used for Android app development

Java is the most common language used for Android app development. Apart from that, Kotlin is used in the modern-day to build Android apps. Compared to Java, Kotlin is more expressive and concise.

Tools used for Android app development

Android development is majorly carried out using Android Studio. It is an IDE and is built on IntelliJ IDEA and comes with debugging tools, a code editor, and an Android emulator. To design user interfaces, Android Studio comes with a graphical layout editor.

Languages used for iOS app development

Swift, which has been developed by Apple, is specifically used for carrying out iOS app development. As compared to Objective-C, which was previously used for iOS app development, Swift is faster, safer, and easy to learn and apply.

Tools used for iOS app development

Majorly, iOS app development is carried out using Xcode. It is an IDE that comes with debugging tools, a code editor, and an iOS simulator. To design user interfaces, Xcode comes with a graphical tool named Interface Builder. 

Security And Privacy Features

Whether to choose Android or iOS has always been a point of debate. The selection of platforms also depends on the security and privacy features they offer.  

iOS security and privacy features 

iOS comes with robust security features. Apple follows a strict review policy when it comes to publishing the apps on their App Store. Moreover, iOS ensures that the apps follow secure connections for data transmission by having a feature called “App Transport Security”. Apart from that, the “Sandboxing” feature of iOS limits apps from accessing the resources present on the device.  

Just like security, Apple gives equal importance to privacy. For the same reason, Apple implemented a feature called “App Tracking Transparency”. This feature made the apps request the permission of users to track their data over websites or apps. Moreover, developers were made to disclose the kind of data they collected and used from the users by introducing a feature called “Privacy Labels”. 

Android security and privacy features 

Over the years, the security features of Android have been updated multiple times. Similar to that of Apple, Google has also implemented an app review process before publishing one on the Google Play Store. Again, to check apps for security threats and malware, Google has introduced the “Google Play Protect” feature. Furthermore, Google also restricts the kind of information that is accessed from the devices by introducing “Application Sandboxing.” 

To scan apps for privacy threats, Google has implemented the “Google Play Protect” feature. The “Permissions” feature of Android lets users control what amount of data can be accessed by the apps.

Integration With Third-party Devices

Different approaches 

When it comes to integration with third-party devices, Android and iOS have different approaches. iOS lets you build applications for a limited number of devices as it has a closed ecosystem. On the other hand, Android lets you build applications for many devices with variations as it is an open ecosystem.  

Device compatibility 

Before going ahead with development, investigate the third-party devices into which you want to integrate your app. Check whether developers have access to the API or SDK of the devices or not. Knowing that will help to know whether it will be easy or difficult to integrate the app into the device.  

Framework selection 

Whether it will be easy or tough to integrate an app with third-party devices can be known by the framework you choose. For iOS, mostly Apple’s Core Bluetooth framework is used as it let applications seamlessly communicate with Bluetooth-enabled devices. In the case of Android, Android Open Accessory Development Kit is used as it helps have easy communication with Bluetooth and USB devices. 

Stay up to date with changes 

Android and iOS go through constant changes and upgrades. Such changes will affect the integration with third-party devices. This means it is important to regularly look for updates and check for APIs or SDKs if they are available.

Pros & Cons of Android and iOS App Platforms 

In a nutshell of Android vs iOS App Development

Currently in the market, Android and iOS are considered to be the two major mobile operating systems. Android is an open-source platform and so is available on a variety of devices coming from manufacturers like Google, Samsung, etc. While iOS developed by Apple is limited to its iPhones and iPads.  

When choosing a platform between Android and iOS, you need to consider a few things. Android offers many customization options and is more flexible as compared to iOS. The devices with Android are available at different prices. As compared to iOS devices, Android devices have more battery life too.  

iOS devices, on the other end, have strong hardware, are more secure, and offer unmatched user experience. It is used by many businesses as it easily integrates with a number of productivity apps like Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.  

Ultimately, whether to choose iOS or Android completely depends on the preferences and requirements of the business.