Together, Android and iOS have over 6.6 billion active monthly users or approximately 96% of the global smartphone market. Although their architectural designs are similar, iOS and Android have different development processes, frameworks, and maintenance strategies. Even if iOS apps have an ROI that is 85% higher than those for Android, you can still gain a significant market share by developing an Android app. As a result, choosing between the two major platforms to launch your app can be difficult for a business owner. However, understanding the main distinctions between these apps’ development can make your job easier. Therefore, we have designed the main 5 differences that make iOS app development different from android. Let’s have a look.
1. Programming Languages
One of the biggest differences between developing for Android and iOS is the programming language. For Android apps, Java and Kotlin are most commonly used, while Objective-C and Swift are used for iOS apps. Developing an iOS app with Swift gives the developer advantage of writing less code and therefore, iOS app coding projects take less time to develop in comparison to android apps. High-interactivity interfaces are also possible with Swift. It is, however, platform-restricted. With Java, you can create websites, develop apps for mobile devices, and operate on servers. There are other languages you can use for either platform, but these four are the most popular.
2. Integrated Development Environment
An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software application that helps programmers write code by providing them with a set of tools to manage their projects. For Android development, the most popular IDEs are Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA which gives developers benefits like cross-platform support, great readability and a large array of creating and debugging facilities while Xcode is the preferred IDE for iOS development which leverages iOS developers with bug-fixing tools, ease of use, and undoubtedly covers the whole range of iOS devices.
3. User Interface and User Experience
Another key difference between developing for Android and iOS is the design of the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). In general, iOS apps have a cleaner and more minimalistic design than Android apps. This is because Apple has stricter guidelines for developers when it comes to UI and UX design. As a result, iOS apps tend to have a more consistent look and feel than Android apps, on the other hand, android developers must adjust their design approach for every device and screen size. They need to pay attention to the differences like the Navigation bar(placement and color), pop-up notifications, back button, and more.
4. Testing
Before an app can be released, it needs to be thoroughly tested to ensure that there are no bugs or glitches that could cause problems for users. When it comes to testing, there are some significant differences between Android and iOS. For example, Android devices come in many different shapes and sizes due to the wide variety of manufacturers that make them, which can make testing more challenging. In contrast, all iPhones have the same screen size, making testing on this platform simpler. Another key difference is that Apple provides developers with access to a limited number of devices during the beta testing phase, while Google makes its entire range of devices available from the start.
5. App Stores
Another key difference between these two platforms is the app store they use. Apple’s App Store is tightly controlled, with every app that’s submitted go through an approval process before it’s made available to users. In contrast, Google Play has a more relaxed approach and will generally approve an app as long as it meets a few basic requirements such as not containing any harmful content. This difference can impact the time it takes to get an app approved and available on each platform; on average, it takes around two weeks for an iOS app to be approved while an Android app can be approved in as little as a day or two.
Takeaways
When developing an Android or iOS app, understanding the key differences between the two platforms can help streamline the process. In a nutshell, if you are targeting a market for premium users and do not have to limited budget you should opt for iOS on the other hand if you are on a strict budget choosing android is a wiser choice. By keeping these five points in mind during your development process, you can ensure that your app meets all the necessary requirements for each platform and provides users with an optimal experience regardless of which device they’re using.