When choosing between building an iOS or Android app, software engineers always have a hard time. The systems might look similar to the user, but they have significant differences during development. They require different development and maintenance approaches. The systems are different in the development level and the system design and marketing strategies. Here are some of the differences between iOS and android app development.
Programming Language
The iOS and the android systems have different programming languages. Android system’s programming language is Java or Kotlin. iOS systems programming language is swift. It requires writing fewer codes, and the readability is easy than in Java. Therefore, app developers find iOS apps easy to build because it is easy and takes less time than building android apps. However, the swift platform is limited. Java allows you to create a mobile app, do server work and web development. Therefore, if you want to build an available app on several platforms, then Java is the best solution.
System Specific Design Distinctiveness
While building an android app, the developer relies on partitions. The developer breaks the app into fragments and activities. Each activity equates to one screen, and if the developer decides to work with several screens, he will work on several activities. On the other hand, when building an iOS app design, the developer uses a view controller. The view controllers include page view, page split, and tab view, among others. The view controller controls the entire screen increasing the pace of development and reducing errors. iOS and Android apps have distinctive differences in design. The iOS system works on a limited number of devices with specific screen resolutions and sizes. In comparison, the android system is flexible and can their design strategy in various devices.
Development Complexity
The complexity of building iOS apps and android apps has a big difference. Android apps building is more complex as compared to iOS apps building. IOS releases a limited number of the device; therefore, the range of screen dimensions to account for is less. It is not the same case with android because android releases many devices. The devices have different screen styles. The screens differ in screen size, resolution, density, and version of the operating system. This means when developing android apps, the developer has to adjust the graphics in each device. The developer will need stimulator testing to ensure the app is well displayed on each device. This will take the developer more time because of the countless testing and reviews. This makes android app building more complex as compared to iOS app building.
Development Environment
Another significant difference in building iOS and Android apps is the development environment. While developing android apps, the developer makes use of the Android studio. Android studio is a tool introduced in 2013 by Google, and it keeps expanding the range of available features. The android studio supports several platforms. It has high readability and a wide range of development features. In contrast, while developing an iOS app, the developers utilize the Xcode tool. The Xcode tool is an apple-backed solution, and it provides fixing tools, supports all iOS devices, and is easy to use.
Money Making Strategies
App developers aim at making money and minimize input. Each developer would want to build apps for free, which is available in some app software. iOS apps offer various app marketing models, but the system still focuses on the purchased app. Unlike iOS apps, android apps are available in the Google app store for free downloads. Most android apps make their money through ads, while iOS makes money through paid apps. This creates a significant difference in the audience because most people will go for the free apps. Going for paid apps only comes when the user needs the app, yet it is unsupported. However, this does not discourage the development of iOS apps, because better still, the apps are of high quality. For successful monetization, the aim should come down to understanding the audience and their needs.
If you have an app development project, you need to get down to your audience and understand their needs. The iOS app and android app building differences will help you know which system to work with to avoid significant downfalls due to poor planning.
