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iOS and Android are age-long rivals whose developers attempt to show the superiority of one operating system over the other. In recent years, advancing technology has created another rival in mobile app development as cross-platform apps. As more enterprises consult mobile app development service providers to build feature-rich apps, platform selection plays a vital role. In this post, we are going to compare two native OS and cross-platform app development.
Let’s start with the significance of a feature-rich business app.
4.4 million apps and counting! Both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have millions of apps available across different genres. Though the number of applications is increasing rapidly, business app development is still a valuable investment. Let’s mention some major reasons why companies attempt to build customized apps with desired features.
Business apps can automate several repetitive processes to increase the employee’s efficiency. These apps can save productive time and money over the period.
Transformation and automation in several processes can simplify workflows and employees can focus more on other productive tasks because of a seamless app.
An advanced business app can provide your company with real-time data related to the user’s activities and daily processes.
A tailored app can simplify complex processes and streamline the workflow of your company to make the most of available resources.
As a reliable communication tool, a business app with desired features can keep all the employees on the same page.
Your enterprise-level app is capable of giving rich and pleasant experiences to customers and employees to increase their engagement and efficiency.
Advanced business apps with top features can engage employees and team management effectively. Moreover, as per the official forecast, the number of smartphone owners will increase steadily in the 10 years from 2016 to 2027. This is also one of the major reasons why enterprises need to bring dedicated apps.
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Mobile application development services offer two main approaches for building feature-rich business apps- native and cross-platform app development. Let’s compare both technologies.
When we talk about native app development, two popular operating systems come into our minds- Android and iOS. Let’s compare both these platforms from the perspective of a mobile app development company .
Google manages Android OS. This open-source operating system is mainly used for touchscreen devices like Android TVs, smartphones, and tablets. Android OS uses programming languages like Kotlin, Java, C++, C, and Go. The process of making mobile apps for this robust platform is Android app development .
Android apps are highly customizable and developers can publish them on the Google Play Store without many hurdles. As Android OS is an open-source platform, Android app development remains cost-effective. Moreover, you can hire Android app developers from anywhere in the world because a large number of skilled developers are available.
Apple Inc. has developed iOS and it manages it as a closed ecosystem for Apple devices like iPhones. iPhone app developers or iOS developers need to use exclusive development tools of Apple and Swift, an official programming language for developing apps. However, a closed ecosystem makes the iOS apps more exclusive and impressive as compared to Android apps.
Excellent UI and rich experience with higher security are key benefits of iOS app development . You can hire iPhone app developers to build feature-rich and attractive iOS apps. However, iOS has a comparatively limited market share than Android OS because its customer base is limited to North America and some other countries.
Android and iOS are age-old rivals and their comparison can give you assistance in selecting the right app development process. Let’s dig deep into the key points of differences between the Android and iOS app development processes.
Android app developers and iOS app developers have different hourly rates. Moreover, Android app development is a more time-consuming process as compared to iOS app development. Android apps need to be tested on multiple devices also. Therefore, Android app development is costlier than iOS app development. It is, however, better to consult a reputed mobile app development company with project requirements to get a quote that covers all the aspects of the process.
Both software giants Google and Apple offer a set of comprehensive tools for developing customized applications. Here is what Android offers to its developers-
Documentation
Sample code
Official IDE known as Android Studio
Google Play Console for delivering valuable insights of the app
Apple also provides developers with a rich set of resources that includes-
Documentation
Code samples
App development guides
Xcode- Apple’s IDE.
Here, it is fair to mention that Android’s tools and resources are easier to use than Apple’s developer tools.
Android OS is an undisputed leader in the global mobile market with over 71.77 percent market share . Over 2.5 billion active Android users across 190 countries can be a huge audience of Android app owners. Moreover, a wide range of Android devices is available these days which further gives new opportunities to entrepreneurs.
In contrast, iOS has over 27 percent of the market share and is concentrated in developed countries like the USA and Japan. However, the market share of iOS rises steadily in Europe and Asia as its popularity rises.
Android and iOS have different app deployment or publishing processes. Here is a glimpse of the deployment policies of both platforms- Android App Bundle is mandatory to publish apps on the Play Store. Moreover, all new apps need to meet a target API level of 31 and meet several requirements like app name, short, and full description. iOS Developers need to pass through a stringent process before deploying an app. Also, iOS developers have to join the Apple Developer Program. The submission process also includes sending detailed information about the app with its description.
App integration is essential for ensuring seamless connections and interactions across different devices and platforms. The Android app development process uses ADK (Accessory Development Kit) for integration capabilities. It enables app developers to integrate the Android app with desktops for easy synchronization and file sharing with the open ecosystem.
iOS, on the other hand, is a closed network of limited devices. It has features like AirDrop, Continuity, etc. for integration capabilities. These features make transfers seamless and ensure continuity between iOS devices and other Apple products.
This is one of the most distinct differences between Android OS and iOS. Talking about Android, Google has implemented several measures for protecting users and devices. Some measures are two-step verification, sandboxing, and internal app scanning in the Google Play Store. Moreover, Google releases security updates regularly to address vulnerabilities and threats in Android applications.
On the other hand, Apple has very stringent security norms for its apps. Team Apple reviews every app as per the company’s development guidelines before publishing. Also, iOS applications have secure HTTPS-like communication protocols for data transmission encryption between the server and iOS apps. Sandboxing is also available for customized iOS apps to prevent unauthorized sharing and access of sensitive data.
Both Android OS and iOS have unique benefits to offer from the perspective of user-friendliness. However, here iOS has a slightly upper hand from Android OS thanks to sleek design and seamless navigation. As a result, iOS app developers can build intuitive interfaces for customized apps that are easy to use. Another factor is Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines. As iOS apps work seamlessly with Apple devices, app users can enjoy quicker load times and better performance than Android apps.
Companies that want to build an app for both Android and iOS platforms can hire mobile app developers for cross-platform app development.
Though native apps have better appearance and performance than their cross-platform counterparts, these apps have the biggest limitation in terms of the OS. Native apps can run on Android OS or iOS based on the development process. In other words, if you want an app that can run on Android and iOS, you need to develop separate apps for them. It is a bit expensive and time-consuming process.
Here, cross-platform app development emerges as a cost-effective option. If you want to target an audience that consists of various demographics and uses both Android OS and iOS, then a cross-platform app can serve your objective effectively. It just requires a single codebase that functions on Android and iOS devices. It can reduce the overall development time and cost. You can get an app that can reach a wider audience irrespective of the operating system.
Let’s understand cross-platform app development tools and technologies in detail.
Cross-platform or hybrid app development gains ground swiftly for cost-effectiveness and rapid development process. Device-agnostic cross-platform apps can assist your company to get a reduced TTM (Time to Market), and an opportunity to address a huge audience consisting of Android OS and iOS-based mobile users.
Though advancing technology has brought several tools for developing customized cross-platform applications, we will focus on Ionic and Flutter frameworks.
It is one of the cross-platform app development leaders. Also useful in developing feature-rich PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), Ionic is an open-source framework that can build high-quality mobile apps. Ionic uses three core web technologies HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, and integrates easily into popular JS frameworks Angular, React, and Vue.
Ionic is an enterprise app platform and some renowned apps like JustWatch, Firstly, and InstantPot are based on it.
It is an emerging, open-source, cross-platform app development framework . It has gained ground in a short time of release thanks to some innovative features and developer-friendly tools like widgets. Developed, maintained, and supported by Google, Flutter is mainly useful in creating expressive and engaging UI for multiple platforms.
Flutter supports Dart language and it powers some famous apps like Google Ads, New York Times, and Postmuse.
In a nutshell, we can mention that selecting the right approach or technology for your upcoming business app depends on several factors including budget, deadline, target audience, and market trends with the competitors’ apps. A reputed mobile app development services provider can suggest to you the most suitable platform for your enterprise-grade app.
Silicon IT Hub is a leading mobile app development company. We have in-house teams for developing native and cross-platform apps with desired features. Our team of experienced business consultants can assist you in making an informed decision. Simply send us an email at info@siliconithub.com and we will get back to you in a short time.
The choice between native and cross-platform app development is based on project requirements, app complexity, target audience, and performance-related factors.
If you want to target a premium audience primarily in the USA and Europe, it is better to opt for an iOS app development. Moreover, you can monetize your app using subscriptions and in-app purchases.
You can consider the top factors including target audience, device performances, budget, deadlines, competitor apps, and complexity of your proposed app when selecting the development platform.
Entrepreneurs who want to address a huge audience across the world and prefer an open ecosystem for app development should opt for Android app development.
Factors like tight deadlines, budgetary limitations, and content-driven apps for information sharing can make cross-platform app development a better option than native development.
