{"id":2134,"date":"2019-06-24T12:20:48","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T12:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/?p=2134"},"modified":"2025-07-07T10:41:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T10:41:56","slug":"android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Android vs. iOS- Which One Should You Build First?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smartphone users are generally divided into two camps&#x2014;Android phone users and iPhone fans.<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/#1_Who_is_your_primary_audience\" title=\"1. Who is your primary audience?\">1. Who is your primary audience?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/#2_Whats_your_deadline\" title=\"2. What&#x2019;s your deadline?\">2. What&#x2019;s your deadline?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/#3_What_do_you_want_to_offer_in_your_app\" title=\"3. What do you want to offer in your app?\">3. What do you want to offer in your app?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/#4_What_resources_do_you_have_for_long_term_maintenance\" title=\"4. What resources do you have for long term maintenance?\">4. What resources do you have for long term maintenance?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/#5_What_are_your_plans_for_monetizing_your_app\" title=\"5. What are your plans for monetizing your app?\">5. What are your plans for monetizing your app?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/android-vs-ios-which-one-should-you-build-first\/#Whats_the_bottom_line\" title=\"What&#x2019;s the bottom line?\">What&#x2019;s the bottom line?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>This means that if you&#x2019;re considering building a mobile app for your business, it&#x2019;s ideal that you deliver an app for both platforms. Of course, this is only possible if time and budget allow for it. In a lot of cases, especially if you&#x2019;re a small enterprise with limited resources, this isn&#x2019;t always possible&#x2014;and it becomes a choice between one or the other. The question is, what should you invest in first?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it&#x2019;s true that the smartphone market is split between Android and iOS, the truth is, Android holds a significant share.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macworld.co.uk\/feature\/iphone\/iphone-vs-android-market-share-3691861\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Recent statistics report<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that Android has a massive market share of 74.45%, with iOS trailing behind with 22.85%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5317\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-company-1.webp\" alt=\"app-development-company\" width=\"750\" height=\"783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-company-1.webp 750w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-company-1-287x300.webp 287w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-company-1-390x407.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the surface, this makes it seem like Android is the way to go. However, the market share shouldn&#x2019;t be the only deciding factor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here are five important things to consider:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Who_is_your_primary_audience\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Who is your primary audience?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the primary differences between Android and iOS are the kind of users they attract. The defining characteristics can be very stark. For example, Android may have a significant global market share, but Apple users spend more on the app store. Basic demographics also vary greatly. For example, in terms of geographic location, the<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macworld.co.uk\/feature\/iphone\/iphone-vs-android-market-share-3691861\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">US actually edges out Android users slightly<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Everywhere else, Android maintains its significant lead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why it&#x2019;s so important to understand who your primary audience is. If you&#x2019;re building an app that&#x2019;s intended for a broader global or up-and-coming market such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America then it might make more sense to build an Android app first. Android users are also more likely to be used by people who work in technical industries and there is even research that claims<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/314376.php\" rel=\"nofollow\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">men show a preference for Android over iOS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#x2019;re planning to launch your app to a more niche audience in North America, then iOS might be your best bet. According to studies,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">iPhone users earn 40% more<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than the average Android user.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5318\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-platforms.webp\" alt=\"app-development-platforms\" width=\"600\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-platforms.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-platforms-300x204.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-platforms-390x265.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>They&#x2019;re more popular in the enterprise market and preferred by women given Apple&#x2019;s reputation for user experience and security.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Whats_your_deadline\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. What&#x2019;s your deadline?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#x2019;ve probably heard this phrase thrown around in tech circles: &#x201C;Android is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">open<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and iOS <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">closed<\/span><\/i><i><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&#x201D; <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is true in a sense. The Android OS can be used to create custom operating systems making it possible for users to tinker and modify the platform; while iOS makes it nearly impossible to do this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>To that end, most assume that building an Android app is easier and faster, when in fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/android-apps-development\/\">Android development<\/a> is likely to be more expensive than iOS. Being an open-sourced platform, Android lacks the same level of standardization that iOS follows. This makes developing an Android app means you have to factor in more devices, components, and software fragmentation.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, while it&#x2019;s easier to develop an app for iOS devices, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/top-6-iphone-app-development-proactive-measures-for-the-app-store\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple App Store also enforces stricter rules and quality control.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This translates to a longer review process for approval. It may even come to a point where your app doesn&#x2019;t get approved if it fails to meet Apple&#x2019;s standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_What_do_you_want_to_offer_in_your_app\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. What do you want to offer in your app?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The open-sourced nature of Android makes it easier for you to build more diverse and innovative features into your app. So, if you plan to constantly improve your app based on functionalities that your audience wants, Android should be able to better accommodate this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This, however, means that Android is more susceptible to pirate apps and malware. On the other hand, iOS is definitely more secure, but customizability is more limited.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_What_resources_do_you_have_for_long_term_maintenance\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. What resources do you have for long term maintenance?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, Android users are<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slower to adopt new operating systems<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. According to a report, more than 50% of Android users still have devices that run on systems that were at least a year old. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-solutions.webp\" alt=\"app-development-solutions\" width=\"750\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-solutions.webp 750w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-solutions-300x219.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-solutions-390x284.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means if you&#x2019;re developing a mobile app for Android first, you have to make sure that you have the resources to provide constant maintenance for your app. Since Android users are slow to download and upgrade their current iOS, it&#x2019;s up to you to ensure that your app is optimized despite running on an older system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Apple users, however, regularly update their devices. This means while you may have to jump through more hoops to get it up on the Apple App Store, you won&#x2019;t have to spend as much time and effort on maintenance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/contact\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5319 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-services-1.webp\" alt=\"app-development-services\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-services-1.webp 728w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-services-1-300x37.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/app-development-services-1-390x48.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_What_are_your_plans_for_monetizing_your_app\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. What are your plans for monetizing your app?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all apps are made to generate revenue. It really all depends on your objective. If you intend to monetize your app, you need to know some key differences between Android and iOS.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For starters, despite the large margin Android users have over iOS users, the Apple App Store generates twice as much revenue than Google Play. This means Apple users are more willing to pay for apps and spend on them versus Android users.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_bottom_line\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What&#x2019;s the bottom line?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Deciding on what to develop next depends on your mobile app objectives and goals. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of each, following these key factors before making your decision. If you need more guidance,&#xA0;our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/mobile-app-development\/\">app developers<\/a> are here to help you out.<\/p>\n<p>Did you find this post informative? Hit the subscribe button and get regular updates, news, and stories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smartphone users are generally divided into two camps&#x2014;Android phone users and iPhone fans. This means that if you&#x2019;re considering building a mobile app for your business, it&#x2019;s ideal that you&#x2026;\n<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[287],"tags":[130,228],"class_list":{"0":"post-2134","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-app-development","8":"tag-android-app-development","9":"tag-ios-app-development"},"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/android-app-vs-ios-app.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Anand Mahajan","author_link":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/author\/sphinxuser\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2134"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19484,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2134\/revisions\/19484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}