There are a lot of considerations made around choosing iOS or Android for enterprise application development. There is a common notion that iOS is much expensive than Android, but this is not always true. There are many subsidiary aspects to be checked to decide on iOS vs. Android, which we will explore here.
Before going into other details, in terms of cost, let us have a basic understanding as below:
An app with minimal requirements may take about 300 hours to complete, and one of the medium requirements may take 600 hours. Some of the most complicated apps may demand a development time of 800 hours or above. Multiplying the hourly rate of development with the number of hours taken will give you the total cost of development. However, in Android and iOS, there may be a difference in development based on the resources needed for development. So, in the case of budgeting, there may be a difference between Android vs. iOS.
Other notable facts in Android vs. iOS app development
App design
Android application development is guided by some specific design guidelines, which will further determine the app specifications. While you design for Android, you may have to stick to the Material Design, whereas the guidebook for iOS developers is Human Interface Guidelines.
For Apple, the content of the app is given priority over the design elements. As a result, it is advisable to have more clarity for broader usage. The top tools by the UI designers on iOS development are gradients and shadows. Overall, the application design must convey the feeling of depth on Apple devices and should be multi-layered.
On the other hand, Android designs are usually inspired by the real world. As a result, motion and color are two major defining factors. Android designers used to operate with a wider range of tools as motion, light, and color changes. Moreover, it is up to the app designers to choose the look-and-feel of the applications. Many system-specific differences may influence the design of Android vs. iOS apps.
Device buttons
Even though this does not seem to be a very significant detail, Android devices usually have three buttons: home, overview, and back. However, Apple phones may have one home button. So, iOS developers need to make sure that they find a way to return to the previous screen. For Android, this feature is optional. However, from the latest Android 9.0 version onwards, gesture navigation as of iOS will also be adopted. Shortly, we may expect that the three-button Android devices my get replaced with a single gesture-operated home button.
Even though Android devices may remove the buttons to create an on-screen button for home, we may not deny that iOS button functionality is much more extensive. It can instantly call Siri or scan the user fingerprints etc. Most iPhone users have simply fallen in love with the center button’s tactical sensation. For more specifications regarding iOS vs. Android app development, you may consult with Flosum experts.
Placement of navigation bar
Navigation bar placement is also a very noteworthy detail to keep an eye on. On the iOS devices, the navigation bar is centered, and on the Android phones, this is left-aligned. App developers also use navigation bards to write the name on-screen. There is no such definite rule about navigation bar placement in terms of the UX.
Supporting widgets
It is noted that Android devices support widgets extensively on the home screen. On the other hand, iOS is new to the widget trend, and as a result, it offers only limited support to widgets. The users can only access the widgets at the Notification bar. With the support of widgets, Android devices can have a significant advantage over iOS devices. They fully get adopted to the feature, and intelligent developers can more extensively benefit from it.
Fragmentation
We discussed complications of fragmentation on Android devices when it comes to development and testing. In this respect, designers may have to withhold the creation of detailed applications as they will be extremely slow in the case of low-end devices. The difference in screen dimensions may make more proportionate settings, and then it will pose more challenging tasks, which will be time-consuming. Fragmentation may also make Android design a much painful process. This is why the Android app interfaces may cost more and take much longer while compared to iOS.
App Store and Google Play
You find almost similar interfaces for both the App Store and Google Play Market. Both feature a home page and application listings. There are filters to easily search for the desired apps or functions and navigate the listings. App description pages of both stores, too, have somewhat similar layouts. You can find a detailed description, a gallery of images, and also app ratings and reviews. A handy download button is there next to it for a one-click download of the application. Both the App Store and Google Play now has thousands of handy applications for any functional needs along with many games and books etc. There are both free and paid apps available out there.
Distribution model
Along with the release of apps for the public to download, iOS features enterprise and developer distribution, models. With this, organizations can distribute their tools among their team members or a closed team of users. You can also distribute apps under a limited private license and gain access to beta-testing tools for application and advanced development utilities. Suppose you want to create an iOS app for a specific purpose, for example, education. In that case, you can find a dedicated iOS University program for colleges or schools to introduce their application securely through it.
On the other hand, Android developers can simply release the app on Amazon App Store, which is a marketplace for Android apps and made available worldwide. The user base of Amazon is also now as impressive as Google Play, so on Android, the developers have the scope of attracting more users.
If you are not only on a limited budget and want to focus on the premium segments, then iOS may be the apt choice. If you want to focus on a worldwide audience and bootstrapped with a budget, it is better for Android. However, the ideal choice is to build native apps for both these platforms.
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