Major Differences Between iOS and Android App Development

Developing an application is a very challenging task. It is growing fast because of mobile phone invasion, demand among end-users, and evolving business needs. According to an analytical survey, the number of smartphone users is expected to reach more than 2.53 Billion. The number of mobile phone users is expected to pass the 7 Billion mark by 2022 worldwide.

When picking between iOS and Android app development, software engineers are often confused. Both methods, despite having structural similarities, still have different development and preservation approaches. 

Both the systems are separate from each other, not just on the development level but also on the design and marketing strategy. 

In this article, we are going to embrace the differences between iOS and Android. We will briefly evaluate the risks of choosing either of the two operating systems and calculate a sample app’s price. By the end of the post, we will understand Android vs. iOS pros and cons.

Differences in iOS and Android App Development

The most crucial dissimilarity between iOS and Android app development are technical ones. Both the platforms have different programming languages, testing approaches, and so on. The most apparent differences in iOS vs. Android development on the professional side are as follows:

1. Programming Languages

Both iOS developers vs. Android developer utilize separate technology stacks. The first one massively relies on Java or Kotlin as an alternative, while the second one has a restrictive language intended for app development – Swift. 

As swift, it has not stayed in the spotlight for a long time, old school iOS developers rely on the objective – C as the primary programming language.

Which stack is more durable and more comfortable to master? Maximum mobile app developers find an iOS app simpler to build than an Android. Programming in swift needs less time than getting around Java as the language has high readability. 

However, Kotlin is developing for the future and could make tables turn once again. The language is thought of as a soon-to-be Java replacement as it is natural, modern, and easy to read. Languages used for iOS development have a smaller learning curve than those for Android as they are easier to master.

2. Development Environment

Another significant difference between iOS and Android app development lies in the integrated environment. Android developers manage to rely upon eclipse as a third-party development service originating from IBM as an essential tool for Android development as they were not out at that time. 

Google released Android studio in 2013 that is an exclusive tool that increases the range of convenient features. This collaborative development ecosystem has cross-platform assistance, high readability, a wide range of development, and debugging features. iOS developers, on the other hand, depend upon proprietary XCode. 

This Apple backed solution gives a variety of bug fixing tools, promotes the entire range of iOS devices, and is very easy to get around.

3. System-Specific Design Differences

iOS developer vs. Android developer shares the originating principles of software design, as both are designed for mobile app development. Because both touch and stylus don’t give a 100% clicking precision, the smallest clickable areas are 44 pixels for iOS and 48 pixels for Android. 

Android apps are produced using the partition, i.e., according to the team, they will have to break the app into fragments and activities. An activity is comparable to one app screen, as in case a developer has a project with multiple screens, he may end up leading dozens of activities. 

Each activity contains a fragment as part of the user interface, which is frequently used to navigate activities, enter a value, and open a new app screen. On the other hand, the benefits of iOS app development depend upon view controllers. 

A few types of such used for app development are page view, tab, split view controllers, and so on. There are numerous ways for managing controllers as a developer can address them in code or create images in a storyboard and store it as an XML file. 

In this way, the growth pace is developed while the risk of errors reduces. The benefits of iOS app development are more flexible and not so error-prone as Android apps. By system design, an iOS app is more comfortable to develop.

4. Development Complexity

When it comes to iOS vs. Android development complexity, Android loses by big numbers. It has a lot to do with device fragmentation as Apple releases a limited range of devices. 

Hence there is a small range of screen dimensions to account for as it is not the case with Android. 

There are dozens of screen styles depending on the screen size, density, and OS version. Other than adjusting the graphics to an entire range of devices, developers will need to use dozens of device simulators during testing to ensure that the app is displayed legally for all users. 

Consequently, both testing and test companies play a crucial role in application software development services. They require many reviews and iterations and are resource and time-consuming. So by development complexity, iOS is more comfortable to handle.

5. App Design Differences

Android vs. iOS pros and cons are defined by design guidelines systems that determine apps look and feel. While designing for Android, we must create material, whereas the iOS developer’s guide book will be Human Interface Guidelines. 

For Apple, the app’s content has a priority over the design; thus, accuracy and general use of white spaces are desirable. The most basic tools used by UI designers are Shadows and gradients. The application’s design should carry a sense of intensity and be multilayered.

Android designs originate from real-world influence. As a result, color and action are the two defining circumstances. Android designers typically work with a more extensive range of tools that are light, motions, and color changes. It is totally up to the designer to pick a look and feel for the app. 

Nevertheless, specific system-specific differences influence the design of iOS and Android apps. When choosing a platform for building a mobile app, there are many aspects we should pay attention to. 

In the above article, we have analyzed the key elements to outline the difference between iOS and Android app development platforms. The essential part is to analyze the segments that separate these two platforms and keep them in remembrance when considering the app for our business.

Related Articles

parallel testing in selenium

what is iot

Mobile Testing Tools

what is a seedbox

sase definition

qtest tool