Mobile App Development Platform Comparison

In 2020, the demand for mobile apps is five times greater than the market’s ability to provide them, while the development time is now mostly measured in months. With mobile far-reaching than ever, companies are to stay updated and enhance efficiency and speed to meet needs.
Throughout this article, we’ll provide you with short but sound insights into the basic pros and cons of native mobile app development to help your business pull through some hesitations and deliver mobile apps that stand out.

Why Go Native?

Native mobile app development presupposes building an app for a certain mobile OS. For each platform, there are development tools, frameworks, SDKs, etc. Many companies go for native custom mobile application development since it ensures the best performance, high-level security, ultimate user experience as native apps are more intuitive and interactive, the access to the device’s features set, fewer bugs, and there are huge communities of developers all over the world.

Android & iOS: Market Share

Nowadays most devices run on iOS or Android while the latter is a dominating mobile operating system on the market. As of 2020, Android controls 74.25% of the mobile OS market worldwide whereas 25.15% is left for iOS.
Mobile operating system share worldwide.

Source: Statcounter
According to another statistic, Android OS is supposed to hit 87.4% and iOS is to target 12.6% of global smartphone shipments by 2023 with other OS making up the minor part.

Source: Statista
However, the market share doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s pivotal to look at the project’s requirements, and the company’s resources and capacities. Now, let’s look closer at each platform’s pros and cons:

Android

Android Mobile App Development Pros:

Open-source & Flexibility. Android is an open system allowing developers to build and deliver various features, use different crowdsourcing frameworks and plugins. The ones which are likely to be restricted in the case of iOS. However, all that might complicate the development process.
Programming. Java and Kotlin are the official languages for Android app development. Since Java is used everywhere, starting from startups and web services to data analytics and IoT products, switching to mobile development will be smooth. Also, any Java developer can learn Kotlin in a short span as it took the verbosity and speed from Java.
Design & Customization. With the number of Google’s guidelines and tools, it’s possible to create an authentically appealing and intuitive UI.
Publication. Once you decide to publish your app, it’ll take a few hours for it to be approved. However, the store has its own rules and strict review procedure.
Location. Android is a good choice for European, Asian, South American, and African markets.

Android Mobile App Development Cons:

Security. Android apps are not as secure as those of iOS. Therefore, the threat of malware is higher.
Compatibility & Fragmentation. There might be some compatibility issues as there are various OS versions. That can cause a fragmentation issue. Hence, building an app compatible with all OS versions and devices might be pricey and time-consuming.
Testing. The testing stage might be longer since there are multiple OS versions and devices. As a result, more bugs to fix and more expenditures.

iOS

iOS Mobile App Development Pros:

Performance. Apple is where the software and hardware match is made. There are annual platform upgrades, iOS is stable, responsive, and flexible. It’s also user-friendly and suitable for any type of person.
Security. iOS is one of the most secure OS. It’s a closed source system, it makes the platform more secure reducing the risk of getting hacked. Also, iOS apps are supported and secured by the App Store.
UI Design. Provided with ultimate guidelines for UI design, developers can build apps without much effort.
Versatility. The majority of Apple devices run the same iOS version, hence developers don’t have to spend time building multiple versions for various devices.
Aesthetics. Excellent build quality and smooth navigation are hard to resist. iOS apps are simple and fast.
Location. If your target audience is in North America, Australia, or Western Europe, or if you deliver an enterprise or e-commerce app, Apple might be a perfect match.

iOS Mobile App Development Cons:

Authorization & Publication. There are strict standard guidelines for iOS apps development and publishing and they are to be religiously followed. A mobile app may be rejected for many reasons such as poor performance, privacy issues, lack of valuable content, frequent crashes, substandard UI, and more. Publishing an app to the App Store might be laborious and take up to two days.
Cost. Native iOS projects are usually more expensive. If a mobile app supports various iOS devices, there’s a need for updating and maintenance which leads to higher costs.

Are There Other Ways to Build a Mobile App?

The answer is yes. There are three main approaches to build a mobile app: native (iOS and Android), cross-platform (Xamarin, PhoneGap, React Native, etc.), and hybrid (Ionic, PhoneGap, Corona SDK, etc.). The debate on which of them is best never cease, yet all three have their upsides and downsides. Many factors determine the choice, including app features, budget, speed-to-market, target audience, and more.
Besides, there are piles of app tools and development services such as jQuery Mobile, Appcelerator, Appy Pie, PhoMobile, and others.