In a decade or so, there have been tremendous advancements in the technology that goes into making a cell phone. The lines separating the functions of phone with that of a computer are getting blurred on a day-to-day basis. With the advent of the internet technology for cell phones, there has been a marked emergence of various apps to the otherwise basic features of these phones, turning these portable devices into ‘smartphones’.
The main criterion for any app developer to arrive at a suitable decision of building an app for the right operating system is the market share these giants have a say over. The market share has been the bone of contention between these two formidable giants in the business. But iOS is highly ensconced in terms of popularity. Let’s take a look at areas where iOS has an edge over Android.
Advantages of iOS over Android
There are a number of advantages of developing an app first using the iOS platform and later design one for Google’s Android. Here are 10 areas listed wherein iOS outruns Android in the app race:
1. Better overall app quality
The apps developed using the Android platform available on Google Play surely outnumber those developed for the iOS platform but the tables are turned upside down when the topic of quality arises. The pure quality of the apps developed for the iOS platform in wide areas of categories- especially such as those pertaining to games, media creation and children’s apps are unmatched. Google should put in a lot of effort in these areas to match up.
2. Enhanced user experience
The accusation against Apple that it hasn’t made any agreeable changes to iOS since its first version is right, but this does not imply that it has turned a blind eye to the user needs. To uphold this fact, it should be noted that the user interface on every other iOS device is not subject to major changes. Contrary to this, the user experience on Android varies a lot from one manufacturer to the other due to skinning.
Fragmentation is a big problem on the Android platform. 60 percent of all iPhone users are currently using the newest version of iOS, while less than 5 percent of all Android users are running the newest version of Android. These numbers alone do the talking. Clearly this is a problem of plenty haunting Google given the large assortment of phones that are running on Android.
Another problem that crops up because of fragmentation on Google’s Android is that a number of carriers and handset manufacturers associated with it do not keep the users updated on the newest Android versions making its way into the market. This situation exacerbates further because of the endless number of phone models running on the Android platform. Sending regular updates becomes a daunting task for these carriers and handset manufacturers associated with it.
To give you a clear view of this problem with Android, over half of all Android users are still running version 2.3, which was released way back in 2010. While, Apple doesn’t allow skinning and when it feels the need, it allows users with older devices to upgrade to the newest version of its OS. This results in a more consistent and an enhanced user experience.
3. Tablet-friendly app listings
The App Store has a long listing of apps that are categorically managed. The iPhone and iPad apps are displayed separately in different areas. iPad apps are designed to suit tablets as they have larger screens. Google fails to provide these privileges.
4. No carrier junk
Carriers have their Android devices overloaded with third party apps that rarely deliver promised quality. Some of these apps charge exorbitant subscription rates. Many of these pre-installed apps do fall short of their quality and users are not likely to use them often. Even deleting them is not possible. Apple doesn’t allow carriers to install all these unnecessary apps. This is an advantage that iOS users have over Android ones.
5. A better personal assistant
Google Now looks decent for a personal assistant, but the version of Siri included in iOS 6 has very surprising features. It is built to look more human when it answers questions put forth by the user. The questions can range from suggestions from it on a variety of problems and the answer is very satisfactory. It uses the technology of Artificial Intelligence to answer these. Siri is so sophisticated that there are very few errors surfacing in the answers it comes up with. Apple has put a lot of efforts in order to come up with Siri.
6. iOS preferred for Apps
There are plenty of popular apps available for iOS, but many of them are not available on Android. Android has to catch up with iOS on this. It is true that developers release their apps with both the platforms in mind, but they tend to be more biased to favor iOS over Android by releasing their iOS apps first. This makes things difficult for Android.
7. Better HTML5 support
There is no doubt that Flash is installed in a number of computers on the web to cater to the multimedia needs of people, but many people have the opinion that HTML5 has all the potential to replace it. The latter is touted to be the next big thing in the multimedia business. So, instead of supporting Flash, Apple has come up with HTML5 support for Android and plans to stick with it hoping that it will soon replace Flash. This is a very good move on part of Apple.
8. Dynamic App icons
The icons on iOS are aesthetically designed and are pleasing to the eye. Folders and apps like Spotify are capable of showing notifications without having the need for you to log in. This is lot better than clicking on them now and then in order to have a look at the notifications. Android has limited capabilities in this field. There has to be more improvement on part of Android in such areas.
9. Better power management
iOS is way ahead in terms of intelligent power management than the Android devices. This could be because of the fact that iOS is very repulsive to third-party apps running in the background. This could also have to do with the fact that iPhone 4S has an under-clocked processor and provides no LTE support. Needless to say, this feature prolongs the battery power and is the very feature that a lot of people vouch for in their purchasing of a cell phone.
Intelligent power management is the need of the hour as people can get rid of the eerie feeling of the battery being low when confronted with important tasks. This helps them to relax without being anxious of the battery levels upholding the fact that there is no power outlet available on the streets and places like this to charge them.
10. Better support for USB audio devices
Devices using iOS can play and record audio with standard USB audio devices by making use of the camera connection kit. This ease of playing and recording audio from USB audio devices is not available on the Android platform. Android devices are provided with an USB port that cannot host audio devices.
This handicap in striking the right chord with people who have an experience with using Android devices can have very negative repercussions on the brand. Prospective buyers look for music features in such devices as it has become the norm and trend to listen to music on the go- a stress buster to many people wanting to take a reprieve from all the day’s strenuous and demanding activities.
Music is also used to escape from the humdrum of normal mechanical life by a lot of people and the portability and the compatibility of their device with many other devices can mean a lot to the prospective buyer. A phone supporting good audio quality is preferred. Music on iOS devices sounds good and is unbeatable.
Conclusion
These 10 listed features are the very reasons that any prospective buyer would fall head over heels for iPhones and iPads. iOS does not compromise on quality that it delivers to its users and every app developer should bank upon these spell binding and awe-inspiring features that come loaded with every iOS phone. This quality of iOS has enchanted many users and there are long serpentine queues to buy a newest and a latest version of an iOS based phone. So it is advised for any app developer to develop an iOS based app and reap huge benefits. Developers should design an application for iOS first so that their limits are tested. When iOS tests their endurance and skill sets, the resulting app will look the best. Creating an Android app later on is always the easier task and can be done later on.
