TECHNOLOGY |
TECHNOLOGY
As we sit and breathe the very air around us, we must come to terms with a very important factoid that dominates the mobile software world. Android is the most widely used and most preferred software in the world right now.
63% of the mobiles in the world are powered by android and it has been noticed that every day, close to half a million android phones come into existence by activation.
That is a mind boggling number as from statistics alone we can heed the magnitude of its grip on the mobile platform.
A forging reason why Android has become so popular amongst developers as well as users is because of its sheer non-exclusivity ideal which surrounds it. Based on an open linux coding, android softwares are easy to code and compile with the numerous tools available. These tools give us everything that is required and needed so as to create a magnificent and fully functional app. Also, because of its sheer acceptance and usage worldwide, developing an android app means your app is readily available to the 63% mobile users as opposed to the 29% using iOS.
From the above statement we can clearly deduce that the only competition in terms of choosing an android is to opt for the more sleek iOS software. But there are reasons other than money that govern a developers decision to choose Android over an iOS because even though Android is used by many more, iOS generates more revenue through in-app purchases and paid updates. So what are these reasons that guide a developer towards Android? Well we can explore that through a few highlighted points among the technocrat society.
COMPATIBILITY:
Most of the android apps that are developed are created using the ever creative JAVA language, unlike iOS that operates under the almost obsolete machine level C. Hence due to the nature of its compiler language, JAVA is easily compatible with other devices. It has been noticed that imported Android softwares work perfectly normal, if not better, in systems such as Symbian, Ubuntu and Chrome OS. Shockingly, it has also been observed to be compatible and portable to the Blackberry devices. And this is a good thing considering the Blackberry Company tanked and went under 4 years ago. And to boot, Windows in an official statement, has released word that it will provide and safe and hassle free method to port the Android software to their Windows 10 operating devices.
ANDROID STUDIO:
Basically, it was a coding tool that was developed by the Google company and its sister technical teams of Alphabet so as to improve the speed as well as efficiency of the apps being generated. This studio or tool works like the Xcoe and Swift in iOS. Before there was an android developer such as Eclipse and so on but that changed with the Android Studio plug-in. Some of its important key features that it boasted were options to preview layout on multiple screen configurations during the editing process. Lint tools that explore viability and compatibility were also introduced.
COMPILING AND CODING LANGUAGE:
Java. The Thor of languages! Why I refer to the language as a norse god is because Thor is one of the most powerful gods in Norse culture, as Java is the most powerful tool in the world of coding. Learning how to compile and code in Java is an important feature in every coder’s life because it broadens and widens the avenues for the coder to grow in other areas as well.
By mastering Java in Android, the person can also compile for numerous other operating systems such as Linux, Symbian and Windows.
The only field that remains untapped in developing in iOS because to compile in iOS, the coder needs to be well versed in the Swift and XCode tools released by the Apple company to code for iOS. But the hindsight is that Apple recently in a press conference has announced that it will be making Swift an open source software compatible with Linux tools by the end of the year. SO android coders have more to rejoice now! Basically the world of coding is being integrated into one.
THE PLAY STORE:
The ease of accessibility and genuine magnitude of reach of the Google play store is magic, if nothing more.
Apps developed for android are available for streaming and main stream download within hours of launching, on the portal.
In iOS, the app must pass through days or even weeks of quality control before it is deemed as ‘Release Worthy’. And moreover to boost, unlike in the iOS store where if an app has been detected with bugs or technical glitches it must be reviewed and pass through a horrendous and strenuous process of log updates and cleaning, on the google play store it can updated within hours. In hindsight it can be a small disadvantage as quality of apps reduces, but the advantage is that the overall reach for developers is increased.
MANAGEMENT COST:
The total cost of management and development is genuinely less for Android developers. iOS suffers the exclusivity of being only compatible on a Mac which costs roughly around 1,000-10,000 USD (INR 50,000 – 5,00,000). Whereas an Android can be coded on machines such as Windows, Mac, Linux etc.
Also, to register on the app store the developer must shell out close to 99 USD a year (INR 6000), while and Android developer needs to cough up a measly in comparison USD 25 for AN ENITIRE LIFETIME (1,500).
PROFITABILITY:
In other words, it’s a big difference if 10 people pay 100$ and 10,000 people pay 1$. That is the war of money between iOS and Android. And it looks like Android has the clear lead.
This is something that concerns everyone. It has been observed and studied that iOS can generate more revenue because it is used by high end retailers and the cost of in-app purchases and updates is exponentially higher. But the stark contrast fact is that Android is used by 3 times the number of people who use iOS hence in pure mathematical statistics, Android is definitely more profitable.
Published:25/04/2024
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