How different are Android and iOS? A developer’s view
Android and iOS. They are, perhaps two of the most renowned names in the world of mobile app development. And the two are the most successful as well. But what are the similarities and differences in their approach towards app development and features such as accessibility, memory management, fragmentation etc? This has and continues to remain an important question among developers and users alike, which is why we try to answer these in this article. So, here are the likes and contrasts among the two:
Accessibility: iOS means Mac. Android on the other hand, gives you lot of freedom in terms of the operating system as it is Open Source. Hence, the obvious advantage of being able to install its SDK on Windows, Linux, and Mac, unlike iOS which can only be installed on Apple devices. So, on flexibility it is clearly Android 1 iOS 0.
Memory Management: Efficient memory management is a must for a successful app. This can be a tedious task for application developers though. Android has an automatic memory management feature via Garbage collector. In the view of many developers, the ARC of iOS handles memory issues much better than the Garbage Collector. So here, it’s advantage iOS.
Learning Curve: iOS apps now use Swift, in contrast to Java for Android. The popular of Java extends beyond the Android domain and is extensively used outside. However, this is not same with Objective C or Swift. To develop apps for iOS, one needs to learn Swift. Thus, the learning curve for app development is much steeper in comparison to Android.
Fragmentation: Fragmentation happens to be a serious issue for developers. Android developers typically face this threat due to the diverging variants of the platform. Fragmentation may lead to improper working of the apps on some devices. IOS app developers do not face such fragmentation issues since if such an issue occurs, Apple device owners can quickly upgrade to the new iOS.
Software Development Kit: Android developers have Android SDK, while Apple offers iOS SDK. If its an emulator for Android SDK it is a simulator for iOS SDK. While the emulator is capable of mimicking both the hardware and software, the iOS can mimic only the software. iOS SDK is faster compared to Android’s, and therefore allows you to test and debug the code much quicker. So here, it is again iOS 1 Android 0.
Profits: Android has usually sold more than iOS. But, if one looked at the revenue generated, iOS developers earn more income as Apple device owners are ready to spend more to purchase apps. Android being Open Source and distributed free, the income generated through ads is significantly lesser.












