On another level, Android is a more flexible platform than iOS in a number of important ways. User acquisition costs less for Android apps than iPhone apps, which means it’s cheaper and easier to build a user base for an Android app than on iOS. Furthermore, Google Play allows you to publish updates in just 2 hours – much shorter than the App Store’s waiting period, which ranges from a few days to two weeks.
This flexibility makes iterative development easier and faster: it allows us to publish an initial v1.0 on Android, gather data from users, and iterate the app in real time. We always recommend releasing on both platforms, but if money is tight, we’ve seen success by building an initial user base on Android, then launching on iOS once there’s a stronger market position.
But ultimately, there’s no right answer here. How you choose to allocate development resources and bring your mobile app to market all depends on the specifics of your app concept, your key value proposition, and your target user demographic.
The good thing is that when you work with Rootstrap, we help you answer all these questions before we start building the app.