Tag Archive for: mobile application

Android or iOS Development – Which Costs More?

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A report by Top Design Firm states that almost two-thirds of enterprises that developed a mobile app for less than $30,000 (63%) were exclusively for android applications, compared to 41% of companies that developed IOS apps. Top Design Firms surveyed managers and small businesses to determine the cost of developing both the IOS and android applications. The data shows that it is cost-effective and way cheaper to develop for Android than IOS. In addition, it was cheaper to outsource the app development services than to conduct in-house development.

The exact cost of android or IOS app development varies significantly based on each enterprise location and needs. Dawei Lei who’s the outsourcing director for Aloa.com states that developing for android provides massive cost savings while IOS apps have better inclusion in the App Store.

Below we examine why android and IOS app development costs differ and their respective cost drivers.

IOS Development

Apple’s flagship and iconic mobile operating system has inherent benefits. Granted, due to its reputation in the US and across Europe, your business can leverage returns on investment in these regions. The spending habits of this demographic guarantees a higher ROI.

Premium value

With IOS development, you take a bite of that juicy apple and enjoy a western audience. And while you’ll enjoy the value and thrill of a reputable brand, you’ll also be expected to spend substantially more on this inner circle. IOS apps can be written in Objective-C or Swift which both come at a premium cost. In some cases, IOS mobile app development costs can reach 15% more than their java counterparts.

Top minds

In every mobile app development exercise, skills are a must, together with tight app development requirements and considerable restrictions on what you can or cannot add to the IOS environment. Developers will need specialized software such as XCode. Not only does this app come at a premium, it runs exclusively on Mac. App software is such that if you’re looking to develop for iPhones, you will need another piece of technology to support this addition. So, IOS apps are considered well-crafted by highly skilled specialists.

Skilled but manageable condition

IOS has strict operating conditions but is possible to manage. As a first-time developer, you can face redevelopment costs when carrying out app launches due to errors in the production criteria. Missed production criteria can be due to Apple App Store’s tendency to reject applications deemed unusable or irrelevant. The benefit is that there is a limit to the number of software updates. With IOS irregular updates, it’s possible to gain traction with your creations and develop an app that’s relevant for a long time. Apple tends to reject support for old software, meaning that new apps must respond to the emerging needs of new users – nothing archaic!

Limited customization

IOS can present limitations in terms of how many updates it can support and how many features it can add. IOS can also present issues on the ability to customize an application’s interface. In this case, it’s impossible to apply additional features if they need interaction with third-party software. Ultimately, these unwanted limitations can be beneficial, which can shorten development time considerably.

What will you get with IOS app development?

  • Exploring western and US markets – If your business has a special interest in European and the US markets, IOS apps will be a clear winner here.
  • Monetization based on direct charges – IOS device users statistically spend substantially more than android users. If you’re planning to create a paid app or to monetize your app through in-app purchases – IOS is ultimately the winner. App Store’s revenue is much higher than Google Pay even though Google Play triumphs twice in app downloads.

Android Development

Android is the most popular mobile application and it spans the whole world, in any language. Among its most popular markets in Australia, Africa, and Asia. Android allows you to explore a wealth of opportunities worldwide, with flexibility and convenience in the world’s genuinely affordable OS.

Universally affordable

New mobile applications are developed using Kotlin, with Java still famous for carrying out long-running development projects. However, even long-running projects are migrating to Kotlin as transitions are difficult to undertake. With Kotlin, developers are expected to pay a one-time fee of $25.

Average expertise

Expertise is needed in android-supported applications, but without diving into complex projects. The versatility of working with android is thanks to the wide availability of free-to-use information, which keeps cost to a minimum. Google offers an extensive knowledge base to developers, including interactive materials, practical exercises, and the entire training modules for every level of developer.

Highly flexible

Kotlin and Java are versatile programming languages supported by Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. This allows developers to execute Android apps regardless of their machine’s OS. However, as there is a wide range of Android endpoints in circulation, you can encounter compatibility issues for specific technical functions. For example, apps designed with fingerprint scanners may not be featured in the device of end-users.

It’s important to note that this flexibility presents serious issues to some legacy systems. With Android offering support for software versions ranging back to 2012, your application may need adjustments to work with a long list of problematic software versions. This way, the cost of app development may go up as the need for continuous development arises.

Easy customization

Android extends a world of personalization to programs, thanks to market ubiquity. Android changes are due to the multitude of devices using Android. The drawbacks of this are a diverse set of specifications across multiple handset brands. With different screen sizes from different manufacturers, developers must support a list of consumer segments.

What will you get with android app development?

  • Dominates Africa, Australia, and Asia – Android holders outnumber IOS holders worldwide, heavily dominating in Asia, Africa, and Australia.
  • Monetization is based on advertising – Android users have a lesser will to pay for mobile applications, partly because of overall income levels and payability. If you plan to design a free app and you want to monetize your application by advertising – Android is a solution here.

Android vs. IOS – Final Cost Verdict

While IOS offers a sleek development environment replete with rules of engagement, it has far less customization. Precisely, the skill set required raises development expenditure. However, later development stages can lead to lower expenses in the medium term, as the development environment is less prone to complications.

Android app development presents lower entry barriers, unlimited personalization options, and a wealth of development information. These factors are what keep the costs down especially in the immediate term. Where expenses diverge from the IOS, they can emerge in later development phases, involving re-development and testing to attain its substantial user segment.

Ultimately, both operating systems work out to be effectively the same. Each aspect accounts for the labor and time costs involved in developing the application. When looking to optimize costs, consider outlining your app’s objectives early and budgeting your time well. You may not be able to change your IOS or android app but your approach needs to be more proactive and profitable.

 

Understanding The Application Lifecycle

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Application Lifecycle Management 

There is a beginning to everything. In fact, nothing comes into existence out of nothingness. The universe, for instance, as we understand, came to be through a massive eruption of energy known to science as the big-bang. While the creation of an application may not begin with a universal eruption, its conception is thrilling all the same. Whether this is your first-ever application, or your thousandth, understanding application lifecycle management will boost your workflow and elevate your efficiency from the start. 

There are three main aspects of application lifecycle management (ALM). Those three aspects are: 

  • Governance
  • Development and Deployment
  • Maintenance

These are the different phases of an application from start to finish. The first two phases are definite, while the last is ongoing. In other words, once the app is live – there will always be ongoing maintenance activities to perform. 

Having a strong grasp of application lifecycle management builds innate value into the business. This value emerges in the workflow, processes, and procedures all associated with application development. By understanding the application lifecycle, developers implement best-practices and industry standards into their design process, therefore boosting efficiency, and resulting in higher quality applications. 

Governance

Governance is the very first phase that begins the journey of an application. As soon as the app is conceptualized, the governance phase has begun. Governance, in this context, isn’t referring to the laws and rules of a nation. In a similar sense, however, governance in the context of app development refers to defining core aspects of the application. 

The elements that need to be defined in the governance phase of the application lifecycle management include a spectrum from function, to logic, and framework. In other words, this is the phase in which designers are able to verbally identify the various pathways, functions, and workflows. 

Having an idea of how the application is going to flow and function is crucial to entering the next phase of ALM. A good way to think about the governance phase of the application lifecycle is to imagine it as a blueprint. The blueprint informs the construction crew on how to actually raise the structure, the dimensions of the individual pieces, and how they all fit together. 

In the same vein, the governance phase of the application lifecycle should result in an easy-to-follow development roadmap. 

Development & Deployment in the Application Lifecycle

This is the phase following governance. Development and deployment are actually two halves to the whole. Development is the first piece in this phase. The development phase is where the application is actually built.

Additionally, there is a third aspect to development and deployment that impacts both phases: consumer and market testing. Testing is a not a formal phase of the application lifecycle management however, it is nonetheless critical to delivering applications that are of value and that consumers desire.

Delving Into Development

There are many aspects of the development phase. As such, this is arguably the most crucial phase in ALM. Since the development phase is equivalent to the actual construction phase in real estate development. In other words, developers are laying the foundation for the app. A strong foundation provides the platform for a well-designed and successful app. 

Developers have more on their plate than mere function however. App development teams task themselves with the visual design and work-flow of the application in addition to the functionality and usability. Once developers reach a certain level of baseline functionality, the application starts to enter the next half of this phase: testing and deployment. 

Testing

The first round of development yields an MVP: minimum viable product. Firms and developers use MVP’s as samples of the end-product in order to gain additional consumer insight. Companies use this insight to make important decisions on how to finish the development phase. 

In market-testing, consumers are asked about multiple aspects of the app. These aspects range from the aesthetic and color-scheme, to the actual function and usability of the app. 

After the focus groups and market-testing, the MVP returns to the developers with loads of notes, comments, and real consumer input. Developers use this invaluable insight in order to finish the build of the application and deliver a functional app that solves real consumer issues.

While it’s unwise to spend too long on any single phase of the application lifecycle, testing is certainly not an area to start cutting corners. Using focus groups and market-testing delivers immense value to the final development of the application. As such, these activities should actually be supplemented, if anything, in order to test the MVP on multiple demographics. 

Deployment

At this point, the application, its function and workflow, and its usability have been defined. The core build is tested, and the final development, influenced by consumer input and marketing test-groups, is complete. Finally, the sweet fruit of the labor is in reach, and the application lifecycle nears its final stage. 

The deployment of an application upon its completion is certainly not the most laborious of the phases, however it is very fickle. Firms need to start developing their deployment strategy in the early steps of the governance phase. This is because the governance phase will help dictate and define the proper channels of deployment to utilize. 

The testing phases will also contribute to developing the deployment strategy, as it will offer real insight into where consumers want to find the application, and how they will use it. Speaking to the core values of your main target-demographics, and ensuring that they have easy access to your application are crucial to releasing a successful application that draws consumers inward. 

Ongoing Maintenance

Ongoing application maintenance is crucial to user-retention and future user-acquisition. The application marketplace is already supersaturated with options for the consumer. As such, user-acquisition and user-retention are already hyper-competitive areas. User retention is especially important because it forms the regular user-base for the application. 

Since a robust regular user-base is one of the most valuable commodities in the application market, maintaining this user-base is critical to longevity. This is, in part, due to how fickle user-ship is in the application market. Users are prone to jump to a competitor with a stronger user-experience after a single negative interaction with an application. 

This type of rapid turn-over puts a strong emphasis on user-loyalty. Beyond that, if applications are left unmaintained and unattended to, their functionality will deteriorate, their security protocols will begin to weaken, and users will swiftly abandon ship. 

The Benefits of Application Lifecycle Management

The application lifecycle begins with ideation and governance, moves through development, testing and deployment, and ends with on-going maintenance. Developing applications by putting them through these different phases occurs naturally. However, identifying the phases and understanding how they relate to one another allows companies to build stronger and more efficient workflows. 

Firms can customize the workflow to fit their specific needs, while still adhering to best-practices and industry-recognized standards. Following through on the phases and their associated actions ensures that released applications are thoroughly vetted, and ready for mass use.

Look no further than NS804 for help developing and supplementing your firm’s ALM practices. NS804 is the mobile app developer of the everyday person. As such, NS804 commits to making mobile app development services more accessible than ever before. For anything related to mobile app development, visit NS804 today.