Android OS Vs. Apple iOS – Which is better for developers?

With the number of smartphone users increasing each day, there is an equal increase in the number of app developers for the same. Though developers have a whole lot of mobile platforms to choose from, they would most probably select one of the two most sought-after mobile OS’ today, Apple's iOS and Google’s Android. So, which of these is better for developers and why? Here is a detailed comparison between the Apple iOS and the Android OS for developers.

Programming Language Used

The Android OS uses mainly Java, which is the common programming language used by developers. Hence, developing Android gets that much easier for most developers.

The iPhone OS uses Apple’s Objective-C language, which can mostly be unravelled by app developers who are already familiar with C and C++. This being more exclusive, may become a stumbling block for developers who are not too proficient in other programming languages.

Developing Multi-Platform Apps

Developing multi-platform apps seems to be the “in” thing today. Of course, you cannot run Java-based apps on the iPhone or Objective-C-based apps on Android devices.
There are tools for multi-platform app development today. But they may not be effective when it comes to actually displaying the original information on another mobile OS. Mobile game developers especially find cross-platforming a huge challenge.

Hence, the only viable, long-term solution here would be to rewrite your app in the device’s own native language.

App Development Platform

Android offers developers an open development platforms and allows them the liberty to use third-party tools for app development. This helps them play around with many features of their app, adding more functionality to them. This is vital to the success of this platform, which comes with an impressive range of mobile devices.

Apple, on the other hand, is pretty restrictive with their developer guidelines. The developer here is given a fixed set of tools to develop apps and cannot use anything outside of those. This would eventually curb his creative skills to a large extent.

Multitasking Abilities

The Android OS is very versatile and can help developers create dynamic apps for multiple purposes. But this very multitasking ability of the Android OS very often creates problems for the amateur Android developer, since it takes a lot of time to learn, understand and master. This, combined with Android’s highly fragmented platform, poses a real challenge to the Android developer.

In contrast, Apple presents a more stable, exclusive platform for app developers, clearly specifying tools, defining both their potential and boundaries. This makes it much easier for the iOS developer to proceed with the task ahead of him.

Mobile App Testing

Android offers an excellent testing environment for its developers. All the testing tools available are neatly indexed and the IDE offers a good model of the source code. This lets developers test their app thoroughly and debug wherever required, before presenting it to the Android Market.

Apple’s Xcode lags far behind Android’s standards here and has miles to go before it can even hope to catch up with the latter.

App Approval

The Apple App Store takes 3-4 weeks for app approval. They are also finicky and place many restrictions on the app developer. Of course, this factor has not deterred the several hundreds of developers approaching the App Store every month. Though Apple also offers an open API using which developers can host the app on their site, this is not very effective, as the app cannot get even a fraction of that exposure outside the App Store.

The Android Market, on the other hand, presents no such stiff resistance to the developer. This makes it very convenient for the Android developer.

Payment Procedure

iOS developers can earn 70% of the revenue generated from the sales of their app in the Apple App Store. But they have to pay an annual fee of $99 to gain access to the iPhone SDK.
Android developers, on the other hand, only need to pay a one-time registration fee of $25 and can earn 70% of revenue of the sales of their app in the Android Market. They can also feature the same app in other app marketplaces too, if they so wish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both the Andriod OS and the Apple iOS have their own pluses and minuses. Both are equally strong contenders and are bound to rule the app marketplace with their own strengths and positives.

8 tips to get your app approved by the Apple App Store

Being an Apple developer is never a joke. Developers always have that lurking fear of their app being rejected by the Apple App Store. The Apple App Store is one of the best app marketplaces in the mobile industry, as also one of the most difficult to enter and get recognized for a developer. Tips on getting your app approved by the Apple App Store,

 

 1. Check for Errors

Most of the apps entering the Apple App Store are immediately rejected because they are found to have some technical glitch or the other. It could even boil down to sheer carelessness on the part of the developer, entry of a faulty version number and so on.
The latest version of the Xcode comes with a Fix-It feature, which can do away with most of the little problems that could otherwise hold up the approval process. See to it that your app is error-free both technically and otherwise. Test your app thoroughly before submitting the same to the App Store.

2. Give All the Necessary Details

Make sure you fill out all the necessary details, without leaving out even one of them. The most important things here are as follows:

• Your name, contact, telephone/mobile number and email id
• The APIs used, with a description about them
• Whether images or icons are used and if they are used in other apps
• Links to external Websites where necessary, with a description of the same, if need be.

3. Keep it Simple

Presenting a simple version of your app at first will be the sensible thing to do. Get down to the basics and do away with the unnecessary frills for initial submission. Remember that the initial app approval process is what takes the most time. Once approved, future updates are far easier to get done. So keep the advanced features for later releases of your app.
It is, however, not sensible to make it too simple. Do not present a “test” or “beta” version of your app, as it will most likely be rejected at first glance.

 

4. Play by the Rules

Apple has a set of well-defined, very stringent rules. Though some of them may sound downright crazy to you, be careful to follow the rules to the ‘T’. Do not, for example, misspell technical jargon. Also, never employ unpublished APIs.

Nothing that sounds in any way, “violent”, will be acceptable by Apple. So name your app in such a way that it sounds appealing, without appearing to be “damaging” or “offensive”.

5. Read Previous Case-Histories

Learn about other Apple developers’ experiences, ask around and find out just what it takes to get your app approved in the Apple App Store.

If possible, read previous “case-histories” of App Store rejections to find out why those apps did not get approved. This will give you a better understanding of the App Store, thereby letting you create a better app.

 

6. Get Creative

The Apple App Store has at present, over 300,000 apps. This obviously makes it really hard for developers to make their app stand head and shoulders above the rest. Get creative with your app, select a niche which is not very saturated and see if you can present your app in some different way.

Adopt a novel angle to your app, make it usable and engaging to the user. If you cannot make your app appear extraordinary, chances are that it will not pass the App Store approval process.

7. Be Polite

Know that the App Store deals with a large number of app submissions on an everyday basis. The least you can do is to be polite with them, be specific about your goals and clearly state the purpose of your app.

Politeness scores about all else and gives off an air of class and professionalism. Take the time to draft your covering letter and see to it that you include as much information as you can.

 

8. Learn Patience

Typically, the App Store approval process takes anything between 1-4 weeks. But sometimes, it may take much longer than that. Be patient and await the verdict.

In case you should get rejected, iTunes will also let you know the reasons for the same. This will let you know exactly what went wrong and how you can fix it in your next try.