iOS exclusives are nothing new, but the last year has seen the developer preference for Apple’s ecosystem over Android become all the more apparent. Not only is Clubhouse still only available on iPhone, but so is Dispo, and Twitter routinely rolls out new features to iOS first with its Spaces audio chat option a prime example. All of which does raise the question of why developers seem to prefer iOS over Android?
The battle between iOS and Android has raged for a long time. Android users typically advocate for the more open nature of the operating system, that not only results in a greater choice at the app level, but also in terms of devices as well. Not to mention, the openness also makes it much easier for Android users to switch entire brands without losing data or access to previously purchased apps and games. In contrast, iOS “just works.” A much simpler mantra that often and neatly sums up the iPhone experience and why Apple's users are less concerned with the more limiting and locked down ecosystem.
There are many reasons why developers tend to prefer iOS over Android with a commonly suggested one being that iOS users are more likely to spend on apps than Android users. However, the locked down user base is a far more basic and important reason from the developer perspective. With iOS, developers gain access to a significant number of users and on a limited number of devices. This combination lends itself very well to apps that are still in an early and beta testing state. Essentially, the level of control developers have over the iOS experience is far greater than with Android, and that’s likely to make a significant difference when deciding which operating system to launch on first.
The Problem(s) With Android Development
Android fragmentation is an age-old problem and one that’s been discussed many times before, albeit usually in the context of which brands and devices currently run the latest version of the operating system. While the OS version fragmentation issue appears to be in the process of being fixed through Google's Project Treble efforts, Treble cannot fix the issue of device fragmentation. Even though choice is one of Android’s main selling points, the sheer volume of devices boasting different screen sizes, processors, RAM, camera configurations (important for buzzy camera apps), and other hardware differences are all aspects that will need to be taken into account by developers. After all, there’s no benefit to having an app that runs beautifully on a Galaxy S21 if it just crashes every time on Xiaomi’s Redmi 9. Yes, Apple is now offering more models that vary in size than even before, but the variety is still nothing in comparison to Android. In addition to the practical benefits of developing for iOS over Android, the limited devices and variances also tend to make development cheaper as well.
Besides device fragmentation, this can also purely be a numbers decision. Apple only recently confirmed that it has roughly 1.5 billion active devices, with about one billion of them being iPhone. In contrast, Android confirmed more than 2.5 billion active devices back in May of 2019 during the annual Google I/O developer conference. A number that has undoubtedly increased during the two years since then. Whenever a developer releases an app on Android, and unless an invite system is in use, they are essentially opening the user floodgates and that can be a daunting task. One that's likely to be even more concerning for smaller developer companies and/or those working on a highly experimental app, such as Clubhouse.
While there are many reasons why a developer may prefer iOS to Android, the reality is iOS is just a better testing ground overall. With fewer users (and the ability to lessen the number even more through an invite system) and fewer device configurations and differences to worry about, releasing an app to Apple’s ecosystem is just a more sensible move than on Android. Not to mention, a seriously more sensible move than releasing properly untested and bug-free applications on both iOS and Android at the same time.
Source: Apple, Android/Twitter