menu
Denis Grankin Head of Sales Department
Pull

Pros and Cons of iOS app Development

1 shares
0 1 0 0
pros and cons of ios app development

Apple products are known for their high quality and flawless performance. The company itself has for many years been considered the absolute leader in the production of things for people who are able to change the world, who strive not just to do their job, but to make a difference.

As you may have known, Apple's motto is ‘Think different’. No wonder that iOS app development is in demand among enterprises that think ahead and value innovation. Perhaps the penetration rate of iOS apps is a bit lower than the Android apps. However, given the cost of Apple products, it becomes clear what the solvency of Apple users is. They are willing to pay for quality and are waiting to be given a worthwhile proposal.

Why use iOS app development?

It's no surprise, there are two main competitors in the global mobile app development industry. These are Apple and Android. Android steadily takes its stand with amazingly high rates of growth and expansion. However, since its very beginning, iOS has held a leading position in terms of coverage and penetration into the market.

Since you are considering app engineering and know your audience well, you should start with building a single app. The iOS app development services are suitable for small companies and startups seeking a quick return on investment. Thus, the business can certainly reach the next level of its own growth, because Apple users are more willing to pay compared to Android users.

As you know, iOS apps are only available on Apple devices (iPhones, tablets, etc.). According to the research, the number of iOS devices sold worldwide and on the Apple’s home market (the United States) is constantly growing. Of particular interest is the dynamics in advanced countries, where the buying power is higher than in countries where the Android OS is prevailing. To better understand why your business needs to develop an iOS application and what its benefits are, read the full article.

What is iOS app development

iOS is an operating system developed by Apple for its own products such as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch. It is also used as a base for other Apple operating systems such as iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS. Today, iOS is considered the second most widely spread operating system after Android.

Some of the iOS applications can run even without Internet access. They are much more powerful and faster compared to other applications available on the market.

Any iOS application can be developed according to your requirements. However, the process of building and marketing such a program has some specific features:

  • They are closed sourced, which makes them exclusive.
  • Tools for iOS app programming include Objective C, Java, SQLite, Xcode4.
  • To develop an application, you need special software, such as Mac, and a paid iOS account.
  • The mandatory annual fee for the Apple Developer Program is $99; for the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, $299 per year. Prices may vary by region.
  • A truly high-quality iOS app can be obtained provided that the development process involves the use of native widgets and platform options, which also requires competence and budget.

Advantages of iOS app development

When planning to develop an application, keep in mind that there are almost 3 billion smartphone users in the world. The number of apps ready to be downloaded from the App Store is also impressive. It's roughly 2.2 million of them.

Given the latest statistics, it can be assumed that applications are paying back the investment. It is obvious that iOS app engineering has convincing business benefits in terms of return on investment. Let's thoroughly consider some of them.

Improved security

Before iOS applications can be available for download, they must be verified by the App Store. Application development for Apple products provides protection against any external security threats such as data theft, encryption and data duplication. The system provides data privacy, user identity, cloud data protection.

Hacking the iOS app is much harder for the regular user, while to hack the Android app it is enough to download the .apk file from the Internet and add it to the device.

Increased security is one of the key pros of iOS app development, which distinguishes them from the competitors. This is the factor through which Apple is known and chosen by large companies.

Rich user experience

Apple's inherent iOS capabilities provide an unrivaled user experience. User requests are met with both hardware and software. Support for users is provided throughout the life cycle of the application, so virtually every iOS application delivers flawless performance.

Less updates resulting in less tests

Compared to Android, Apple devices are much less. And, accordingly, there are less versions. Updates are released once a year, although each application must meet all criteria of the current version of iOS. All of these conditions lead to the fact that the testing time is significantly reduced, and the iOS application can be marketed faster.

Access to leading markets

Almost the biggest advantage of Apple is its wide presence on the world's leading markets such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

Access to leading markets

If your business goal is to enter these markets, the iOS app is a win-win scenario. Moreover, there is no reason to worry about the quality of your product. All Apple-related products, including apps, are already proven examples of high quality.

With scalability and flexibility, enterprise-class applications can quickly adapt to the rapidly changing requirements of the business environment. Integration advanced functionality into your app will help you maintain your position in an increasingly competitive marketplace as needed.

Loyal customers

Apple users are committed to this brand. It is believed that if a user tries Apple products at least once, he or she will forever remain a fan of Apple and will never be satisfied with other operating systems. Apple users earn more than Android users, which is a strong argument in favor of iOS app programming.

Fast development process

There are several factors, due to which the development of iOS compared to Android apps is faster.

The programming language is Swift. Swift is the basis of the iOS app development. It simplifies the process of coding, as opposed to more complex Java, used in the Android.

Closed ecosystem. It involves the use of standardized devices and operating systems without the need to test third-party resources.

It is important to note that Apple users, as a rule, prefer the latest version of the operating system. This also makes it easier to develop an application. It should be adapted to the latest version and follow the next updates, which take place approximately once a year.

Reduced fragmentation. This makes it possible to implement more advanced applications and extend existing ones. This sets iOS apart from Android, where there is a need to test the application on several versions of the operating system which takes a lot of time.

If you want to get the application as fast as possible and start the monetization process faster, it makes sense to start with the iOS application.

Disadvantages of iOS app development

Despite all of the above-mentioned benefits of professional iOS app development, there are some disadvantages that every business should know about.

  • Both development and implementation of in-app updates, as well as support of the application on different Apple devices are expensive.
  • Necessary for iOS apps development Mac OS X is a closed source; it cannot be applied on another operating system.
  • App Store application review is time-consuming and laborious.
  • Configuring the application can be difficult because the iOS platforms have certain limitations.
  • It is impossible to guarantee that the application will be approved and authorized in the App Store, just as it is impossible to guarantee its demand among Apple users. The App Store has strict rules for verifying applications. It can decline an application, not only because of security issues, but even if it considers your content to be of no value to users, or if the app performance is poor.
  • Due to the huge number of Android-based devices, Apple's market share fell to 14% in Q1 2020 (compared to 18% in Q4 2019)

Before creating an app, it would be reasonable to first learn about pros and cons of iOS app development. To that end, you can approach a team of experienced developers to consult on these issues.

advantages and disadvantages of ios app development

Things to consider when planning to launch an app

Studies show that more than 20% of users uninstall applications shortly after they are downloaded. To avoid oblivion, your apps need to be of superior performance and provide a truly impressive user experience. Before you start, the following nuances should be taken into account.

Target audience

To develop an iOS application, you need to do some research that will show the connection between your target audience and Apple users.

Although statistics show that the vast majority of Apple device users are male, don’t jump to conclusions limiting your marketing strategy to a male audience only. It is worth starting with a more general approach by focusing on a solvent audience, e.g. As a rule, these are people who hold managerial positions and have higher education.

The geographical aspect must also be taken into account. Each country is dominated by a particular mobile platform depending on the level of development of the country as a whole and the income of its inhabitants. What market are you interested in? Perhaps you should try to work with a market that you used to place aside?

You should also consider whether the application will be designed for all your user base or only for a certain part of it, solving narrowly defined tasks. For example, if it is an application in the e-learning industry, it can be student-oriented or teacher-oriented only.

Any audience difficulties to grasp? Make use of such services such as Statista, App Data or App Annie to analyze your target audience.

Mobile app monetization

As practice shows, the most common benefits of iOS app programming is making money. If you have not yet decided how to monetize your iOS application, here are a few ideas to implement:

  • In-app purchases
  • In-app advertisement
  • Subscription business model
  • Payment for downloading.

As for the payment for downloading, if you choose this option, you should definitely start with iOS. Apple users are more likely to pay for applications, while Android users are more likely to make in-app purchases.

Starting with iOS applications is worth it if you have a lot of free money and time. Be ready to pay for server space, third-party services (including iOS app development services) and other features, which usually become clear already during the development process and without which it is impossible to create a high-quality iOS app. But a proper monetization strategy will make up for the costs.

Return on investment

Worldwide AppStore revenue in the first half of 2020 is almost twice that of Google Play: AppStore revenue is $32.8B, Google Play revenue is $17.3B.

Return on investment

Despite the clear answer to the question ‘why use iOS app development?’, you still have to weigh the cost and possible profit to figure out how profitable it would be to make an application. What needs to be taken into account in order to measure payback is discussed below.

4 factors to measure iOS app ROI

When it comes to how to recoup the investment, the beauty and aesthetics of the application must take second place. The first thing to do is to make sure that the application is seen as an effective business tool to establish and maintain long-term and beneficial relationships with paying users.

Mobile applications have long been an integral part of any business marketing strategy. However, there are certain challenges in measuring the return on investment of an application. With the ability to measure ROI, a business will be able to measure vital performance indicators such as LTV (lifetime value) of a customer, CPA (cost per acquisition) and cost of audience engagement.

It is believed that there are several steps in measuring ROI that cannot be ignored:

Business objectives

If you see that the application is unprofitable, reconsider all your business objectives, including those to which it is aimed. Set the goals and how you will calculate their effectiveness.

Budget

This should include not only the cost of development, but also the cost of maintaining and updating the application on a monthly basis. Plus, you should make a budget for contingencies (failure, the need for urgent additional functionality, etc.).

KPIs (key performance indicators)

If one of the company's success metrics is the number of returning customers, then determine if the application is helping to achieve that key performance indicator. The idea is that the application functionality should be tied to the business KPIs and that the analytics should be configured to show the application performance.

KPIs and investment: comparison

Such a comparison should be carried out when the projected period during which application performance will be maintained and improvements made is known.

Any success requires resources - both time and money. Could you show at least one product that has brought astonishing success to business without investment? You can expect profit and awareness if your marketing strategy is properly built, which is possible in case of cooperation with a team of experienced developers and marketing experts.

Reasons for choosing an iOS platform for business

Are you still thinking about starting with iOS application development? Take a closer look at the main reasons why developing an iOS application is a winning option.

More money

Despite the fact that there are more Android users, iOS products are more profitable in terms of monetization, unlike Android applications, which bring 10% of the amount invested.

Apple users are more solvent; it is prestigious for them to own Apple products and thus be part of the outstanding culture. In addition, all things related to Apple are considered worth paying for. To provide your audience with a quality product and get a wide base of paying customers - isn't that the basis of healthy market relations?

The right audience for years to come

The innovative technologies Apple uses to develop its own products attract tech-savvy users. The focus on advanced users makes the entire audience more progressive, forward-thinking and brand loyal. As you know, when people become brand advocates of their own free will and are well versed in technology, others are following suit.

High level of trust

When an app hits the App Store, it is a true sign of its high quality. Without careful review and approval by Apple, no application will be available for download. Thus, for the user it will be a sign that the company can be trusted and that the application is worth money and attention. As a result, there is a growing trust and loyalty to your business.

Quality and security over appearance and cheapness

Apple is known as a manufacturer focused on performance and security, while competitors are trying to win over buyers with an attractive device appearance. As the experience of many years of using electronics shows, the quality and reliability of its work is much more important than its attractiveness. IOS app development is one of the wisest investments a business can make into its future.

Bottom line

The development of mobile applications is not a daily task and it clearly needs to be given greater attention. It's not only about what development budget to allocate and what platform to choose. It is also of great importance what value your application will bring to users, how innovative it will be and whether it will allow your business to keep up with the progress and bring more and more profit. If there is a challenge to make money, to cope with competition and boost your business, the choice in favor of iOS apps will be obvious.

Due to the high quality of Apple devices - smooth and fast work, rich user experience, minimalist design, etc. - the culture of exclusivity and its otherness, Apple products are preferred by business leaders and corporate heads.

They are also more likely to buy paid apps and make purchases within apps. By developing an iOS-based application, you get more opportunities for your business and access to a solvent audience. Given the geographical and demographic distribution of Apple products, creating a popular iOS application is a promising way to earn money.

Summing up, we can assume that the opportunities provided by the iOS platform look like this:

  • With relatively inexpensive development, they have a high and fast return on investment.
  • Fast development process.
  • Compatible with almost all Apple devices, which provides ease of use and convenience.
  • High level of security and safety of personal data.
  • Belonging to a brand with a worldwide reputation as the most respected electronics manufacturer.

With an iOS app, you have every chance to attract the most generous audience who will come and spend money on your application.

If your priorities are to ensure high data privacy and maintain the loyalty of your paying customers, then you should definitely start with the iOS app.

Still, the decision on what application to develop should be made after the advantages and disadvantages of iOS app development are discovered. The next step is to choose a reliable vendor to develop a quality application to meet all of the strict rules and requirements.

DDI Development is ready to become your partner. We provide professional services in mobile applications development, such as iOS app development. Given all expertise gained, we assume that our cooperation will be fruitful.

Please email us and find out where to start so that you can get your smooth, flexible and profitable application as soon as possible.

Never miss out

Be aware of contemporary trends. Do not miss the discussion of professionals

Join over 10 subscribers!
Most popular
Programming

10 Major Differences Between Android and iOS App Development [Updated 2024]

135315
1
2
12 Key features for your great mobile app
89958
3
Top 10 sites built with Django Framework
80156
4
Case Study: How we have developed an Online Ticket Booking System? [Updated 2023]
67411
5
Software Requirement Specification: How to make SRS for your project [with examples]
62115
6
How to create an Learning Management System from scratch? [2024 Updated]
55502
7
How to develop trading platform: features, benefits, options [Updated 2020]
55122
Our Technologies
PHP
Python
iOS
Android
HTML5
django
symfony
AngularJS
ReactJS
MySQL
jQuery
Laravel

Most popular in Programming

10 Major Differences Between Android and iOS App Development [Updated 2024]
135315
12 Key features for your great mobile app
89958
Top 10 sites built with Django Framework
80156
Software Requirement Specification: How to make SRS for your project [with examples]
62115
How to create an Learning Management System from scratch? [2024 Updated]
55502
How to develop trading platform: features, benefits, options [Updated 2020]
55122
Pros and Cons of ReactJS Web App Development
47658