14 DAY TRIAL // There has been much talk around Android and iOS exclusivity, even if just for a limited time, over some applications and games. Usually, it's iOS users that get some apps and games first, followed by Android fans who get them after a while.
Obviously, this is bad for Android users, especially that Google's mobile platform is the largest in the world when it comes to market share.
But what about developers? How do they see things from their side and why do many of them believe it's better to start developing for iOS first?
The folks over at The Next Web have asked several developers why their applications and games are only available on iOS platform, or why they have developed for Apple's platform first.
Their answers are different depending on the app in question, but most of them agree that Java language sucks and that even if Xcode can be buggy, it's still a really good IDE for their workflow.
“Having a big, gold iPhone 6 Plus is like carrying a Prada bag or driving a BMW”
When it comes to monetization, many of them complain almost 95% of downloads for a paid Android application come from pirates. Here is what one developer thinks about Android and iOS users, and why he chose to bring its app on iOS:
“Second, for my target demographic and audience, the people who have iPhones are far more desirable than their peers with Android phones. When talking with teens and 20 year olds, having a big, gold iPhone 6 Plus is like carrying a Prada bag or driving a BMW. It signifies a social status, a place at the top of their social circle. You buy an iPhone because you want the best.
“Young people I talk to with Android phones have them because it was cheap, or free, and their goal is to buy an iPhone a year or two from now when they have the money. They settled with an Android phone and now they’re settling with clunky implementations of the apps their friends had before them on their iPhones. I’m building for iOS because I want to target users with taste and buying power.”
The problem with the Android fragmentation is another issue that many developers are complaining about while others simply say they don't have time to learn a new platform, language, or IDE, so they prefer to launch iOS-only apps.
And obviously, there's the matter of reward, as Android apps don't make nearly as much money as their iOS counterparts. What's your opinion on these? You find these reasons valid? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.