by Sharan NairEstimated reading time: 3 minute(s)
Have you really given it thought?
Starting out, developers in Singapore need to weigh up the pros and the cons of each ecosystem, the ones that they hope to make the biggest killing in. Between the two heavyweights, iOS and Android, it really is a toss-up between what you value more than the other. The most important thing to remember here is that you are an independent developer in Singapore.
Let’s just hear us out.
Money
Via annual reports thanks to Distimos, you will learn that iOS developers in Singapore tend to earn more than Android developers. How much more you ask, we say four times. Even though Android dominates Singapore market in sheer volume, and the average price of an app on Google Play is at least a dollar more than an app on the Apple App Store, iOS developers in Singapore still come out tops, because Apple users in Singapore are just that much more willing to spend than their Android peers.
Easy and Failproof tests
Bearing in mind that you’re an independent developer in Singapore, resources will be essential in order to conduct tests across the board. The sheer diversity of Android apps means that it is almost impossible to check your app on each and every single Android model available on the market. It doesn’t matter that the features are the same, the hardware within may be different, and belong to many other manufacturers, which makes supporting your app’s functionalities way more complicated than you signed up at first. Apple doesn’t have this problem, clearly.
Resources
Like we said, almost everything is standardized with Apple, meaning that developing for an iOS platform in Singapore would have you need to only consider two potential screen sizes unless you’re also catering to the iPad. Even then, it would run perfectly on a higher resolution. As opposed to the standardization imposed by Apple, you’d have to contend with a myriad of specific resolutions in the Android market, which will need extra work just for fitting resolutions.
UI/UX
Apple is well known for great design and experience, and their products have always been centered on quality appearance, components, and response. Android can’t really the same, with some of them built on cheap components, which also contributes to their lower-priced mobile phones. So even if you do build an extraordinary app, it will still disappoint on a cheaper platform like Android.
Ecosystem
Some developers just know what they want right off the bat, with their clear knowledge of Apple’s closed and more tightly controlled environment, which comprises of Xcode (graphical interface builder, syntax-aware, compiler-aware source editor), iCloud, iTunes, the App Store, the iPad, the iPhone, etc. The highly intuitive and holistic environment ensures a seamless experience in sharing data before going on sale.
Long term prospects
- iOS has more security
- Apple only approves quality apps
- Easy to use interface
- iOS users in Singapore are willing buyers of good apps
- Apple has a better relationship with its consumers than Android does
- iOS is just consistent
More importantly,
The iOS SDK coupled with its extremely comprehensive developmental tools i.e iCloud storage, Newsstand Kit, Core Image, GLKit, Game Center APIs, and fabulous application frameworks have all seen plenty of improvement over the years, and there have been consistent bug fixes to boot. So we definitely see a pretty compelling case for iOS development in Singapore.
Photo: digitalagencynetwork.com