These days it’s not surprising to read articles that battle Android apps and Apple apps. They remain to be two of the toughest competitors in the world of mobile devices, and they are not ashamed to differentiate themselves even when it comes to the apps they publish.
Android Apps vs iPad Apps
They may all be categorically called apps, but those found in Android and the iPad can also be completely different in so many ways:
1. How They Are Developed
One of the basic differences between the two is their method or process of development. Android apps are generally based on Java, the primary language for Android. When it comes to designing an app, it might be much easier to produce one for Android since Java is a well-known language. On the other hand, iPad apps are based on C language, especially objective-C language.
Android, moreover, is an open-source code. This means any developer in the community can tweak, enhance, or develop something new out of it. This is the primary reason why several mobile device manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung make use of Android. Apple believes that everything a developer produces for its mobile devices such as the iPad is proprietary. It also has very stringent rules when it comes to accepting and approving apps.
Because Android is mainly open source, a lot of developers take advantage of third-party tools, which can be truly excellent during app testing.
2. The Convenience of Development
Based on the descriptions above, it may seem that creating Android apps is a lot easier, which can be true to some. However, most developers prefer to start off with Apple for a couple of huge reasons, including convenience in development. Though there are already a number of iPhones, iPods, and now iPads in the market, their aspect ratio and screen size never really change. Instead, the company works on its internal such as the processor and OS. It may also perform some minor tweaking on the screen.
Thus, when a developer creates an app for the first iPad, he doesn’t have to do a lot of changes so it can smoothly run in the succeeding iPads.
This is unlike Android where developers have to match the design of the application according to the specific tablets they have in mind.
3. The Look of The Application
Tech pundits would often describe the apps of Android to be downright ugly. Simply put, they are not as smooth, clean, and organized as those of Apple. The tablet apps usually feel as if they’re designed not really for tablets but for mobile phones. Hence, they don’t occupy the entire screen when opened or they look cluttered.
Moreover, some hard-core Android fans believe that though Google has provided all the tools needed to create fantastic apps, the developers themselves are not using them. If not, they have no idea how to harness these programs. One of the overlooked strategies is fragments, which could have made it so convenient for developers to produce multi-format apps.
4. The Number of Apps
There are apps found in Android that are not found in Apple and vice versa. But when it comes to numbers game there are more apps in Apple than in Google Play (or in any other website that carries Android apps). Take, for example, the Games category. There are over 400 iPad games—almost twice as many as that of Android. One of the possible reasons is the Apple Store has been around much longer. In fact, it already has a stable footing before Android came into the picture.
To be fair, though, Androids have several game emulators that are missing in Apple Store. But this only makes Android more ideal for gaming experts or techies. Developers prefer Apple because it’s more consumer-centric. This means the apps are designed for the consumers, those who truly buy and download apps for everyday use.
Conclusion
Though apps play a very huge role on design and overall function of the mobile device, it’s not the ultimate criterion on choosing your tablet. There’s much more, including your own preferences. But when it comes to apps, it’s quite obvious based on the list above why many still go after iPad.
