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What’s the difference: Designing for Android and iOS platforms

In Application Development

Operating system is one of the most trickiest of tasks, which involves professional assistance of highly qualified developers. It becomes a platform that allows varied applications and features of a smartphone to function effectively.

There are two main operating systems named Android and iOS, which have specified User Interface that needs to be adhered. Basically speaking, the most aesthetic factor to consider is that they have their own work structure. Being extensive competitors to each other, both operating systems have quite a lot of difference that keeps them apart.

Points of Difference between Android and iOS:

1. The first and the foremost difference between the two is that Android is an open source and can be used by varied smartphone manufacturing companies like Samsung, Sony, Oppo, Vivo, HTC and much more. On the other hand, the operating system of Apple Inc. is iOS and restricted to the usage of Apple smartphones only. They have a complete control of their operating system. This limits the usage of Apple’s operating system.

2. Another difference between the two Operating System Giants is that Android has a wider market than its competitor. It extends assistance to some of the most renowned mobile manufacturing companies and has managed to gain recognition instantly. Its updated versions keep the functionality of smartphones going smoothly. On the other hand, Apple’s iOS has a restricted market because it is not available to other smartphones. In this manner they have a circumscribed market share as compared to Android.

3. When it comes to designing for Android phones, most of them have a row of buttons on the device itself that makes it easier for the user to get back to the home. They have Back, Home and Menu buttons on the device itself. On the other hand, Iphones have a single home button on the device and this may confuse a person on how to go back in an application. Solution to this lies in keeping an arrow button over the top left side of application would be a safer choice.

4. Both of them have a separate User Interface and it is required by the designer or developer to be aware of the guidelines associated with them. Android has Material’s Design Specs and Apple has Human Interface Guidelines. So, it is essential to be completely aware of the guidelines before designing or developing an application for the requisite operating system.

5. As both of them have separate User Interface, there is quite a possibility that an application may not appear to be similar at all. So, it is important for the designer and developers that they should stick to the common patterns or guidelines shared by them. These might be lists, switches, cards, alerts, icons and buttons. Still, there is a need to get two design files for a particular application. But, it is the user flows that need to be kept intact for better presentation.

6. Android happens to belong to the operating system family of Linux. On the other hand, Apple’s operating system belongs to the family of OS X and UNIX. This shows that both of them have different operating platforms. So, one should make sure that they need to consider the difference before designing or developing for both platforms.

7. Integrated Development Environment is a place that necessitates for applying programming language information and start forming. Formerly, Android application development was executed in Eclipse IDE by making use of Android Development Toolkit; but, the company planned to substitute it with the Studio by giving reason that its convenient to use.
On the other hand, Apple tends to stay slightly archaic and just remains to announce newer versions of XCode. The company has claimed that they have rationalized Swift, which absolutely puts an effect on the coding progression. Indeed, testing of new user interface brings out the feature is also worth stating because it records an application as in action.
The company has claimed that they have rationalized Swift, which absolutely puts an effect on the coding progression. Indeed, testing of new user interface brings out the feature is also worth stating because it records an application as in action.

8. Beforehand, Apple used to apply the style pattern where icons and buttons were adjacent to real. Now, the scenario is such that company favors more simple and minimalistic design. On the other hand, Google with Android works contrarily. With their new notion, called Material Design, they seek to slenderness and genuineness. So, a designer and developer have to study the guidelines of both systems for creating a user-friendly application.

9. It is considered as the biggest point of difference between Android and iOS. Android happens to make use of a drawer menu as a part of its navigation pattern. On the other hand, iOS’ pattern talks about having a tab bar. The first one can turn out to be very obtrusive as it looks like that a paper sheet is subjugating a lot of area on a display. So, Apple plans to go a bit simple and easy to operate.

10. Android developers are of the view that Google Play Store is more springy because users are able to download applications with a few minutes. On the other note, Apple App Store makes it tough for downloading an application as it might take a couple of weeks. Another thing to note is that application on Android System can be updated after every two hours; while, the iOS takes more than two weeks to allow users to update their applications. This is the reason that people prefer to go for Android systems.

Considering the market share, both of them have their own set of buyers. If Android is defined by easy to operate and update; iOS is signified as a class statement in the section of high graded systems. In fact, Apple’s smartphones have become more of a style statement.

But, it is the Android devices that have wider users than the other one. Surely to say, it is because of the capability of adjusting itself as per budgetary phones available in the market too. So, Android Developers and iOS Developers have to keep in mind about the proper guidelines stated by the companies for sure.

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