Develop iOS or Android first?

In response to an article by Cennydd titled "Why don't designers take Android seriously," this piece examines the iOS versus Android development decision from the perspective of app design and development experience across both platforms.

Cennydd raises valid points about Android being the larger market yet being overlooked as a development priority. However, the authors argue that "businesses making apps (that people care about) already know all of this; it's not news."

The decision to develop for iOS first is fundamentally economic. Most businesses--especially startups--cannot afford simultaneous development on both platforms. The development process itself requires resources for discovery, design decisions, UX refinement, and technical problem-solving. Doubling this effort across two platforms simultaneously increases costs prohibitively.

App development demands significant investment, even for seemingly straightforward concepts. Development typically costs roughly "60% of the initial app cost to then replicate in the second platform."

iOS users typically demonstrate: - Greater app engagement - Higher willingness to spend money within apps - Better word-of-mouth adoption potential

Additionally, iOS development offers technical advantages: standardized screen sizes, more powerful devices, and developers can rely on newer OS features without worrying about fragmented user adoption.

"Every client has decided to go iOS first and Android second," though the authors noted recommending Android-first in at least one case based on the user demographic.

While Android-first scenarios exist, they remain exceptional. The authors suggest this dynamic will only shift when Google exercises greater control over Android, similar to Apple's approach.

The article references complementary perspectives from Dave Feldman at Emu and Jim Edwards examining socioeconomic divisions between iOS and Android users.