No one cares about android apps

I started as an Android developer. I had a chance to switch to iOS development a take that opportunity and never regret that.

In my opinion Android development more complex. To make a beautifully animated app take more energy. I will not start with fragmentation and none existing tablet market.

Apple created nice ecosystems and as a developer, you can create nice implementations without friction.

And the last nail when choosing the first platform for the mobile platforms is revenue. On iOS, you can get 10x more. (I saw with my own eyes)

As I iOS developer I create an app exclusively for iOS. Only if it will be successful I will start thinking of investing in Android is worth my time.

I’m not a fan of cross-platform but flutter has my attention. I think reactive native will open no-code gates.

I’ve been saying this for years. A few fanboys will convince you otherwise, but you’re 100% right. The apps are just there. Nobody cares about making them polished and well designed.

I am just wondering when there is an easier way to create apps for both platforms ( react native, flutter etc..). Why do you wanna build Android first (Assuiming your app does need to use natvie features)?

I have created multiple android and iOS apps and most important "mantra" is- "Always go where your users are."
Now if for a specific app you have equal number of users on both platform. There are multiple things you need to consider -

1. Which technology you as a developer more comfortable with. Time to market is important sometimes.
2. What is your revenue strategy. I have seen higher CPC on iOS as compared to my Android apps. At the same time I have seen higher number of ad clicks on Android as compared to iOS.
3. As an indie dev, can you afford the hardware required for iOS development (in some developing countries, it can take an year worth of junior dev's salary to own one Mac,iPhone and iPad)
4. There is one more thing that people never consider, but I think is a big deal. The amount of support you get from the platform to iterate quickly, fix issues, get feedback and work on metrics. I remember writing about it long back based on developer experience when you actually try to publish an app -> http://sourabhsoni.com/app-aftermath-itunesconnect-vs-google-play-developer-console/

Rather than focusing on the platform, focus on the problem you are trying to solve. This is 2020, not the 2010 when it does not matter what types of app you are developing you got the downloads (Kind of).

If you're looking to have the highest chance of success as an indie hacker, you'll need to do B2B SaaS (web-apps).

I have a cross-platform iOS+Android app with a single $6 in-app purchase. Both apps are in the top-3 of the search results in their stores but the iOS version generates about 30-40% more revenue.

My next app will have Mac and Windows versions too, but I will go for Android last because it's so hard to develop for it. I'll probably wait until it generates some decent revenue and then hire somebody to help me.

Are you already a developer and thinking about where to start with mobile? Or are you planning to learn development at the same time?

If your goal is to make money, iOS is far better. Go to https://sensortower.com and research apps that have both iOS and Android versions and you'll usually see that iOS revenue is multiples higher (sometimes 5x or 10x) than the equivalent Android app.

I care 😀

My impression as an Android-only user is there's more innovation on iOS. The tech press and bloggers covering Android and Google don't do much to showcase new and interesting apps.

Which may be an opportunity, for both developers and publishers.

If you develop an app that's not one of the usual suspects (to-do lists, habit trackers, text editors, games, games, games, games, yawn, games, and so on), be sure to let me know.