Android Vs IOS Users - How Do They Behave Differently
How Do Android and iOS Users Differ?
Android and iOS devices together account for more than 97 percent of the mobile operating system market share. And, as of August 2017, Android accounts for nearly two-thirds (64%) of those!
Android has the largest global market share in low-income areas and developing countries due to its broad price range and lower entry-level price point. In emerging markets such as Asia and Africa, it has an advantage over Apple.
Despite Google's global market share dominance, Apple dominates profit share because the average iOS user is more active than the average Android user.
They each have distinct capabilities
There are several fundamental differences between Android and iOS that impact both the user experience and the choices we make when interacting with either of them.
Apple is extremely strict about app submissions, push notifications, rules, and timelines, and they automatically push operating system updates to users to ensure a consistent experience.
On the other hand, Android applications and app listings can be updated automatically without human intervention. Additionally, they are fragmented across multiple phone manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, HTC, and Motorola, providing the end user with a customizable experience.
Both of these scenarios have their advantages and disadvantages, and if you ask iOS or Android users, they will tell you that this is exactly what they want. Apple users are typically devoted to maintaining a consistent experience across all of their devices and any updates, whereas Android users laud the freedom and customizability their devices provide.
This demonstrates that, while all smartphones serve the same basic function, each user views their smartphone uniquely.
The differences in core demographics
As previously stated, Android currently has the largest global platform share, with a particular emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. In comparison, iOS users typically earn more, have a higher level of education, are more engaged, and spend more per app. That is not to say that those who share those characteristics will not own an Android device. Rather than that, this data is representative of the overall Android population.
Men are slightly more likely than women to be iOS users. Android appears to be the most popular platform across all age groups, but its lead over iOS was slightly smaller among those aged 65+.
While the differences in user age and gender between platforms are unlikely to be significant enough to sway a platform selection decision for an app, income and location should not be overlooked. As demonstrated below, this can have a significant impact on actions such as in-app purchases and paid subscriptions, which are critical components of a business model that relies on such behavior!
Does personality play a role?
Believe it or not, we appear to select our smartphones based on our level of introversion or extroversion! Android users, according to a study, are less extroverted than iPhone users and are perceived to have a higher level of honesty and humility.
Android users are also more likely to prefer saving money and to describe themselves as followers, whereas iOS users prefer spending money and are more likely to describe themselves as leaders.
However, I would not be concerned about personality differences when choosing a platform for an app; each user is unique on a much more granular level than a study can demonstrate. As long as you keep your app's objective and your user's intent in mind, you're good to go!
The approach to technology
According to a Hunch.com poll, iOS users are more likely to be early adopters who first used the internet prior to 1992. Additionally, they appear to be Apple loyal, as they are more than 100 percent more likely to own a Mac computer than Android users.
On the other hand, Android users appear to be late adopters, with a lower likelihood of backing up their computer. They prioritize functionality over aesthetics, and they are more likely to use Yahoo Mail than to own an email domain associated with their work or website.
Push notifications behavior
It's remarkable to see how much even simple actions like responding to push notifications vary between Android and iOS users. This will allow you to more accurately benchmark your open rates based on the device your user is using!
Around 3.5 percent of Android users and slightly less than 1.8 percent of iOS users open push notifications. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that on Android, push notifications remain visible on the lock screen until the user takes action on them. They vanish after the first screen unlock on an iPhone.
There is a possibility that this distinction in features prompts iOS users to open push notifications more quickly. An iOS user responds to a push notification in an average of seven minutes, compared to 48 minutes for an Android user. This could indicate a higher level of interaction with Apple users.
Consumer spend and mCommerce
As I previously stated, there appears to be a disparity in the purchasing power of the average iPhone user and the average Android user.
The median iPhone app user earns $85,000 per year, 40% more than the median Android phone user, who earns $61,000 per year. And, despite the fact that Android has far more downloads than iOS, iPhone users spend more than twice as much as Android users. Additionally, iOS spending increased 45 percent year over year in Q1 2017, while Android spending increased 40%.
For iOS users, the average in-app shopping check is four times higher! If you're looking to develop a mobile shopping application, iOS development makes the most sense. Android users, on the other hand, adore digital utility apps such as launchers, anti-virus apps, and performance boosters, and are willing to pay and spend five times as much on them as iOS users.
Additionally, iPhone owners are more likely to make frequent purchases on their phones. These are critical considerations for retail app developers as well as those looking to monetize their work through paid apps or in-app purchases. Mobile advertisements are the primary source of revenue for Android applications.
Loyalty to a specific platform
In comparison to Android users, iOS users are more loyal and possess greater purchasing power. As I mentioned briefly earlier, Android users appreciate the platform's openness and their ability to customize their device, whereas iOS users prefer to keep their devices simple and spend more time trying out new apps.
iPhone owners appear to have a high opinion of their devices and are therefore likely to remain iPhone users over time. And, while the percentage of Android owners who are extremely satisfied with their smartphone is fairly high – 48 percent – it is significantly lower than the 62 percent of iPhone owners who feel the same way about their device.
When to make a choice
With both Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store growing in popularity, the ideal development path is hybrid development for both platforms. The majority of apps work flawlessly across both, and it's easier to build that way from the start, rather than building for one app store and gradually adding the other.
However, if you're adamant about using one platform over the other, keep the following in mind:
Developing for Android makes sense if your target audience is heavily invested in Android, as well as if you're focused on customizing the Android user experience and enhancing Android's personalization capabilities.
Developing for iOS first makes sense if your goals align with the consumer spend, high in-app engagement, and loyalty that make iPhone users valuable; Apple has also reduced approval times.
Hopefully, this data helped you gain a better understanding of your current and/or future app audience. With the distinctions we discussed, you can now examine your engagement rates, in-app behavior, and success metrics with a greater understanding of the motivations behind your users' actions.
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