iOS vs Android vs Amazon. Which Platform to target?

This is an excerpt from a recent email in which I was discussing with a client which platform they should target with their app. I figured my input might be useful for others out there…

“To Answer your question regarding Android, note that Amazon is actually an Android platform. There may be some minor revisions that would need to be made for the Amazon version to get it approved for the Amazon market (for example they do not allow you to use Googles In App Purchasing mechanism). But all in all, if you build for Android, you are also set for Amazon. I’ll also note that from my own download statistics, I see roughly 1/8 of the downloads on amazon devices as I see from the Google Play market.

Now, as far as Android vs iPhone. From my own download statistics, I see roughly 1/10 the downloads on Android as I do on iPhone. I find that the vast majority of Android users are not really comfortable or do not like to Pay for their apps… where as iPhone users are much more used to using iTunes to buy music and such and are much more willing to shell out a few dollars for a good application. Aside from that, I strongly believe that iOS delivers again again on a better User Experience. Because we as developers know exactly what types of devices our app is going to be running on, we are able to create great user interfaces for each platform specifically.. we are sure that the hardware the user is running on will support whatever it is we are trying to do. With Android, we do not have these benefits. Because we are developing interfaces that are dynamic and can be used on any size screen, the result is that it doesn’t truly look perfect on any screen size. Because most users are still running old versions of Android OS, we are unable to use many of the new features only available in the new OS versions. Because we don’t know enough about their hardware, apps might crash or be less functional on certain systems… and there are too many to test them all. As a developer, I find developing for iOS to be as much of a joy as it is to use the devices. Like wise, I find developing for Android to be as painful as their devices are to use. Their development kit is not good. It makes every task a hassle, and as a result development takes longer.

This is an overview of my take on Android vs iOS. If you do want your app to reach everyone, I agree that porting to Android is necessary although I think it is in your best interest not to do so until your iOS app is complete. If it comes down to choosing and focusing on one platform, I strongly suggest iOS as the dominant platform.”