How to choose the best platform for a mobile app?

Smartphone app development is exploding, leaving developers confronted with a plethora of choices. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your mobile apps.

First of all study your application. For this purpose you should ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is it a free application?
  • Is it a commercial one?
  • How do I want it to be distributed?

For free applications, I recommend Android, as it has a very nice marketplace and it’s inexpensive to publish.

For commercial applications, iPhone is the best target. iTunes is a great distribution system, and an average user is more inclined to buy an iPhone app than an Android one.

For a closed business self-distributed application, Windows Mobile is a good choice. Actually for this type, any of the three platforms are good.

Once you get to know your applications target and distribution system, you should think about your knowledge/resources:

  • What do I know to program?
  • What does my programming team know?

And finally, once you know your target language, you must check if the selected platform meets your software/hardware requirements:

  • What type of hardware peripherals do I need?
  • Which processor do I need? And so on.

Android and Windows Mobile have quite a wide range of devices, while iPhone only three. If you want to ensure the correct development of your app without caring for the hardware, iPhone is the best choice; all models are nearly the same. But if the iPhone hardware doesn’t have what you need you can do nothing about it. In this case a platform like Windows Mobile can be better.

So much depends on your application. All the application types have distinct hardware/software requirements, so you should study them well before taking a decision.

If you have answered all those questions above and have a clear vision of an app you wish to have, then the platform which answers your wishes to the fullest extent, is the best for your app.


Altabel Group specialists are currently programming for those three platforms, so from our own experience we can state that each one has its advantages:

On Android the hardware is used easily, the nice Eclipse Java IDE, and the market.

On iPhone, iTunes is the best of all, easy distribution channel to make money (but expensive if you’re targeting for low profile apps).
And Windows Mobile is a more friendly platform for the programmer; it lets you do nearly everything with the hardware/OS.

And what’s your opinion on this topic?

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