iPhone or Android? That is the question. 

 

 

While the rest of the world is busy fighting over the best platform, event planners are focused on making sure their event apps reach the widest audience. Of course, to accomplish that goal, event planners build cross platform event apps like EventEdge. However, beyond just developing conference apps, it’s important for event organizers to keep their pulse on the status of the various platforms. Plus, if your budget is limited for your event app, organizers should find the right platform to focus on. Each platform has its own technology and drawbacks that can determine how you plan your event. We give you an update on the platform wars below. 

 

 

 

The US is the most developed smartphone market in the world and is in the midst of an epic battle between Apple and Google for market share. While Android is coming out ahead worldwide, the US is a bit different. Android still leads with 52% of the market, Apple has been gaining ground and is up to 43.5%. 

 

This reflects the successful marketing Apple has done to position themselves as the premium product and as smartphone budgets grow, more people are willing to pay for iPhones. In addition, Apple has a head start on attacking the enterprise market. Android still leads, but its neck and neck and in the US. 

 

 

 

While Apple may be fighting back in the US, Android has taken the rest of the world by storm. With lower cost devices, more options, and better reach, Android has captured an astonishing 80% of worldwide market share. The iPhone is still popular among those that can afford it, but expect Android to continue to dominate. 

 

 

 

One of the ways that iOS has fought back against Android’s popularity is with the dominance of the iPad. While Android tablets are beginning to have a presence, iPad is by far the most used tablet with 84% of all tablet traffic coming from them. In fact, Android users even prefer iPads with 40% of them more likely to by an iPad than an Android tablet. 

 

This becomes a big part of planning for device types, because chances are there is an attendee walking around with an iPad, even if they have an Android device. This gives iOS a leg up when it comes to becoming part of your event.

 

 

 

So what does this mean for event organizers? When it comes to event apps, you should always go multi-platform, but if you are looking to play with other, more nascent technologies, know your attendees. If you are working with an international audience, choose Android, if you are looking at corporate environments, find out their device of choice.