Apple’s iOS is the second most popular mobile device operating system used all around the world. Only the Android operating system is installed on more cellphones than the iOS operating system, and while both camps have plenty of users who swear theirs is the best, it would be hard to decide which of these two operating systems is more user-friendly, more effective, or more useful to the owner.
However, there’s no doubt at all about which one is more popular, since Android currently owns approximately 74% of the market share, while iOS has only cornered about 26% of the global market. Operating systems constitute the basic software that allows cellphone users to interact with their mobile phones, usually by swiping, tapping, or using some kind of gesture.
What exactly is iOS?
Apple iOS is the operating system based on macOS, and it was developed to run all Apple’s iPhones, as well as all other mobile devices manufactured by Apple. The operating system runs the entire line of Mac desktop computers and laptops produced by Apple and was developed with the intention of providing seamless and easy networking between all potential Apple products.
In the simplest terms, Apple iOS is a mobile operating system which has been developed exclusively by Apple, Inc. for use in its hardware. It strengthens the usage of all mobile devices created by Apple, including the iPhone.
What are iPhone applications?
Any software app which is created for use on an iOS-powered cellphone is considered to be an iPhone app. These apps are generally available through the Apple App Store and have all been developed specifically for usage on Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Apple encourages developers to create iPhone apps, so they can be downloaded from the App Store and used by Apple consumers all over the globe.
Apple has also released a system development kit (SDK) in conjunction with sample code projects that will guide developers in getting started with iPhone application development. Some iPhone apps on the Apple App Store are available for free, while others must be purchased. The revenue from all these downloads and purchases eventually gets shared between Apple and the software developer for that particular product.
What is iOS app development?
All development for Apple hardware products such as the iPad Touch, the iPhone, and the iPad, is considered to be iOS app development. This software has to be written in the Swift language or Objective-C and then deployed to the App Store, so that users can download it from there.
Developers will all be making use of the iOS software development kit in order to produce their mobile device apps for Apple. The software development kit includes a number of different tools and interfaces for creating, deploying, running, and testing apps to prepare them for eventual download.
Native apps are written in Objective-C and make use of the iOS system frameworks. Before any app is launched on the App Store, it has to go through a fairly stringent quality review procedure that ensures it’s bug-free and fully functional for users.
How does iOS work?
All applications in iOS are driven by specific events that cause pre-canned code to be executed. All objects or controls, such as user interface buttons, are constantly listening for specific events such as touches and taps. When any of these events is triggered by a user, the object then calls for the body of pre-developed code which is associated with that particular event. The code then gets executed, and the user sees the intended results.
The differences between IOS and Android apps
The main difference between these two mobile devices is the fact that Android applications are generally developed using Kotlin and Java, whereas iOS apps are built with Swift and Objective-C. Developers will see a further distinction between these two systems, because writing in the Swift language generally calls for less code than Java and Kotlin.
This being the case, it generally works out that iOS apps can be completed much faster than apps which are developed for Android cellphones. It’s also why so many hordes of iOS developers are attracted to the possibility of securing extra income by writing apps for iOS.
Given the fact that it will always require less time and resources to develop iOS apps than Android apps, iOS app development will likely remain very popular among developers. However, the fact that the Android operating system is by far the more popular of the two makes it just as important for developers to create new apps for Android as well.
New versions of iOS
The current version of iOS which is available to the public is iOS 15.3.1, and it was released in February of 2022. As always, there are newer versions of the Apple operating system available in beta mode, and users are encouraged to test these out because it helps identify bugs and eliminate them.
Typically, Apple will announce the newest version of iOS in June of every year. This is usually geared toward the development community, so at that time, only beta versions are usually available for use. Then later on in the year, Apple will release its newest version of iOS, generally in conjunction with its annual iPhone announcement.
This is generally held during the second week of September, and once the iOS update is available, anyone who has a compatible device will be able to download it free of charge. What that means is that you can probably expect iOS version 16 to be released during September of 2022.
Throughout the year, Apple will also release several minor revisions to its operating system, which are called ‘point releases’, because they add a decimal point to the basic version number. Usually, these point releases are intended to patch any security flaws that exist, fix bugs that have been identified, and sometimes they even add functionality to certain features within Apple.
