Why iOS Developers Should Look Into Android Development

It is a very good idea to specialise in one area, but in addition you should also look into other areas as well. So an iOS developer should have a basic understanding of Android development.

Specialisation is very important…

I can’t say often enough how important it is to specialise in one area. Only if you specialise in one area – for example iOS development – you can become really great in that particular area. We are living in a world of specialisation, so that there are a lot of benefits for people who specialise. You will earn more money and it will be easier to get a job. I also believe that it’s more fun on the long term, if you try to dig deep down.

On the other hand – if you are trying to become more some kind of a generalist, then it is very likely that there’s no area at all you are very good in. And in my opinion that’s not very desirable.

It also happens that people become a specialist in one area, but then they stop to keep themselves up-to-date because they are looking extensively into other areas. Then, when they get back to their former specialised area, they realise that a lot of things have changed and that they have missed the boat.

Just look what happened in iOS development during the last two years: Swift has become the new primary language in iOS development and the layout system has changed radically with the introduction of auto layout and size classes.

…but you should see the big picture.

So it is important to specialise and to have a clear focus. However, that doesn’t mean that it is not allowed to look into other areas as well. The aim is not to become very good in another area, but to get an impression how that area works. Then you are still specialised in your main area, but you can also see the bigger picture.

So if you are an iOS developer, you should definitely look into Android development. iOS and Android are the most important mobile operating systems. So on one hand they have a lot of similarities, but on the other hand there are a lot of differences as well.

By looking into Android development you can see what is specific for iOS development and what is common sense in mobile development. That’s a huge help to understand iOS development much better. And you shouldn’t stop by looking into Android development. It makes a lot of sense to look into other areas as well, like web development and backend development. Of course, your aim should not be to become very good at it, but it is good to get at least a basic understanding about it.

It also helps to communicate better with other developers within a big software project. Very often there’s not just an iOS app, but an Android app, a web fronted and a backend as well. So it is a huge benefit, if you are able to communicate with developers from other teams as well.

If you are looking for a good starting point to look into Android development, read this post.

References

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