What stores carry reliable Mastodon apps for Android?
In search of a Twitter replacement, I arrived on Mastodon recently (and I have a sneaking suspicion I'm not alone). I enjoy my time there since the locals all seem savvy and pleasant, and the tension level is much lower than on Twitter. The mobile app was functional enough once I got acclimated to the interface, but it fell short of my expectations. Since I had heard that a new one, named Ivory, was in testing and promised a far better experience, I was excited to give it a shot.
Then I ran across a problem I've seen before: Ivory is only compatible with Apple's iOS. As for me, I rely on Android.
My experience with Android phones is extensive. Personally, I have no strong feelings either way regarding Android; I simply enjoy using it and feel at home with it. I have nothing against Apple's iOS or the iPhone; in fact, I have one sitting here that I use for work. The iOS and Android operating systems each have their advantages and disadvantages in my book.
However, I will admit that I can become, for a moment, something akin to an irate five-year-old when I hear about an app that sounds incredibly straightforward and useful, go running to its site to see if I can test it out, and then discover that it is only available for iOS. I take offense when people tell me I can't use this cool new gadget.
Nobody else feels this way either. Recent discussions on Mastodon about this topic have been fascinating. Numerous Mastodon rookies are actively seeking third-party apps to enhance their experience, particularly those who are accustomed to the Twitter interface and its ecosystem of complementary tools. The apps developed for iOS are, unsurprisingly, superior to those developed for Android.
Why? You can find discussions about many of these options elsewhere on Mastodon.
iOS app creators who are also active on Twitter created these
Developers who made Twitter apps before Elon Musk barred them are, predictably, making the switch to Mastodon now that Musk has essentially banned them. For instance, Tapbots, a two-person development firm responsible for the iOS and macOS applications Tweetbot and a couple of others, is hard at work on Ivory, which is being heralded as the next big thing for Mastodon users. Their priorities clearly do not include Android.
Making Android apps is more difficult.
Apple only releases a handful of new iPhone models each year, and each one is optimized for the company's most recent OS. However, Android is available on a wide range of devices from a wide range of manufacturers, and the software is often heavily modified for each device. Samsung, the company behind many of the Android phones on the market, offers its own version of Android that differs significantly from Google's in terms of user interface and fundamental functions (which can be found on phones like the Pixel line).
Smaller companies and independent developers may lack the resources necessary to accommodate these variations. "These days, it's pretty rare to see any significant company fail to release an app for both Android and iOS at the same time, with equal priorities," says JR Raphael, creator and publisher of Android Intelligence. Smaller, startup-based services and more independent app developers are where I think we see the most contrast. Some businesses still prioritize iOS at the outset, only switching to Android later on, or even just focusing on iOS entirely when resources are clearly limited and the company must make decisions about where its attention is most beneficial. Frustratingly, this is the case, and it's something I wish we could alter.
Apple customers have a higher propensity to buy expensive accessories.
One common misconception is that Apple users are better off financially or more willing to shell out more money for their gadgets. Apple's hardware is notoriously more expensive than that of competitors. Moreover, while the most popular Android phones, like Samsung's or Google's newest Pixels, aren't exactly dirt cheap, there are plenty other Android phones available at more reasonable price points.
All well, here are some numbers: In comparison to Google's Play Store's $10.4 billion in revenue in the same period, Apple's App Store raked in roughly $21.2 billion. While Google reported 3 billion active devices in 2021, Apple only reported 2 billion active users in its first quarter earnings report for 2023. As a result, the App Store is making significantly more money despite being used by considerably fewer people, unless Google lost over a billion users during the past year, which would have made headlines. Though a sizable portion of that sum undoubtedly goes toward game development, iOS still provides a higher share of revenue to app creators than Android does.
This viewpoint is supported by evidence. As a result of this and the other difficulties, a smaller business or even a single developer may decide it is more financially viable (regardless of personal preference) to focus on iOS devices.
Compared to other brands, Apple's user interface is more visually appealing.
The claim that Apple's apps are more aesthetically and ergonomically attractive is the one that caught my attention the most. One of the common complaints I hear from Apple fans is that Android apps are poorly designed and difficult to use in comparison to their counterparts on macOS and iOS. https://ejtandemonium.com/
For instance, John Gruber of the Daring Fireball blog and The Talk Show With John Gruber fame has written a few of insightful pieces on the topic. The entry titled "Making Our Hearts Sing," which is a phrase from Steve Jobs' final public performance, drew my attention the most. Gruber says, “What’s happened over the last decade or so, I think, is that rather than the two platforms reaching any sort of equilibrium, the cultural differences have instead grown because both users and developers have self-sorted. iOS users tend to be those who appreciate the aesthetic value of their device's software and user interface, whereas Android users tend to be those who don't. http://sentrateknikaprima.com/
In search of a Twitter replacement, I arrived on Mastodon recently (and I have a sneaking suspicion I'm not alone). I enjoy my time there since the locals all seem savvy and pleasant, and the tension level is much lower than on Twitter. The mobile app was functional enough once I got acclimated to the interface, but it fell short of my expectations. Since I had heard that a new one, named Ivory, was in testing and promised a far better experience, I was excited to give it a shot.
Then I ran across a problem I've seen before: Ivory is only compatible with Apple's iOS. As for me, I rely on Android.
My experience with Android phones is extensive. Personally, I have no strong feelings either way regarding Android; I simply enjoy using it and feel at home with it. I have nothing against Apple's iOS or the iPhone; in fact, I have one sitting here that I use for work. The iOS and Android operating systems each have their advantages and disadvantages in my book.
However, I will admit that I can become, for a moment, something akin to an irate five-year-old when I hear about an app that sounds incredibly straightforward and useful, go running to its site to see if I can test it out, and then discover that it is only available for iOS. I take offense when people tell me I can't use this cool new gadget.
Nobody else feels this way either. Recent discussions on Mastodon about this topic have been fascinating. Numerous Mastodon rookies are actively seeking third-party apps to enhance their experience, particularly those who are accustomed to the Twitter interface and its ecosystem of complementary tools. The apps developed for iOS are, unsurprisingly, superior to those developed for Android.
Why? You can find discussions about many of these options elsewhere on Mastodon.
iOS app creators who are also active on Twitter created these
Developers who made Twitter apps before Elon Musk barred them are, predictably, making the switch to Mastodon now that Musk has essentially banned them. For instance, Tapbots, a two-person development firm responsible for the iOS and macOS applications Tweetbot and a couple of others, is hard at work on Ivory, which is being heralded as the next big thing for Mastodon users. Their priorities clearly do not include Android.
Making Android apps is more difficult.
Apple only releases a handful of new iPhone models each year, and each one is optimized for the company's most recent OS. However, Android is available on a wide range of devices from a wide range of manufacturers, and the software is often heavily modified for each device. Samsung, the company behind many of the Android phones on the market, offers its own version of Android that differs significantly from Google's in terms of user interface and fundamental functions (which can be found on phones like the Pixel line).
Smaller companies and independent developers may lack the resources necessary to accommodate these variations. "These days, it's pretty rare to see any significant company fail to release an app for both Android and iOS at the same time, with equal priorities," says JR Raphael, creator and publisher of Android Intelligence. Smaller, startup-based services and more independent app developers are where I think we see the most contrast. Some businesses still prioritize iOS at the outset, only switching to Android later on, or even just focusing on iOS entirely when resources are clearly limited and the company must make decisions about where its attention is most beneficial. Frustratingly, this is the case, and it's something I wish we could alter.
Apple customers have a higher propensity to buy expensive accessories.
One common misconception is that Apple users are better off financially or more willing to shell out more money for their gadgets. Apple's hardware is notoriously more expensive than that of competitors. Moreover, while the most popular Android phones, like Samsung's or Google's newest Pixels, aren't exactly dirt cheap, there are plenty other Android phones available at more reasonable price points.
All well, here are some numbers: In comparison to Google's Play Store's $10.4 billion in revenue in the same period, Apple's App Store raked in roughly $21.2 billion. While Google reported 3 billion active devices in 2021, Apple only reported 2 billion active users in its first quarter earnings report for 2023. As a result, the App Store is making significantly more money despite being used by considerably fewer people, unless Google lost over a billion users during the past year, which would have made headlines. Though a sizable portion of that sum undoubtedly goes toward game development, iOS still provides a higher share of revenue to app creators than Android does.
This viewpoint is supported by evidence. As a result of this and the other difficulties, a smaller business or even a single developer may decide it is more financially viable (regardless of personal preference) to focus on iOS devices.
Compared to other brands, Apple's user interface is more visually appealing.
The claim that Apple's apps are more aesthetically and ergonomically attractive is the one that caught my attention the most. One of the common complaints I hear from Apple fans is that Android apps are poorly designed and difficult to use in comparison to their counterparts on macOS and iOS. https://ejtandemonium.com/
For instance, John Gruber of the Daring Fireball blog and The Talk Show With John Gruber fame has written a few of insightful pieces on the topic. The entry titled "Making Our Hearts Sing," which is a phrase from Steve Jobs' final public performance, drew my attention the most. Gruber says, “What’s happened over the last decade or so, I think, is that rather than the two platforms reaching any sort of equilibrium, the cultural differences have instead grown because both users and developers have self-sorted. iOS users tend to be those who appreciate the aesthetic value of their device's software and user interface, whereas Android users tend to be those who don't. http://sentrateknikaprima.com/