6 Reasons Why Businesses Should Develop Apps Only for Android Versions Above 4.4

When you are hiring a developer for your business app it is natural to cover all grounds. But, extending services to older versions like Android 4.4 may cause more challenges than it resolves.

Technology evolves faster than we do. It was only a few years ago that we held the first generation of Android devices in our palm. Today, the 9th and 8th generation of the platform is revolutionising hand-held technology as we know it. It brings us to the question- is there any point in Android app development in Melbourne for versions below 4.4? The average business app is made compatible with several Android versions. However, is there anymore point for businesses to complicate their business app code by offering compatibility with Android 4.4?

Why Should You Focus on Android Lollipop and Above?

The Android KitKat 4.4 offered business app developers excellent memory management facilities, which allowed them to pack a lot of features in their applications. However, it is high time that businesses and the developers they hire should cater to Android 5.0 and above users only. There are several practical reasons for that:

Material Design Differences

Material design on the Android platform saw a significant boost after the release of version 5.0 or Lollipop. Which means that an Android device below version 5.0 will not be able to offer your users the same experience; your application will not be able to draw on the material design scope of version 4.4 to give the users a well-rounded UI with depth and colour vibrancy.

Notification System Disparity

One of the critical reasons why checking one’s smartphone now and then has become common are notifications. Notifications deliver us news- be it updates about a new product, a reminder, or a confirmation. However, the notification protocol in Android version 4.4 is not as nifty as its successors.

Businesses that rely on app notifications to communicate actively with its users may recall that Android 4.4 Kitkat’s screen lock often prevented notifications from appearing; receiving calls is also a challenge.

Operational Efficiency

It is not remotely surprising that the memory optimisation capabilities of Android versions 4.4 are not sufficient for handling the applications developed today. The minimum memory and hardware requirements for these applications would cause a massive drain on the battery, heat the system and clog the processing capability of the device.

If you design a feature-rich business app that uses a lot of system resources, then a person using a device running Android 4.4 will end up giving it a 1-star! Not because the app is developed poorly; it is because they will not be able to run the app at all.

Target Demographic

At a certain point before committing to an Android app for your business, you must ask yourself who is your target demographic. A recent study by experts reveals that only 7% of the Australian population uses Android 4.4 even now. 7% of the population may be a significant number; but, based on your products and services, what are the odds of your demographic intersecting with this statistical group?

If your app is targeted at technology-savvy users of today, successful working professionals, etc., then you can rest assured that they are using more recent versions of Android.

Cost of Development

Now, let us consider the scenario where you do take this 7% who may or may not use your app within a generalised statistic. Now, shaping the app for compatibility an old version and making it functional, costs money. Even services that provide Android app development in Melbourne are reluctant to spend time on practising code for a near-obsolete operating system.

To realise the full design potential of your business app, shift your focus to harnessing the new scope of features in Android Pie and Oreo, instead.