Since the advent of the iPad, iOS developers have had the option of distributing universal apps that bundle logic intended for both iPhones and iPads.  But is this a good thing?  In this post I quickly discuss the outcomes of going universal and why they might or might not make sense for your app.

Pricing

You’ve worked hard on your app and you’d like to be fairly compensated for that hard work.

It’s a known fact that iPad users are willing to pay more than their iPhone counterparts for apps specifically designed for the iPad.  If you go universal you’ll have to choose a single, shared price for both devices.  Considering the amount of effort you put in to making the iPad edition of your app that much better for the iPad don’t you think you deserve better?

To add insult to injury, an iPhone user who purchases your universal app will get it for free on the iPad and benefit from the iPad specific parts.  So instead of earning 99 cents for the iPhone edition and $1.99 for the iPad edition you’ll only receive 99 cents, period.

Pricing Experimentation and Sales

You’ll likely be experimenting with your price to find the sweet spot which generates the most revenue.  This number can never be the same on both device classes due to different demographics.

And what if you want to offer a sale for just one device class to bring more awareness to it?  You probably have already guessed that with a universal app you will have to offer your sale price to users of both device classes.

App Size

Why should an iPhone user consume storage space for the iPad specific logic or vice versa?  Storage is at a premium on these devices already.

Code Complexity

Your iPad logic will be living side by side in the same project as that of your iPhone.  You’ll need to detect the device class at runtime and switch between logic.

Staged development

If your time or development budget are strained, you can focus on one device class first by not going universal.  You can determine your app’s popularity after release and decide later on if the other device class warrants a port.

App Store Ranking

Apple views universal apps as being distinct on the iPad and iPhone.  They may share common logic but from the user’s perspective the UIs are very different and any reviews they give reflect the experience of only one of them.  Accordingly Apple separates the ratings and reviews of both device classes in the App Store.  Ratings are believed to major play a factor in App Store ranking so having them separated eliminates any potential for boosting your rank by opting for a Universal app.

When do Universal Apps make sense?

If you have a very simple app that you know will always be free the demerits I mentioned above don’t warrant as much concern.

One merit of going universal is that you can call your app by a single name without appending “for iPad” or “HD” to the title and this can make your app easier to find in the App Store.

Conclusion

In many cases Universal Apps don’t work in favor of developers and in some cases they don’t make much sense for users either.  Careful weighing of concerns should take place first before you commit to either approach.

One thing is certain however, divorcing an already universal app into two entails a lot of effort and can cause confusion for users.  Marrying two editions into a universal app, should circumstances later warrant it, is much simpler.  Just like marriage, you should stay single until you’re absolutely sure you’re ready for it.