What iOS version to use when start building an iOS App now and publishing in 1-2 months?

Question

Couldn't find similar questions:

I'm currently designing my app and after that I will build it with Xcode 4.2. My question is what iOS version should I use - iOS4 or iOS5?

I was trying out storyboard and ARC, so it would be great to build the app with iOS5, but I don't know if it will be better to use iOS4 to reach more users?

What are your advices?

Merry XMas! :)

Answer 1

I would:

In Xcode, set Base SDK to Latest iOS (iOS 5.0) and set iOS Deployment Target to iOSx.xx where x.x is any version from 3 to 5. The deployment target is where you can decide what is the minimum version of iOS that your app will need in order for it to work. So the lower the number would mean you can reach more targets. Just make sure you do test your app on those versions that you set before submiting to iTunes for review.

Answer 2

I would say go for IOS 4, you can still use Arc, and StoryBoards are not the end of the world...

Answer 3

According to this report, about a third of users had updated to iOS 5 in October. The figure has probably increased since then and will continue to increase (especially considering the huge influx of new iOS 5 devices which will enter use after Christmas), so by the time you publish your app it is quite likely that about half of users will have iOS 5.

Whether it's worth losing about half of your potential market for the extra features which are available when developing for iOS 5 is entirely up to you. To some extent, it also depends of what the app is - if it is something targeted at people who make intensive use of their iPhone, chances are they will already have upgraded, so it shouldn't be a problem. If, on the other hand, it's something that is likely to be used by non-techsavvy people, you might be better off making it compatible with iOS 4.