Comparative Energy Efficiency Analysis of Mobile Apps on Android and iOS Platforms

The increasing demand for mobile applications has raised significant concerns about their energy consumption, contributing to the environmental impact of the technology industry. This study aims to evaluate the energy efficiency of mobile apps across two prominent platforms, Android and iOS, by examining the relationship between memory usage, execution time, and energy consumption. The research employs a comparative analysis method using real-time profiling tools, including Android Studio Profiler and Xcode Instruments, to measure the energy performance of applications from six categories is messaging, social media, music, video, navigation, and email. Data were collected from two devices with similar specifications, the Samsung Galaxy S10 (Android) and iPhone 11 (iOS), ensuring consistency in the comparison. The results reveal a positive correlation between total memory usage and energy consumption, while the impact of maximum memory usage on energy efficiency was found to be insignificant. Moreover, execution time was observed to influence energy consumption, but its effect varied across different app types. The study concludes that optimizing memory usage and execution time, in combination with CPU performance, is essential for improving the energy efficiency of mobile applications. These findings provide valuable insights for developers aiming to reduce the ecological footprint of mobile applications through energy conscious development practices. Future research should focus on exploring further optimization strategies and expanding the range of application types for broader applicability.