It's definitely not optimal, I'll be the first to admit. With limited resources, it really comes down to sequencing. We could have sat on the iPhone app until the Android app was ready to launch, but shipping on one platform ASAP allows us to start learning what's working / what's not working and ultimately improve the product that goes out the door on day 1 on Android.
In the iOS app, we don't support in-app-purchases (subscribers can upgrade to paid via email/web) so there's no 30% take from Apple.
Is that even allowed by Apple to collect subscriptions outside of the App Store? There have been many battles about it and Fortnite or some paid email services are at odds with Apple.
Regarding a cross-platform launch, I think launching at the same time considerable increases odds of reaching a critical mass of people joining the hype generated by a launch. In my experience users rarely come back to a place when app was released to a platform they don't have - disappointment factor plays a role - unless they really need it.
In the iOS app, we don't support in-app-purchases (subscribers can upgrade to paid via email/web) so there's no 30% take from Apple.