Although Apple is still dominant in the mobile space, Android is quickly
gaining ground.
In a report by Appcelerator/IDC, developers were found to be more optimistic
about the future of the Android platform than they were about the iOS
platform with a whopping 72% of them thinking that Android was best
positioned to power a large number and variety of connected devices in the
future.
This is fairly obvious really as we all know that iOS will only ever be on
Apple devices and as more and more manufacturers jump on the Android
bandwagon (hey, it’s free) then there will obviously be more devices out
there running it.
Another obvious result was 85% of developers thinking that Android was the
most ‘open’ platform with only 6% choosing Apple as the most open.
The most noteworthy result is the most capabilities as an OS, with Android
getting 56% and Apple getting 36%. Surely the capabilities of the platform
depend on the phone it’s on? My worry, if i was a developer, would be
whether my app would work at it’s best on all the different types of
hardware that could potentially be running it. At least with Apple you know
that they have made the software with the hardware, so it will work on the
vast majority of iOS devices, if not all of them.
With all this talk of Android and iOS, you forget that there are other
operating systems:
Developers are also showing a strong interest in TV apps with 44% saying
they are “very interested” in Google TV while 40% are more interested in
Apple TV apps, even though Apple hasn’t announced anything yet. Scott
Ellison, VP Mobile & Wireless, IDC said:
“Apps are poised to help remake the television viewing experience just as
they have remade the mobile experience. Television needs new and more
effective ways to create immersive experiences, engage audiences with
advertisers, integrate social networks, and drive viewership of original
broadcasts” he added, “The television players who most effectively
integrate app developers into their connected TV strategies are poised to
potentially remake the television experience as we know it.”
