Published on the 01/10/2010 | Written by Newsdesk
A survey of US developers shows they strongly favour Android over Apple iOS and believe it’s the future…
The survey by Appcelerator, released today, found that while Apple leads in iPhone/iPad interest, developers favour Android in the long-term.
Here are the key findings as to why :
- 72% of developers say Android “is best positioned to power a large number and variety of connected devices in the future”, compared to 25% for iOS. As a result, 59% of developers now favor Android’s long-term outlook, vs. 35% for iOS. This gap has widened 10 points since the last survey in June.
- However, Apple iOS continues to dominate in all categories relating to market/revenue opportunity and current devices. iPhone continues to lead overall developer sentiment with 91% saying they are “very interested” in developing for the device compared to 82% for Android phones.
- Developers show enthusiasm for connected TVs, with 44% saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for Google TV vs. 40% for Apple TV. Explained Scott Ellison, VP Mobile & Wireless, IDC, “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”.
- Android tablets are poised for developer lift-off: At 62% expressing strong interest, Android has similar enthusiasm to the iPad at an analogous point in time (last January pegged iPad at 58%). This is great news for Android tablet device OEMs. On the other end, new research shows webOS and BlackBerry tablets currently have little interest from developers (16% for both), indicating HP, RIM, and other tablet platform challengers need to generate significant developer enthusiasm well in advance of upcoming launches.
Fragmentation remains a key concern for Google, with 74% of developer respondents describing iOS as “least fragmented” but only 11% describing Android as such.
