Apple News, Analysis and Podcasts

It wasn't all that long ago when iOS was pretty much the standard mobile app development environment. But then along came Android, which took off like wildfire, as handset manufacturers were desperate for a challenger to iPhone. Android stormed the mobile castle, while RIM and Nokia have all but lowered the drawbridge in a series of missteps. As a result, iOS and Android have pretty much locked up the mobile development community, but there are more players in the offing.

HP's webOS, and Windows Mobile 7 on Nokia devices, will promise heavy marketing assaults this fall and into winter season. The platforms would seem to be yet another opportunity for developers, but do they want more platforms? They shouldn't.

Android alone has caused developers a lot of pain with very little reward. Apple has touted developers making $2.5 billion in earnings, while Google has yet to say a word as to how much their developers have profited from the Android platform. And while Google touts 600,000 activations per day, how does that truly translate into developers making money? It doesn't. Google has yet to explain what an "activation" means. Does an Android activation include eBook readers, phones in China that don't even use the Android market place, or any other form of "activation" figure that does not aid developers? 

On the other hand, iOS has seen a huge explosion of its own right, with over 200 million iOS devices deployed. The translation for developers is iOS is more mature and easier to develop and deploy for - and profit from - than any other mobile platform out there. iOS holds advantages over other platforms in the following areas:

• Maturity of SDK – nothing comes close
• Security – Whether it's the iOS own features or tools from Juniper and Cisco, only Blackberry has this level of security.
• Fragmentation –  Android has this headache in spades, while iOS devices consist of iPod, iPhone, iPad, a dream from a development standpoint.
• Profitability – In terms of profitability for Developers, Android is a mere shadow to the iOS.

Some developers follow the belief that more competition is good, and are looking to see what webOS and Mobile 7 will be able to do. While choice is good for the consumer, fragmentation for the developer is bad. Adding two more environments to the mobile mix costs the developer more time and labor to make the same amount of money, because they have to develop for more platforms to reach the same population of moblie users.

If developers don't get that last point, it's a big one. Whether Apple has one competitor or 300, it's in Apple's best interest to keep developers happy — and making money. This is why developers should want the iOS — the platform that is making developers money — to dominate.

1 Comment

1. AppleTurnover ~ July 12, 2011 05:23
   One would certainly think that developers would want a more unified platform with very few and controlled devices. Yet, the hedge fund managers are still pushing the theory that the sheer number of Android devices will become more profitable than all iOS devices and effectively squash Apple's mobile platform growth. Consumers that want Apple products will continue to buy Apple products and the iOS platform is sticky. There isn't any indication that not so loyal Android smartphone owners will choose an Android smartphone for their next purchase. Android rapid growth could just be a temporary two-year spike.

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