By Telecom Lead Team: Android has replaced Apple iOS in terms of importance to
developers in the Asia-Pacific region in the last 12 months.
However, iOS and Android form the
core of developer support and though these two platforms may vie for ultimate
supremacy almost all developers support both platforms.
While iOS and Android form the core
of developer support, there is significant drive behind Blackberry OS and an
increasing interest from developers in Microsoft’s Windows phone.
The growing momentum behind Windows
Phone indicates that Microsoft has managed to convince developers that its
platform is worthy of investment. However, its main challenge now is to
persuade consumers,” said Adam Leach, devices & platforms practice leader
at Ovum.
Ovum said developers have been quick
to respond to the exit of once-important smartphone platforms such as Windows
Mobile, Symbian and WebOS and have embraced opportunities that have arisen
through emerging platforms.
The Ovum research also shows a move
away from traditional cross-platform mobile application development approaches
(e.g. Java, Flash, WAP). Instead, developers are focusing their efforts towards
web-based standards (e.g. HTML5), which seem to be the preferred approach to
building cross-platform applications.
Despite the increasing use of
cross-platform programming approaches, most developers are still using
vendor-specific distribution channels such as Android Market to deploy
applications, as this is seen as the best way to reach the largest possible
audience for their applications.
A smartphone platform’s success is
dictated not only by the pull of consumers and the push of both handset vendors
and mobile operators but also a healthy economy of applications delivered by
third-party developers. Therefore, it is important for all players in the
smartphone ecosystem to understand the choices developers are making today and
the downstream impact of those choices,” Leach added.
Google plans to launch Android tablet
to rival Apple iPad
Google is planning to bring its
flagship Android tablet to the market in the next six months to rival Apple’s
iPad.
Though Google had a hand in the
development of the Motorola Xoom, but like other Android tablets, it suffered
disappointing sales in a market dominated by the iPad. Since then Google has
itself become a major hardware manufacturer via its $12.5 billion dollars
acquisition Motorola’s devices division.
Apple is leading the worldwide media
tablet shipments in Q3 2011. The company shipped 11.1 million units in Q3 2011,
up from 9.3 million units in Q2 2011. Apple’s tablet market share reduced to
61.5 percent in Q3 from 63.3 percent in Q2 2011.
Apple’s larger portfolio of
tablet-specific apps, upcoming iPad versions, and growing physical store
presence in key emerging markets like Asia/Pacific will help maintain its
global leadership. However, an improving Android OS experience and lower
competitor pricing in an environment with worldwide economic concerns should
help Android to increase its market share.
