Ever since Apple introduced the concept of smartphone to the world, iOS development has enjoyed a dominant position in mobile app markets globally. However Android's meteoric rise in the recent years has seriously challenged this supremacy. Late last year, in one of their reports, Forrester Research predicted that the app development would be a whopping 38 billion dollars this year. As the year is all set to hit its seventh month, it seems nothing can be truer because with each passing day, the Android market is only gaining strength.
According to a study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the market share for Android was 78 percent in 2013 which reached an impressive 80.2 percent by the end of 2014. Its current market share now exceeds 85 percent. As far as Developer Mindshare (how developers perceive mobile platforms) is concerned, currently 71 percent of global mobile developers use Android's platform to develop their applications. At 55 percent, iOS is playing second fiddle. On the other hand, HTML5 platform is rapidly emerging as a dark horse, with 37 percent of developers deciding to stick by this platform.
Factors Fueling Popularity
There are a number of reasons why Android developers are taking over iOS development in terms of popularity with developers. One of the most important reasons is mass-adoption of Android-smartphones that are way cheaper than the latest iPhone versions – a fact that has considerably contributed to the platform's proliferation within a massive user-community worldwide. Android devices command approximately 80 percent of market share, according to tech market intelligence company, ABI Research.
Adding to it is the low development costs associated with this platform, thanks to its free, open-source foundation. It also allows for the use of multi-source plug-ins and frameworks. Above all, the process of app-submission is hassle-free with little or no restrictions.
Reward-reality
While several platforms (and these include Windows, Mozila and Tizen among others) have lately emerged as distant challengers to the Android-iOS hegemony, the app-market mechanism is strictly governed by the theory of the survival of the fittest, which implies that only toppers are likely to be around, while the rest are doomed to suffer a slow death. No wonder, Android remains the first love for hundreds and thousands of developers around the globe, although making money out of these tools remain difficult (64 percent of developers can't make more than 500 dollars per app per month, while 25 percent of all developers make no money at all.)
However, the picture is not that despairing, as there is still way to make money and that is out of enterprise apps such as web mails. No wonder, 16 percent of developers have the potential to earn over 5,000 dollars per app per month, and trends suggest that opportunities will grow in the upcoming years.
Android's ever-growing presence in the global markets has expanded opportunities for professionals working on this Google-owned platform. They can present their apps to a huge international audience, especially in Asia, where the practice of in-app purchases from free-to-download apps is in vogue these days. These new age entrepreneurs are taking advantage of this global exposure by introducing their apps beyond the US, with key focus on 'localization'.
For businesses looking to develop productivity enhancing Android app, it is important to hire Android developers with proven track records in Android app development. Seek a technology partner that is ready to walk you through every phase of the development process from brainstorming to launch and post launch support.