Android and iOS may have captured the majority of developer mindshare, but platform diversification is more important than ever before, according to the Developer Economics Q3 report recently published by Vision Mobile.
- Android is the leading developer platform at 71 percent, followed by iOS at 56 percent
- 52 percent of the developer population uses HTML5 technologies for developing mobile apps
- BlackBerry has gotten about the same level of mindshare for BB10, at 15 percent, as its previous OSes
- Windows 8 is at 40 percent of Mobile Developer Intentshare (developers planning to adopt a platform), followed by BB10 (28 percent) and Firefox OS (27 percent)
- 53 percent of mobile developers are motivated by creativity or sense of achievement, while 40 percent are motivated by the fun of making an app
According to the report, mobile developer mindshare favors Android.
"Whether hobbyists or IT managers of Fortune-500 companies, developers use 2.9 mobile platforms concurrently, according to our recent survey of 6,000+ mobile developers," the report says. "This is the first time we are observing a shift towards diversification, since our earlier 2011-2012 research pointed towards continual platform consolidation."
Although the platform winners and losers here are probably what most of us would expect, Vision Mobile digs much deeper to show that developers are prioritizing as much as they are diversifying. While this report is chock-full of useful data, the most interesting details focus on what developers like about different mobile OSes.
For example, according to the Developer Economics research, iOS is selected more frequently, on average, by developers who value revenue potential, graphics and app discovery, while HTML5 is the preferred platform for porting. If you value developer relations programs, BB10 looks a lot more attractive, and Windows Phone is seen as a mobile OS with good documentation.
"There is no one-size fits all across mobile platforms," the report says, which is true. But how well the platform providers work to satisfy these various needs could lead to significant shifts in who wins developer mindshare over time.
For more:
- download the free Developer Economics Q3 report here
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