Apple Vs. Google Mobile Development: And the Winner is Google!

This has happened over a short period of around ten months and Google got the better of Apple in this race. Apple has ruled the world of mobiles with its iOS and iPhone though; Google has quite a few things to its own advantage in this situation. Google has an open source mobile OS, it has crowdsourcing and finally, there is the amazing amount of positive karma Google has. All this makes a perfect cocktail making developers prefer Google instead of Apple.

Appcelator conducted a survey on 51,000 customers and came up with some interesting results.

The Present

In the present scenario, Apple enjoys the favor of developers due to its success. App development with Apple can bring fame, money and a lot of recognition. The same is not the case with Android. However, things are about to change soon. Developers are sticking to Apple in spite of its closed and controlling nature. App developers have little or no freedom on how their apps proceed through the app store. Apple also randomly shuts down apps from rivals (Google) and developers against whom it has a personal grudge. That puts all the app developers completely at Apple’s mercy.

The Future

In the future, Google can have the tables turned to its side and signs of that are already showing. Android has seen an accelerated interest from app developers and the open nature of the Android market has been a constant encouragement. Another interesting factor is that, the iPad app development drive stands at 82% whereas Android tablets are seeing an app development interest of 64%. Compare the time both these tablet OSs have been around here, and you will see a pretty good picture of the future.

The only problem Android app developers are facing is the fragmentation of platforms and the huge number of devices that need supporting.

The Verdict

I think Google is the one that will stay. Apple with its disrespectful attitude to developers will get nowhere. Google Android on the other hand, has a lot in store for its developers and seems like the right platform to go for now.

About the Author

chinmoy

Chinmoy Kanjilal is a tech blogger with a deep insight and love for FOSS. He writes at techie-buzz.com and lostintechnology.com. He owns an HTC Legend as his first Android device and at Androidedge, he will explore the endless possibilities of the Android OS. Drop him a mail at chinmmoy@techarraz.com and follow him on Twitter at @ckandroid.

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