Mobile app developers are not exactly in it for the money, says app economy specialist Developer Economics. This is despite the high average earnings of developers that can reportedly go up to $5,200 per developer per month for iOS. Instead they’re more after the creativity that the job brings. According to the website’s third-quarter issue of their online magazine this year, 53% of mobile developers cite “creativity or the sense of achievement” as their main motivator for work. Money (or “revenues, in some form or other”, as the website puts it) comes second at 50%, while the “fun of making apps” comes third at 40%.
This comes as a bit surprising considering that majority of Android developers admit it can be difficult to develop apps, which is due mainly to the operating system’s highly fragmented system. This fragmentation is caused by the many versions of the operating system because they do not provide a ready backwards-compatibility to all apps. This is also complicated by the fact that Android-based devices come in many screen sizes and device specifications. Interestingly, however, newbie programmers prefer developing for Android over iOS by a ratio of almost 2:1 (40% for Android and 21% for iOS), according to Developer Economics.
Android and iOS remain the undisputed top two mobile OS’s and SDK’s in terms of number of users and preference of developers. However, developers still find good reasons to create apps for other platforms. For instance, HTML5 every now and then floats in the radar for its high scores in porting and speed and cost of development. Blackberry is chosen for its developer community support and programs. Finally, Windows Phone gets the thumbs up when it comes to development environment and documentation.
Despite the “noble” intentions, it’s looking like money still plays a significant role. In terms of developer platform preference, Developer Economics places Android and iOS in numbers one and two respectively (which is different from what other research companies found in their own surveys), with a preference rating of 71% and 56%. This preference is said to be merely out of practicality as there are far more customers using the two platforms than there are the others. It further states that developers are currently a bit apprehensive about investing in Microsoft for its Windows Phone line because of its much smaller number of users. Although respondents agree that developing for Windows Phone or reconverting apps for compatibility is not very challenging to learn, the smaller user reach is not enough a motivating factor for them to invest in the platform.
When looking for a developer for your own mobile app, don’t just choose on the basis of platform specialization. Instead, go for someone who can help you achieve your specific goals—someone who can tell you what solution will go best with your vision. IOS may bring in revenues fast, but it may not have the market that you are looking for. Hobbyists and explorers, for instance, who are experimenting often prefer Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone. Android meanwhile are great for many fields such as product extenders, digital content and enterprise IT. Furthermore, there are other considerations too, such as revenue schemes (e.g. ad-based revenue model, premium subscriptions, in-app advertising and pay-per-download). For more of our mobile app development services, please click here.
If you have questions about our mobile development services for any platform, please feel free to call us or leave us a message. Popularity of a platform is not an issue with us, as we value each one’s unique characteristics for development. Aside from working with the latest technologies for app development, all our programmers and consultants are highly skilled and experienced.
