Mobile app developers are moving to the iOS platform from Google’s Android, according to a new study. Coming from the analytics firm, Flurry, stats point to an increase in development for iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad, while Android’s app creation has fallen, as the chart above shows.
Flurry also speculates as to the reason behind the shift, with the release of both the iPad 2 and a Verizon compatible iPhone 4 as the catalyst for the change….
“Studying the numbers, it’s readily apparent that Android has lost developer support to iOS. Specifically, Android new project starts have dropped from 36% in Q1 to 28% in Q2. Overall, total Flurry iOS and Android new project starts grew from 9,100 in Q1 to 10,200 in Q2. Of note, this drop in Android developer support represents the second quarter-over-quarter slide, which follows a year of significant, steady growth for the Google-built OS. Over the course of 2010, Android developer support had steadily climbed each quarter, peaking at 39% in Q4 2010.’
Before Verizon got its hands on the iPhone, many believed the lack of an iPhone on one of America’s largest carriers was the key reason for Android’s impressive growth, with punters apparently unwilling to jump ship to AT&T in order to join the Apple religion.
On the tablet front, 20 million iPads shipped, plus renewed interest in the platform with the iPad 2’s release, have given developers food for thought. Can they really afford to let a user base that large (and growing) slip through their fingers? Many, claims Flurry, are deciding that they can not.
As with all studies of this nature though, we’re just not sure if these stats are truly representative of the real situation, or numbers interpreted a particular way.
App developers do like developing for iOS though, and there’s money in them thar hills if you can get into the Top 25 iTunes charts.
Of that, there is no doubt.