In its second since March, Appcelerator has just published the results of its latest mobile developer survey which asked developers which platforms and devices were most favorable for development in both the short-term and long-term.
The results of the survey show 84% of respondents were interested in developing for the iPad, which was up substantially from the same survey back in March, when 53% expressed interest. Interest in the iPhone also increased, though not as much, with 90% of respondents interested in development, up from 87% in March. The iPhone remains the most popular device, though the iPad is steadily catching up- thanks in large part to the dramatic sales the tablet has been experiencing.
Android, though bringing up the rear, is gaining major momentum with developers. The survey reveals that 81% of respondents expressed interest in developing for Android smartphones, and 62% expressed interest in developing for forthcoming Android-based tablets. The ladder forecasts the future frenzy of development that we’ll undoubtedly see once the plethora of Android tablets begin hitting the market later this year. While there’s only one iPad, there will most likely be a dozen or so Android tablets by early next year alone.
In addition, Appcelerator also asked developers to rate the major phone platforms — iOS, Android, BlackBerry and “Other” — in a number of categories, including “best app store,” “biggest market for consumer apps” and “most ‘open’ platform.” This was the most surprising of the results, with Google indicated as the clear winner in the long-term, while Apple remains the leader in the near-term. The results are displayed in the following table, with the top choice in red while the runner-up is in yellow;
