iOS is still the first priority platform for developers, leading second-place Android by eight percent. This data comes from a new report from research company Forrester, whose Forrsights Developer Survey for Q1 2013 polled more than 1,600 software developers in both North America and Europe.
Forrester found that more than a third (35%) of respondents target iPhones as their first priority device vs less than a third (27%) who target Android phones first. Compared to Flurry data from last year Android certainly looks to be closing in on Apple’s lead — as you’d expect, being as Android commands a far greater chunk of the global smartphone market (now approaching an 80% share, according to IDC‘s latest figure).
iOS continues to be the platform developers choose for lunching new apps on first. Examples include both Vine and Instagram. (Both apps are now available on Android.)
Better app monetization on iOS is the reason developers typically cited as the reason Apple comes first. Another factor is that developing on Android requires more resources, as the Android ecosystem is much more diverse, requiring support of various screen sizes, OS versions, and hardware varieties.
Despite the first target advantage, overall more developers target Android phones than target the iPhone. (84% vs. 77%, respectively.) However, when tablets enter the picture, 27% of respondents ranked the iPad as their second priority device, vs. around 20% placing the same importance on Android tablets. Windows RT and BlackBerry are basically being ignored, according to Forrester’s data.
