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This is a guest post by Alexis Bonari.

iOS and Android Dominate Platforms for Developers

Apple’s OS has been chosen by 78% of 2,733 developers as the platform that boasts the greatest number of near-term advantages, with just 16% casting their votes for Android’s OS. So how is it that both Apple and Google are successfully courting Appcelerator ’s queue of developers? The Android OS’s open-source characteristics and numerous capabilities make it developers’ first choice among long-term platforms, although this is a closer race than the near-term analysis might predict. 54% of developers selected the Android OS as the best long-term platform, and the iOS took a close second at 40% long-term approval. That’s a 62% lead for Apple against Android in the near-term category, but Google’s long-term edge is limited to just 14% over the iOS.

Recent Developments in OS Selection

Sony Ericsson recently dropped Symbian in favor of the Android OS, stating that Android would become an important if not exclusive component of the company’s future endeavors. One possible contributor to this Symbian upset is the two-year delay on Microsoft Silverlight for Symbian, although it’s now available in a beta version.

The UK telecommunications company Binatone has chosen the Android OS to power its Home SurfTouch, a tablet designed to compete in the Indian market of young technology aficionados. Olive India and Notion India are also launching Android-based tablets to compete with the iPad, but Binatone’s is set to be the most affordable option, giving Google a potential edge in India.

Thales, an electronic systems company, has designed the Passenger Media Unit (PMU) for airlines, selecting the Android OS as its platform. The PMU resembles a cell phone and should be able to run a variety of applications, according to its developers, which could include playing Web-based movies.

Platform Popularity

It’s obvious that, in terms of OS selection, Google’s Android platform has made more recent strides than Apple. But is that really significant? The news is full of stories about new applications being developed for the iOS (such as Glee Karaoke and Modern Combat 2’s Black Pegasus), while Android’s app news is relatively uneventful. This could mean that Apple is focusing on keeping its multitude of happy customers while Google searches for ways to get new customers by usurping contracts from less popular platforms. In any event, it’s clear that both companies are in a committed battle for the top OS position. This is the all-important goal because, as found by Appcelerator, mobile developers’ primary “pain point” is porting to multiple platforms. Having one universal (or nearly universal) OS would enable more efficient development of the applications that run on mobile devices. It’s a tight race, but by Appcelerator’s reckoning, developers’ general degree of interest falls in favor of Apple. The iOS has a 9% advantage over Android’s OS in the phone category and 22% advantage in tablets, but Google is working hard to rectify that. Given the increased amount of developer feedback in this survey from Appcelerator (nearly three times that of its previous response rate), more details on this duel may become available when the next survey is conducted.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is a passionate blogger on the topic of education and free college scholarships . In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Further Reading:

A Brief Review Of Android’s App Inventor

Are Android Tablets In The Works?

Adobe Air Pre-Release For Android

Google Maps Navigation On Android

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