A new report from Appcelerator and IDC suggest that app developers are still eying Apple iOS first but Android and tablets are becoming an increasingly important part of the equation.
Thanks to the introduction of devices like the Motorola Xoom and tablets like the G Slate, developer interest in Android tablets have jumped 12 points in three months to 74%, as developers said they are “very interested” in developing for these devices.
One of the interesting things about the response to the Android tablet interest is that many developers said price is one of the major reasons they want to create apps. Sure, the Xoom may land at $700 but there will be plenty of there device that land for about $200. Sure, these won’t be the top-of-the-line but cheap prices can equal ubiquity, so app developers have to pay attention.
It’s not just the Android Market that is interesting content makers, as the upcoming Amazon app store has piqued the interest of 37% of those surveyed. The Verizon VCast Android store interested 13%, while the independent app store GetJar interested 9%.
Make no mistake though, as Apple iOS is still the top dog when it comes to the majority of developers. This makes a lot of sense because iOS users have shown that they are app hungry with over 10 billion app downloads in just a few years.
Instead, the question for most app developers is: what do I after my iPhone app? When I was speaking with Appcelerator, I liked it when I heard that many developers are looking at this space to build a long-term business and not just looking for a quick-hit, overnight success.
Microsoft Windows Phone 7 also had 36% say they were “very interested” in developing for it and this was due to a better-than-expected launch. We know that these devices have sold at least 1.5 million units, so, with continued growth, that could be a sizable market.
[Via Appcelerator, photo]
