Google’s Android platform continues to outpace that of the iPhone’s iOS. This time, the focus is not on market share, but consumer demand.
According to a report from Nielsen, 31% of consumers surveyed between January and March of this year reported a preference of buying an Android phone, with 30% opting for an iPhone and only 11% choosing BlackBerry.
That’s a surge for Android. In a similar study conducted from July to September last year, 33% had named the iPhone as their preferred device and only 26% opted for Android, with 13% weighing in on BlackBerry.
And for those actually buying a smartphone in the first quarter of the year, half wound up purchasing an Android device, while 25% chose and iPhone and 15% picked a BlackBerry. And the overall market share tally now puts Android in first at 37% of the installed base of smartphones, iPhone is second at 27% and BlackBerry third at 22%.
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So far, anyway, Apple decision to extend the iPhone’s availability to Verizon Wireless hasn’t done much to put a dent in Android sales, as had been predicted when the announcement was first made.
These stats are important to mobile app developers, who look to see which way the technology winds are blowing when deciding which platforms to support with their time and effort. By all accounts, Android and iOS are considered the “tier one” platforms, according to a report from Appcelerator and IDC. In that study, 91% of developers reported being “very interested” in creating apps for the iPhone, and 85% saying the same about Android devices. Meanwhile, only 29% said the same about developing for Windows Phone 7 and 27% for the BlackBerry.
So it would seem the near future of app development is all focused on the iPhone and Android devices. But more anecdotally, the iPhone retains the edge. At a mobile conference taking place this week in San Francisco, the CEO of note taking and reminder app developer Evernote said iOS devices are the most important platform for developers today in terms of revenue. iOS devices are responsible for 28% of the company’s revenues today, he said.