14 DAY TRIAL // One of the biggest problems for Windows Phone was the lack of apps, and in order to tackle it, Microsoft had to find new ways to bring developers closer to the platform, trying to give them the necessary tools to create applications for devices running this operating system.
It all changed with the arrival of Windows 10, which empowers developers to create universal apps that can run on both PCs and smartphones, but according to a survey from VisionMobile, not much has changed in terms of interest from professional app makers.
The shifting trend shows that developer interest is growing in the case of Android while iOS is slowly losing ground, although not in a significant manner.
Android is the preferred target for 47 percent of app makers while iOS is the runner-up with 31 percent. Mobile web applications are the primary objective for 11 percent of the developers while Windows is far behind with 7 percent of the desktop and 4 percent for the phone.
Microsoft’s strategy is paying off
While the switch to Android isn’t surprising, given the fact that this is the leading mobile platform out there with a market share between 65 and 70 percent, depending on the research firm, seeing Windows still far behind, especially on the desktop, is a little surprising in the context of Microsoft’s aggressive push.
VisionMobile says that, although the developer interest in Windows 10 hasn’t increased significantly, Microsoft’s strategy is paying off already.
“Developers of desktop apps for Windows are now incentivised to create mobile optimised UI’s too. This has pushed Windows 8/10 into third place in platform mindshare, with 34% of developers targeting it. Enterprises using existing, native, Windows apps that are looking to take advantage of tablets may have significantly less development effort if they stick with Windows. If they really want to support iOS or Android then Microsoft can offer them Xamarin, so they don’t have to migrate their code away from .NET,” the survey shows.
And the story is similar in the case of Windows Phone, with the survey showing that the loyalty from developers for the mobile platform is a little bit surprising, considering that Microsoft itself is showing less interest in Windows phones these days.
