Survey accuracy limited by size, history

An unusually large number of the developers at last week's WWDC in San Francisco may have been Android supporters, according to a survey conducted by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Of 45 developers, 47 percent indicated that they were currently coding for Android alongside iOS. While everyone polled was developing for iOS, only 36 percent said they were coding for no other platforms. Android's popularity was followed by BlackBerry at 36 percent, Windows Phone at 13 percent, webOS at 7 percent and Symbian at 4 percent.

Within iOS circles, simultaneous Mac support has become relatively marginal. All of the people surveyed reported developing for the iPhone and iPod touch, and 93 percent said they were coding for the iPad. Just 7 percent said they were working on Mac software, although this may be expected given the group chosen for the poll. The figure compares against 50 percent for WWDC 2008, although just 20 iPhone/iPod developers were questioned at the time, the App Store was a month away, and the iPad had yet to exist.

Additional results from the 2011 group indicate that in terms of mobile platforms, 51 percent thought iOS had the greatest potential for future growth. Android sat at 40 percent, and Windows Phone registered a distant third at 9 percent. BlackBerry, webOS and Symbian didn't score.

Munster also questioned developers about their App Store complaints. "Other" in fact claimed the top position at 40 percent, but was followed by "Apple's strict limitations" at 38 percent. The approval process took 11 percent of votes, and no one complained about pricing.

by MacNN Staff