Pretty interesting article. Says that 3 out of 4 smartphones shipped run on Android. Normally that would seem to indicate that Android would be the platform we should focus on, but I'm not convinced. http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/android-now-accounts-3-out-4-smartphones-shipped-1C6815907 Mark

I'm not convinced but I'm starting to sway that way. Think a lot of customers might be going that way of Android. LA

It totally makes sense not to focus on android atleast for the time being. Android apps do not generate good income as compared to ios apps. The android customers generally tend to install free apps as compared to paid apps and the revenue generated through ads is meager.

Hmmm... good short read, thanks mark. I would agree with everyone here, other then one thing? Clients, at least mine, are VERY interested in having their apps both apple AND android (multi platform). So for clients, its a MUST. For revenue (non clients, self apps), its a complete flop. Cheers, David https://buzztouchmods.com

I totally agree that having an app on both platforms is great for exposure. I'm not sure I'm impressed by the quality of the general app interface as compared to iOS, and I absolutely don't like that you need "helper" apps to open things like PDF documents, which you don't need in iOS. And the huge amount of malware and apps that just load ads is another reason to stay away. In short...I think the quality control put in place by Apple, as rigid and demanding as it may be, is what separates the wheat from the chaff, as they say! Mark

Hey guys, need to underline a big point here that MRDavid has already made, and thats this, IT'S NOT ABOUT US (OUR PLATFORM PREFERENCES, OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES ETC - unless you are constituting yourself as a hobbiest), it's about OUR CUSTOMERS & THEIR NEEDS, and guess what, EVERY business wants their app to work on BOTH platforms. That's why I keep encouraging people to develop plugins that work on both platforms - a plugin that only works on one platform really isn't much use to anyone other than a programer looking to make the next big paid app. There's much more mutual benefit for us all when plugins cover both platforms, because that's what our customers want, seamless experience on their customers phones - whatever type they be.

Interesting read. I know a few people who ditched their iphone in favour of galaxy s3 and say they don't miss their iphone one bit. I suppose it comes down to personal preference but i think everyone likes FREE. Which may explain such a jump. Iphone apps are more polished and subject to a stricter approval but under the hood android counterparts do the job just as well most of the time (even if lacking a bit in graphical finesse and user experience). Another thing could be that most smartphone owners only have about 65 apps according this article http://m.techcrunch.com/2011/12/18/app-ocalypse/ I know the post a little outdated and that further searches indicate that the figure is now over 100 Perhaps the average end user can get most free on android as opposed to paid for ios Could be loads of other things involved also like price of phone but either way you would expect apple will have something up its sleeve to claw back that deficit

My penn'orth - I have an iPhone and a Galaxy Tab. Best of both worlds IMHO. I'm initially developing for Android purely because I have a PC and I don't need to pay any money to test stuff on my Tab. That said, I want to be on both platforms for the reasons already outlined above, so when I have a functional draft Android app (perhaps even a released one), I'll be getting a Mac and starting on the iOS version. But in that order, for financial reasons alone. If it were possible to develop for iOS on a PC I'd be doing it already. Techies like Android because you can fiddle with it more. But the vox pop like iPhones because they do what you expect them to, there are no scary command lines, and they are protected from the nasty malware. As I said, I have a foot in both camps. But I hate iTunes with a passion and avoid using it as much as possible. It's on an ancient PC I hardly use any more because it won't let me transfer my account to my netbook without screaming and pain, and I want a bit more control over what it does and does not put on the device, thank you very much. I digress. I'm doing both, but Android first, purely because I already have all of the necessary kit already.

Hey everyone, I agree with everyone but it's the "Brand" in America. American's want the best so the "brand" of popularity plays an important role. If Android could get a few aspects together like everyone mentioned above, they potentially can live up to the "brand". LA

LA - this is kind of irrelevant. It may be the reason why some consumers buy an iPhone over and Android phone, but as the numbers show, more by Android anyway, so your argument is already flawed. And even more importantly, if you are a small business owner, you DON"T want an App that neglects a quarter, or worse, 3 quarters of your customers, how is that good marketing?

David, No I agree with you on small business and marketing on both platforms. I understand what the numbers show, but how can you deny Americans like the "brand" name of everything. Until a few years ago, many people never even heard of Android. I live in a very small town and we dont even get 4g yet, so marketing is on both platforms, but availability cannot be ignored either. I have both platforms. LA

Hey LA, for sure, branding is important - and what goes into making a brand is all about strategic advantage and is therefore very important,(and Apple are arguably the best in the world at it) I just feel that the real issue here is how well do we as a community (Buzztouch) support the needs of our customers, and the KEY here has to be cross platform capability - people using Apps want to reach all their clients, not some of them, and in that context brand isn't an issue.

All that being true, and having both devices myself, I appreciate the iOS interface and functionality WAY more than on Android. The quality of apps is also, in my opinion, significantly higher on iOS as well. But, I have HUGE issues with Apple as a company. But if I want a decent computer in my pocket, I'm stuck! Mark