Developer survey finds iPad domination, growing interest in Kindle Fire
A new poll of mobile developers has found that nearly all are interested in developing for Apple's iPad, while the still-unreleased Amazon Kindle Fire is already the second-most-popular Android device among developers worldwide.
The new data, from Appcelerator and IDC, comes from a survey of more than 2,000 developers conducted earlier this month. Of those polled, 91 percent said they are "very interested" in developing for the iPhone, while 88 percent indicated the same for the iPad.
Both of those numbers make Apple the market leader, but the iPad's lead is far more pronounced as Apple's touchscreen tablet continues to dominate sales in the market. Among non-iPad tablets, the survey found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the most popular device to develop for, but finishing just behind it was the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Worldwide, 43 percent of developers said they are very interested in crafting software for Amazon's new touchscreen tablet, compared to 56 percent for the Samsung Galaxy Tab. But in America, the Kindle Fire actually edged the Galaxy Tab, 49 percent to 48 percent.
Though the Kindle Fire is based on Android, it's a heavily modified version of Google's mobile operating system that aims to smooth out any rough edges with the software, and also looks to push sales of content through Amazon. With the Kindle Fire, users will be able to buy movies, TV shows, books and music direct through Amazon, as well as applications from the Amazon-controlled "Appstore."
The interest of developers in the Kindle Fire, as well as divisions between it and other Android-powered tablets, could further fuel speculation that Amazon's new tablet will only further fragment the Android platform. Apple executives indicated earlier this month that they are not concerned about the $199 Kindle Fire, as they believe it will shake up the Android-based tablet landscape rather than directly compete with the iPad.
The Amazon Kindle Fire will be available on Tuesday, and is the online retailer's first color touchscreen device. Reviewers began offering their take on the device earlier Monday, and most said they felt the device was priced right at $199, but that it would not be able to compete with Apple's more powerful, larger and more full-featured iPad lineup.
The new data, from Appcelerator and IDC, comes from a survey of more than 2,000 developers conducted earlier this month. Of those polled, 91 percent said they are "very interested" in developing for the iPhone, while 88 percent indicated the same for the iPad.
Both of those numbers make Apple the market leader, but the iPad's lead is far more pronounced as Apple's touchscreen tablet continues to dominate sales in the market. Among non-iPad tablets, the survey found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the most popular device to develop for, but finishing just behind it was the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Worldwide, 43 percent of developers said they are very interested in crafting software for Amazon's new touchscreen tablet, compared to 56 percent for the Samsung Galaxy Tab. But in America, the Kindle Fire actually edged the Galaxy Tab, 49 percent to 48 percent.
Though the Kindle Fire is based on Android, it's a heavily modified version of Google's mobile operating system that aims to smooth out any rough edges with the software, and also looks to push sales of content through Amazon. With the Kindle Fire, users will be able to buy movies, TV shows, books and music direct through Amazon, as well as applications from the Amazon-controlled "Appstore."
The interest of developers in the Kindle Fire, as well as divisions between it and other Android-powered tablets, could further fuel speculation that Amazon's new tablet will only further fragment the Android platform. Apple executives indicated earlier this month that they are not concerned about the $199 Kindle Fire, as they believe it will shake up the Android-based tablet landscape rather than directly compete with the iPad.
The Amazon Kindle Fire will be available on Tuesday, and is the online retailer's first color touchscreen device. Reviewers began offering their take on the device earlier Monday, and most said they felt the device was priced right at $199, but that it would not be able to compete with Apple's more powerful, larger and more full-featured iPad lineup.
Comments
The Fire looks like a home run. Will Apple respond, or just let Amazon and B&N run with the low end?
I don't think Apple can respond to an device which is basically an e- reader plus. Amazon has already won the e-reader crown. An iPad is probably least known and useful as an e-reader to most - mostly due to the higher costs of its books and lack of compatibility with not only other devices but even Apple's OWN devices. i.e. there is no Wyspersync, and no iBooks on a Mac.
Amazon truly rules the e-book world.
The Fire looks like a home run. Will Apple respond, or just let Amazon and B&N run with the low end?
I predict a ~5'' iPod touch.
There must be a flaw with this survey.
Beating the 'fragmentation' drum isn't going to work as a PR strategy.
Where some see 'fragmentation' others see 'choice' and 'options' and 30% more profit.
Ask Rovio Mobile how 'fragmentation' has hurt their bottom line... lol
I predict a ~5'' iPod touch.
I agree.
There is obviously demand for something in between the iPod and iPad.
The Air in a tablet form factor and lower price would be huge.
And here I was told that nobody is interested in a tablet form factor smaller then the iPad.
There must be a flaw with this survey.
Beating the 'fragmentation' drum isn't going to work as a PR strategy.
Where some see 'fragmentation' others see 'choice' and 'options' and 30% more profit.
Ask Rovio Mobile how 'fragmentation' has hurt their bottom line... lol
BMW really needs to bring a Toyota Yaris competitor. Think about that for a moment.
Beating the 'fragmentation' drum isn't going to work as a PR strategy.
Where some see 'fragmentation' others see 'choice' and 'options' and 30% more profit.
And may I add the consumer I daresay doesn't give a rats bottom about iOS5 or Android. They just want something that works and does what they want it to do. In the tablet world it's read, mail, and movies. And android has been dying over $500+ units because they have to compete with Apple and use a lousy ecosystem.
Now with the Amazon unit, consumers have a choice between paying $500 and getting shiny Apple, or $200 for a not as shiny, but gets the content/actvities, they will most likely use.
And here I was told that nobody is interested in a tablet form factor smaller then the iPad.
There must be a flaw with this survey.
Beating the 'fragmentation' drum isn't going to work as a PR strategy.
Where some see 'fragmentation' others see 'choice' and 'options' and 30% more profit.
Ask Rovio Mobile how 'fragmentation' has hurt their bottom line... lol
It makes perfect sense for companies to try "tweener" devices (between the size of a phone and a "full-sized" tablet). That doesn't mean it's smart for Apple to introduce one, and doesn't mean it's a good size in general.
Having said that, Amazon can afford to sell them cheaply (for a loss, hoping to make up for it in Kindle sales and the $79/year thing) and gets invaluable "free" advertising on their home page. So developers are rightly predicting that Amazon will likely sell a ton of them. Ergo, it's a platform I'd be interested in developing for--if I were a droid developer.
And here I was told that nobody is interested in a tablet form factor smaller then the iPad.
There must be a flaw with this survey.
Beating the 'fragmentation' drum isn't going to work as a PR strategy.
Where some see 'fragmentation' others see 'choice' and 'options' and 30% more profit.
Ask Rovio Mobile how 'fragmentation' has hurt their bottom line... lol
Who told you that? Are you referring to Jobs saying that through extensive mockups and testing they found that the ~10" tablet form factor was ideal? Is that you're basing your assumption on?
What makes you think Apple can't or won't release a 5-7" IPod Touch. That's a PMP, not a tablet, just as the Kindle Fire isn't a bona fide tablet but an eReader with PMP functionality that exceeds the Kindle eInk devices that preceded it.
Your next might be to quote Jobs regarding shaving your fingers down to use a smaller tablet, but that's because you've failed to note the iPhone and iPod Touch are 3.5" 3:2 displays that are 1/8th the area of the iPad's display. The point is to make the main I/O ideal for its use, hence we have iOS for the iPhone/Touch, iPad and even the AppleTV.
The Fire looks like a home run. Will Apple respond, or just let Amazon and B&N run with the low end?
Apple iPad came in at or below what most competitors could match. Now the bottom-of-the-barrel folks are coming out with substandard devices in a desperate attempt to undercut Apple's price. Very early reviews show the Fire is not what Amazon thinks it is. Keep spinning it you normally do with your posts.
And here I was told that nobody is interested in a tablet form factor smaller then the iPad.
There must be a flaw with this survey.
Beating the 'fragmentation' drum isn't going to work as a PR strategy.
Where some see 'fragmentation' others see 'choice' and 'options' and 30% more profit.
Ask Rovio Mobile how 'fragmentation' has hurt their bottom line... lol
The flaw is in your assessment. This device isn't even out yet for real-world testing yet. Wait and see if there really is a market for it.
I agree.
There is obviously demand for something in between the iPod and iPad.
The Air in a tablet form factor and lower price would be huge.
Only way the players can price tablets less than Apple is to shortchange the hardware and size. There will always be a segment that will focus on price, and price alone. How many times has SJ said that it is a market they don't want to compete in? I lost track. If the rest of the industry wants to fight for scraps, let them. I think this will be yet another has-been player once the usability of the device outside of an e-reader comes into question. Spending $200 on what I think will be junk is just wasteful if in the end they burn through their hard-earned money and time and had just purchased an iPad. But hey, that's the nature of the electronics industry. Let's fill up those landfills even more.
Now that's shifted to "wait for Ice Cream Sandwich... THAT'S when the tablet apps will come"
Did Android developers purposely sit out the Honeycomb round waiting for ICS?
And now with the Kindle Fire thrown in the mix... is that the next great platform for developers?
Think back to when the first Android tablets were launched a year ago running Froyo. They had no tablet apps... and everyone said "wait for Honeycomb... then the tablet apps will come"
Now that's shifted to "wait for Ice Cream Sandwich... THAT'S when the tablet apps will come"
Did Android developers purposely sit out the Honeycomb round waiting for ICS?
And now with the Kindle Fire thrown in the mix... is that the next great platform for developers?
Since day one Fandroids have been saying "Sooon…." You're better off waiting for Godot.
The Fire looks like a home run. Will Apple respond, or just let Amazon and B&N run with the low end?
Apple has never been interested in the "low end." Why would they start now? The Fire is not an iPad competitor. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge would know that. The analysts apparently do. It's the same with the low end of the Android smartphone market. They may sell a lot of them but those users weren't going to buy a premium device in the first place. The "cheapest" crowd has never been Apple's constituency anyway.
I think this "will the Fire kill the iPad" is just blathering by the pundits to keep the page clicks going.
I think a safer bet for Amazon would've been to continue the Kindle line as a strict black & white e-reader, making it ever cheaper and power efficient with each iteration.
As it stands now, the Fire will attract the reading consumer and the iPad will attract the web-browsing, gaming consumer. There's some overlap among their target audience, but it's not exactly head-to-head IMO.
Although Apple doesn't see the Fire as a threat, the fact that the Fire has a color screen and does apps & media tells me that it _is_ in fact trying to compete with the iPad.
That and their full-page ads on the back of magazines with the tagline, "All the content, half the price."
And then a pronounced "$199" in the bottom corner.
They don't sell a single thing twice its price, so it's obvious they're trying to directly compete with the iPad.
Trying.
BMW really needs to bring a Toyota Yaris competitor. Think about that for a moment.
but they do, its called the Mini Cooper
Kindle Fre reviews are coming in today. I hope AI does a review round up. It's not looking good from many HW and SW engineering standpoints. The typical response seems to be "Well, it's not bad for $200."
Since day one Fandroids have been saying "Sooon…." You're better off waiting for Godot.
"Soooon!!!" has doomed any android tablet in my book, I have an android phone, but will be getting a iPad soon, these Android tablets are at most a down right joke and a disgrace if you ask me.