Why do firms only create apps for iphones?

[nx1977]

Started contacting firms that have iphone apps but neglect us Android owners.

Do these firms forget there's more to like than iphones?

Already contacted Argos and petrolprices.com

 

[Nodders]

It reminds me a bit of the whole Firefox v IE thing. A few years ago I remember writing to some cinema company asking why they didn't support Firefox? Their reply was that Firefox was a niche product and the vast majority of their customers used IE (which exhibited their ignorance of the way the wind was blowing). Now of course FF has just under a 3rd share with IE around a half so such companies are waking up a bit. Trouble is that very few seem to have the foresight and imagination to actually do something about it proactively, before this market share was delivered - they tend just to follow the crowd.

Moral is that until the Android market share grows to a significant level, most companies just aren't savvy enough (or are incredibly resistant to any form of risk taking) to actually jump on board.

The issue for Google/HTC et al, is how to grow share while not relying on these sorts of companies. One key thing at least seems to be exclusive Google apps. Problem here is that it is not android that pays Google's bills - it is traffic through their servers. Google apps on iPhone do a tonne of this so I have no idea if they will take the risk.

 

[gibbs1984]

I'd imagine they will when Android gets more popular, bigger companies are stating to make apps.

But yeah, I'd love to see more mainstream companies making apps for Android.

 

[Howie]

There are def. more making apps for Android than there are for Palm Pre right now

 

[freefall]

Hopefully these firms will realise that Android is getting bigger and will jump on the wagon after diving off the band wagon

 

[nx1977]

All I guess we can do is email them as we find something we need/could do with.

 

[wellibob]

the answer is money. If per say the Desire had as many handsets about like the "cough" apple iphone people, be loads of apps !

 

[nx1977]

Well, if stats are to be believed, the networks are pumping out phones as such that Andoid will have a 25% market share in the UK by the end of summer!

 

[marshalex]

well more and more people are jumping on the android bandwagon (US has proved this with htere being more android handsets than iphones now) so it can only be a matter of time now before we start seeing more of the mainstream apps such as the store apps etc. hopefully soon!

 

[SL4VE]

buy an iPhone, you just cant beat the apps for it at the mo. funnily i still prefer my desire

 

[lekky]

A lot of larger companies are now making android phones, but i share your pain, really need an argos app..

 

[Nagrom]

Totaly agree. There's loads of big company apps I would love to have on my Desire. Unfortunatly most just support the Black Brick at the moment.

 

[Nagrom]

Well, if stats are to be believed, the networks are pumping out phones as such that Andoid will have a 25% market share in the UK by the end of summer!

Well after my mess up between Vodaphone, and 3, I descovered that BOTH were out of stock on the Desire. As well as Orange. So like you said, they're selling like hot cakes........

That's assuming hot cakes sell well LOL

 

[Balistyx]

I agree that it would be nice to see some more mainstream companies making apps, but personally I wouldn't have anywhere to put them until FroYo comes to the Desire. I'm not prepared to root, but am constantly having to uninstall apps I'd prefer to keep to manage the meagre memory provided for installing them.

 

[pete borota]

Within a year all Iphone developers will be producing copies of their software for Android. Google has had an incredible development journey over the last 18 months years. When you consider they have caught up with an in some cases exceeded the capabilities of Apples OS who had an additional 1 1/2 years development, it's staggering!!!

Having said that it has meant that certain elements of the project have not had the same level of intensity. Android's app market is not at the same level of development or professionalism, but it's a price that can be expected given where they have started from.

After Gingerbread, Google will focus on their app store and as Android starts to circumnavigate the world in untold devices, developers will not miss the chance to increase their profits.

For example the "daddy" of the PIM world is Pocketinformant. Brilliant program that has seen the developers port it from Windows mobile to the Iphone. They are now in the process of porting (actually it's not porting, but developing!) the app to Android. Should be out in beta form around end July or August.

So the future is bright!!

 

[mjbyrne]

Its because developing for the iphon is easier than android. Think about it. Every iphone is the same. They have the same hardware, same software, same size screen etc. All Android phones are different and can be different in many ways. From the handset spec to the version of the OS and then you have to worry about thinks like HTC Sense etc.

If you develop an app for the iphone you know it will work on every single iphone. If you develop for Android you cannot be sure that it will on every Android phone out there.

 

[lekky]

Its because developing for the iphon is easier than android. Think about it. Every iphone is the same. They have the same hardware, same software, same size screen etc. All Android phones are different and can be different in many ways. From the handset spec to the version of the OS and then you have to worry about thinks like HTC Sense etc.

If you develop an app for the iphone you know it will work on every single iphone. If you develop for Android you cannot be sure that it will on every Android phone out there.

Have you taken a look at the android api yourself? They make this very easy for the developer. You don't have to create multiple apps for each different screen size or spec. They provide the api's that will determine this for you.