iOS platform losing dominance in AsiaPac

Developers in the region are now placing an equal focus on competitors like Android and Windows Phone.

But even as these emerging platforms gain traction among developers there is still the uphill battle of breaking into mainstream usage, said Ovum in its new survey research.

“The growing momentum behind Windows Phone indicates that Microsoft has managed to convince developers that its platform is worthy of investment. However, its main challenge now is to persuade consumers," said Adam Leach, devices & platforms practice leader at Ovum and author of the research.

"The research also shows a move away from traditional cross-platform mobile application development approaches (e.g. Java, Flash, WAP). Instead, developers are focussing their efforts towards web-based standards (e.g. HTML5), which seem to be the preferred approach to building cross-platform applications," Ovum said.

"Yet, despite the increasing use of cross-platform programming approaches, most developers are still using vendor-specific distribution channels such as Android Market to deploy applications, as this is seen as the best way to reach the largest possible audience for their applications," it added.

“A smartphone platform’s success is dictated not only by the pull of consumers and the push of both handset vendors and mobile operators but also a healthy economy of applications delivered by third-party developers. Therefore, it is important for all players in the smartphone ecosystem to understand the choices developers are making today and the downstream impact of those choices," Leach said.

This annual developer survey, the second of its kind, sought to determine developer preferences when selecting platforms and technologies on which to build mobile applications for smartphones, according to Ovum.