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Topic: Software Development

The time to build Android apps is now

Summary: Android is the fastest growing mobile operating system right now -- and that's really exciting. With the new features they announced with Froyo, they have further demonstrated their dominance in this space.

Garett Rogers

By Garett Rogers for Googling Google |

Android is the fastest growing mobile operating system right now -- and that's really exciting. With the new features they announced with Froyo, they have further demonstrated their dominance in this space. Not only is it running mobile phones, but also the newest Google TV product that will be in living rooms this holiday season.

In just 18 months, Google has created one of the most open, and mature mobile platforms available -- this means that device manufacturers are free to use Android on their phones, and developers handed a rich set of API's to use while making apps.

At the F5 expo in Vancouver last month, I asked a simple question to a panel of mobile app experts: Does it make sense to develop Android apps -- especially since the platform is growing so fast, and there is less competition (and fewer barriers to entry)? They flat out said "no" -- this is the ignorance I was hoping for.

Android developers have a good chance to take advantage of this mature platform before iPhone developers figure out it's a smart idea to port their apps, or build new ones for Android. This is a golden opportunity -- if you're a developer, you should go for it.

Topics: Software Development, Mobility

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11 comments
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  • Nice but ...

    The droids are nice, but I'm not half as excited about them, as I am for Windows Phone 7 ... I've already started development for that platform.
    roteague
    Reply Vote

    • RE: The time to build Android apps is now

      @roteague Windows phone 7, marred by delays, very late into market and with Microsoft's usual slow turn around time to innovate versus an already mature and rapidly developed Open Source OS that can meet market expectations in weeks? Hmmm ... somehow I think Windows Phone 7 is going to have a rough time
      garethmcc
      Reply Vote

      • It depends on where Android goes in term of future developement

        Sure it's growing, but then again with MS stopping WM6.5 and now gearing towards WP7, Android and iPhone are all there really is to choose from, so no surprise in grrowth.

        Or to use the ABMer's reasoning: "The only people bying Zunes are the ones who don't want to buy an iPod"

        Could the same thinking be behind Android sales, that a good deal of the sales are to people who don't want to buy an iPhone? It's the only other choice out there until WP7 comes out. How will that effect sales once it's released? It looks to be an entirely different platform then that which has come before, on any phone.

        I agree that they should build apps now before MS releases even more competition against Android.
        AllKnowingAllSeeing
        Reply Vote

      • Exactly, MS will have an extremely hard time catching up given how far they

        fell behind. Slapping a music player OS into a cell phone after you realize how badly you have been beaten is not exactly something that will suddenly make you a contender.
        DonnieBoy
        Reply Vote

      • @piny: Google is developing fast and furious and delivering what buyers

        WANT. That is why they are doing so well. We know that Google can deliver. The question is if Microsoft can deliver, and the answer is probably a big NO considering the only strategy left for them was to jam a music player interface into a cell phone.
        DonnieBoy
        Reply Vote

    • HTC does not share you excitement. They have said that almost everything

      they ship will be Android. And, they were one of the original Windows Mobile supporters. Windows Phone 7 will be a day late and a dollar short. Apple and Google are way ahead.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

      • Really DonnieBoy? It really sounds

        pretty worriesome to you. Three posts on the subject already!.<br><br><i>We cant wait for the Windows Phone 7 platform to go live in the second half of this year, and it looks like HTC feels the same way. The smartphone maker is no doubt already working on a WP7 handset. How do we know this? The leaked ROM makes reference to an as yet unannounced handset, and its called the HTC Mondrian.</i><br><br>A paragraph from a article. Sounds Like they <b>want</b> to be the first. <br><a href="http://www.fonearena.com/blog/12693/htc-confirms-upcoming-windows-mobile-7-phones.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.fonearena.com/blog/12693/htc-confirms-upcoming-windows-mobile-7-phones.html</a><br><br>Now if you could link to where it says that HTC will be almost exclusivelly Android, it would be nice to back up your statement.</b>
        AllKnowingAllSeeing
        Reply Vote

      • RE: The time to build Android apps is now

        @DonnieBoy <br>Hah. There are already devices planned by HTC with WP7. LG has one on sleeves, Samsung has another on sleeves. It seems your jealous towards BG and Microsoft is making you talk from your rear end.<br>Check these links and you will realise:<br>

        HTC: <a href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=683361" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=683361</a><br>

        LG: <a href="http://www.machackpc.com/headline/lg-windows-phone-7-phone-spotted-in-the-wild-images/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.machackpc.com/headline/lg-windows-phone-7-phone-spotted-in-the-wild-images/</a><br>

        Dell: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/21/dell-lightning-the-ultimate-windows-phone-7-device-leaks-out/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/21/dell-lightning-the-ultimate-windows-phone-7-device-leaks-out/</a><br>

        Motorola: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10155792-1.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10155792-1.html</a><br>

        Samsung: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/15/samsung-windows-phone-7-series-handset-makes-the-scene/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/15/samsung-windows-phone-7-series-handset-makes-the-scene/</a><br>

        FYKI, it seems HP is still committed to Windows Phone 7: <a href="http://www.wmexperts.com/hp-still-committed-windows-phone " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.wmexperts.com/hp-still-committed-windows-phone</a>. I know HP just slapped you on your fingers, ;-)

        Now crawl back to your shell.<br><br>--Ram--
        Ram U
        Reply Vote

  • RE: The time to build Android apps is now

    Well, if the platform wont come out of fragmentation, which it is currently, it is not that funny to develop apps targeting Android. The advantage of developing for iPhoneOS is unified development experience. Google said they would clear out this problem, but given the fact that most of the stuff that Google announces stays in beta forever or at least long time, I think you have to plan for having variety of codebases for Android until this problem is cleared. <br>--Ram--
    Ram U
    Reply Vote

  • RE: The time to build Android apps is now

    Hmm... I'm just hoping that working with Oracle Eclipse (IDE for Java) is as easy as working with Visual C# 2010 Express for Windows Phone 7.

    Why not package Eclipse with Android SDK and call it "Eclipse for Android?" Or maybe just have Windows Installer configure Eclipse when installing Android SDK. Same for Ubuntu. Do sudo apt-get install android-sdk and Eclipse will be configured automatically.
    Grayson Peddie
    Reply Vote

    • RE: The time to build Android apps is now

      @Grayson Peddie
      a very good one.
      --Ram--
      Ram U
      Reply Vote
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