Which Mobile Platforms Should You Target? (Part 2)

Bernhard Kappe, Monday, March 30, 2009 @ 5:04 am

In the first installment, we covered the simple case, where your application is really a web app, not really using any device features, without local storage, just pulling data from a web application.  This time, we’ll tackle true native applications.

iPhone:  Better Bring Your A Game.

Pros: The best application platform, the best ecosystem (iTunes) for synchronization and applications, the dominant digital music platform (iPod/ITunes.)  The most reliable, the fastest growing in 2008.  The most applications downloaded, the most applications paid for.  By far the best user experience for everything other than email.  Deep Pockets and commitment to the platform.

Cons: There are now over 30,000 applications in the iPhone Store, so standing out from the crowd is not easy.  There are dozens of sudoku programs, over a dozen task management programs, just to name a few.  iPhone acceptance as a platform supported by corporate IT departments lags significantly behind Blackberry (although it is the number two platform.)  AT&T as exclusive carrier until 2010.

Bottom Line: If your application will be primarily purchased by individuals and it will stand out from the crowd, this is the first platform to develop for.  If you’re building a me too application, good luck

Worth Noting: Epocrates, maker of the popular mobile drug and formulary reference was able to capitalize on the advanced capabilities of the iPhone, particularly the powerful processor, rich graphics and large storage capacity to provide significantly more functionality than on any other mobile device they support.

Corporate Clients and a Keyboard

Pros: The Blackberry is well established as the preferred platform of corporate IT departments, with 76% currently supporting it.  That combined with the physical QUERTY keyboard make it the king of corporate email and top target for enterprise application integration.  They ship a lot of units, jockeying with Apple for the most sales each quarter.  Available on multiple carriers.

Cons: Blackberry is playing catch up to Apple on an Appstore, reportedly finally opening their store later this week.    Unlike Apple, there are a proliferation of interfaces and form factors, some with touch screen, some not.  The user interface and experience for most applications that don’t primarily rely on a keyboard or text entry tends to be clunky.  The processor, storage, and graphics capabilities are far less advanced than the iPhone.

Bottom Line: If your application relies heavily on a keyboard and purchase is mediated by corporate IT departments (as front ends for enterprise applications mostly are) then this should be your top platform.  For other apps, it’s number two to the iPhone.

Everyone Else:  Who’s Emerging and Who’s Sinking into the Swamp

Google Android:

Pros: Google has deep pockets, has gotten a lot of developer support, and probably has the second best web browsing experience to the iPhone.  Integration with Google apps is strong, and also has a physical keyboard.  Available on multiple carriers, with more and more companies signing on rather than going it alone against Apple and RIM.

Cons: As a relatively new platform, Android does not have the market penetration of either the iPhone or Blackberry, and without the anchors of itunes/ipod or corporate email clients, will have a tougher time establishing a niche, and may face some of the same issues Microsoft has faced as an operating system licensor (as opposed to all in one firms like Apple and RIM.)

Bottom Line: Google, with their deep pockets and development chops should not be counted out, but unless you have a niche integrating with Google applications, it should rank well behind the iPhone and Blackberry.

Pros: Microsoft has deep pockets and has proven staying power in the past.

Cons: They have been losing market share to superior platforms from Apple and RIM, with other hardware vendors moving to Android as a more competitive alternative.  The platform has a reputation for being slow, buggy, and expensive to develop for, with multiple form factors and reference platforms.

Bottom Line: Microsoft’s deep pockets should not be counted out, but they are caught between a rock and a hard place.  Seeing how they respond will be interesting, but unless you’ve already bet the farm on Windows Mobile, now is not the time to start.

Pros: Despite a litany of mistakes over the past 6 years, including spinning off their operating system and licensing Windows mobile, the Palm brand is still recognized and retains some value to consumers.  The new Palm Pre device and brand new operating system have gotten very positive reviews.

Cons: Unlike when they first entered and conquered the handheld market, they are re-entering a much more competitive landscape, with established players with much deeper pockets.  Apple has made comments that some interpret as a claim of patent infringement, and Palm's only carrier, Sprint, is rated last in service by Consumer Reports.

Bottom Line: Their remaining brand equity and strong new entry give them a chance, but you shouldn’t bet the farm on them succeeding.

Pros: Nokia has great worldwide mobile phone market share, a strong history of R&D and deep pockets.

Cons: They have been left behind in smartphones in the US, and are working hard to catch up.

Bottom Line: As with Microsoft, don’t count them out, but if you’re targeting North America, don’t invest a lot here now.

Our Conclusion:  iPhone, Blackberry and then Everyone Else
For applications that need to reside on the mobile platform, the answer right now is to concentrate on iPhone and Blackberry, and then worry about everyone else.  Which you should target first depends on your application.  The market changes quickly though, so stay tuned in this space for updates.

Related Services: iPhone Application Development, Custom Software Development

Related posts:

1. Which Mobile Platforms Should You Target? (Part 1)
2. Which Mobile Platform Should You Target – Other Points of View
3. Apple’s Earnings Call: Enterprise iPhone Adoption Growth
4. Coming Soon: Android Wireless Application Development Review
5. Android: What I like about you

Comments (3)

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1. 

   Very insightful. Thank you for the candid summaries.

   Comment by Bryan, Tuesday, March 31, 2009 @ 1:58 pm

2. 

   Another good article, all be it with a US but clearly stated and justified (within the context) bias.

   Two points worth noting though for the world market:

   A. Worldwide, Nokia sell more smart phones than RIM, Apple and HTC put together. Source: http://www.canalys.com/pr/2008/r2008112.htm

   B. You left out J2ME as a viable platform. It could be argued that J2ME is the largest plaftform of all (although I would think that WAP would give a good run). It’s available of a huge number of handsets, many which wouldn’t even be considered smart phone otherwise.

   Personally, I like the web application route for my stuff as it’ll run on my iPhone with little extra work.

   Comment by Sean, Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 11:20 am

3. [...] This certainly jibes with a lot of what we are seeing from our customers, that the iPhone is the first choice for mobile application development and the first choice among consumers and corporate customers when given a chance. It also validates our recommendations from last year on which mobile platform to develop for. [...]

   Pingback by Apple’s Earnings Call: Enterprise iPhone Adoption Growth | Pathfinder Development | Software Developers | Blogs, Tuesday, January 26, 2010 @ 1:52 pm

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