Reports across the net are hinting that a handful of Android developers are leaving the open source platform to join competition for the iPhone. According to Kate Imback of Skyhook Wireless, “A number of developers of location-based apps are jumping ship from Android to iPhone”.

Imback continued, “We talk to a lot of Android developers, and a lot are dialling back development because there’s just no distribution, and no money to be made”. So what does that mean for the future of Android?

While the distribution may not quite be there, the iPhone was not all that far behind just one year ago. However it seems the money is being made with the iPhone platform through “selling premium apps, but also from advertising”.

Nick Black from CloudMade also commented on the situation, stating “There are actually some technical reasons why Android is a much more appealing platform than iPhone for location – such as its ability to run apps in the background, and the way the whole maps layer can be substituted with another layer. Technically, it’s a much better platform, but it’s a case of showing people the money”.

So does this mean the game is already over for Android fans? Not at all, but the platform may be falling several years behind if momentum does not pick up.

[MobileEnt.biz]

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