App developers have shown sudden interest in the Windows Phone platform that may lead to filling the "app gap" between Microsoft's mobile platform and its biggest competitors by next year.
Microsoft's Windows Phone platform may have started off slow, but it is catching up with its rivals, Android and iOS. Strategy Analytics Developer Study results have revealed that developers' are now eager to bring their apps to the struggling platform since the last year and the head of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, is confident that the "app gap" between Windows Phones and its competitors will be bridged by the end of 2014.
The Strategy Analytics' results are based on 1,600 surveyed active mobile app developers. The report shows that 32 percent app developers are interested in giving the Windows a try in 2014, which is a significant boost compared to last year's 16 percent. Despite that, Windows Phone still falls short in comparison to giants like Android and iOS.
"Naturally Android and iOS were the top platforms, with 84 percent and 68 percent respectively of developers targeting those platforms," David MacQueen, Strategy Analytics Executive Director, Apps and Media Research, said in his report. "That's primarily down to the huge installed base; we asked developers why they were supporting particular platforms and the top answer for both of these platforms was the user base. 74 percent of Android developers and 65 percent of iOS developers cited this as a reason for their continued support."
Microsoft's most recent statistics revealed that Windows Phone platform houses 200,000 apps. Compared to Android or iOS, this number only holds a 20 percent weight. But the gap is slowly filling as popular mobile apps like Vine, Instagram, Flipboard, and Waze finally made it to the Windows Phone apps list.
Moreover, Belfiore's tweet from earlier this week shows the company is on track to bridge the "app-gap" by the end of this year.
We're all gonna look back on the end of 2014 as the ending of the app-gap for Windows Phone. The 3rd ecosystem is decidedly here!
- joebelfiore (@joebelfiore) November 20, 2013
If so then, Windows Phone users will have every reason to celebrate. The smoothly functioning OS on smartphones with amazing camera and other features is only held back due to the lack of apps on the platform. Looks like that will change by the end of next year.
