Mobile web design: platform by platform
30.05.10
The facile landscape is a complex and sometimes confusing place to be. Here we'll take a look at the most popular platforms, operating systems and app stores and tender some quick and easy tips to making the most out of the opportunities they offer.
Around 1.2 billion phones were sold last year, 174 million of which were smartphones. Symbian devices reckon on for nearly 47 per cent of this market (with Nokia making up the majority of this figure), but they're losing buy share to both Apple and Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind BlackBerry, which now have 14.4 per cent and 19.9 per cent severally.
The fastest growing markets last year were Apple and Android, which grew by 6.2 per cent and 3.5 per cent singly.
Smartphones enable consumers to download apps, and now there are app stores everywhere, courtesy of device manufacturers (eg Nokia's Ovi Accumulate); OS developers (Android Market Place; Windows Marketplace for Mobile); operators (Vodafone's 360 Supply; Orange's Application Shop) and Independents (GetJar; Handango). All are competing fiercely for eyeballs, clicks and sales.
Source: TechRadar UK