For the April - July quarter of this year, Android made up 85% of the market, shipping a staggering 249.6 million devices. When you put that statistic, from research group IDC, in contrast to Apple and Windows, which shipped 31.2 million and 8 million respectively last quarter, it seems that Android is dominating the market.
So why do Silicon Valley startups resist developing for the OS?
In the article "Why Silicon Valley Doesn't Care About Android," Sandi MacPherson explores the contradictory state of Android in the hub of some of the most technologically progressive startups and established businesses. According to McPherson, who spoke with mobile entrepreneurs to conduct her research, these are the key points businesses fixate on:
1. Building for Android is more expensive and time intensive, mostly because of massive fragmentation in hardware and software
2. iOS users are much more valuable and monetize more than Android users
3. iOS is more popular in the US, and that’s the market most US-based companies know best. While Android is just under 85% worldwide, it’s only about 50% in the US.