Why Are Mobile App Developers Avoiding Windows Phone 8

Posted on by GadgetTalk Team

Many experts considers Windows Phone 8 as a solid mobile operating system that possesses all the features, functionalities and qualities required to compete with the popular mobile platforms launched by Apple and Google. But many reports have highlighted how the popularity of the Microsoft mobile operating system is being affected due to lack of adequate apps. There are also a number of reasons because of why mobile application developers are avoiding the new mobile platform. It is time for Microsoft to identify these reasons to encourage more developers to build mobile apps by targeting Windows Phone 8.
5 Reasons Why Mobile Application Developers Avoid Windows Phone 8
1. Popularity and Market Share of the Mobile Operating System
Each enterprise wants to get the maximum ROI by launching apps by targeting the right mobile platform. Mobile application always developers choose a mobile platform according to its recent popularity and market share. Despite a steady increase in the Nokia Lumia line of smartphones, the market share of Windows Phone 8 has increased by less than 2%. So the Microsoft mobile operating system will take some time to challenge popular mobile platforms like IOS and Android. The lower market share also discourages developers to build apps by targeting Windows Phone 8.
2. Lack of Powerful Development Tools
Most developers use customized tools and frameworks to rapidly build robust applications. The popularity of Android and IOS has encouraged many third-party companies to launch and update mobile application development tools. But the Windows Phone 8 developers have options to choose from a limited number of development tools. Microsoft has launched Visual Studio 2013 with a set of smart features and tools to help developers. So the developers now have options to use features like performance diagnostics and power usage monitoring to build apps rapidly. However, the developers still look for more innovative tools and frameworks.
3. Flaws in OS Design
Many reports have also highlighted a number of flaws in the design of Windows Phone 8. For instance, the mobile version of Internet Explorer lacks a forward navigation button. Further, the user does not have any option to set Google as his default search engine. The inefficient GPS navigation option provided by the operating system also makes it complicated and time-consuming for the users to find a place. The mobile OS also does not send effective notification about mails and other message. As most apps use the inbuilt features of the smartphone to optimize user experience, the minor flaws often discourage them to develop apps for Windows Phone 8.
4. Additional Security Considerations
Most mobile applications use third-party apps and interfaces to deliver improved user experience. Similar to other mobile operating systems, Windows Phone 8 also comes with large collection of security controls. But the programmers have to exercise additional care and caution to ensure that the third-party apps remain fully secure and inaccessible. There are always chances that the third-party apps will be exposed to higher risk due to minor mistakes and lapses. As the Microsoft mobile platform is comparatively new, developers do not have option to access a large collection of documentation and resources. So they have to put some additional time and effort to ensure the security of the third-party applications.
5. No Support for Widely Used Technologies
A constant increase is noted in the enterprises launching several versions of the same app by targeting different mobile platforms. Most developers explore options to develop the apps rapidly by using some of the most popular and widely used technologies. They can develop apps for Windows Phone 8 by using either native languages like WinRT or C++, or managed languages like C#. But currently developers do not have any option to develop mobile apps for this platform by using widely used technologies like JavaScript and HTML5. So developer must learn how to build feature-rich applications for Windows Phone 8 using platform APIs. They also need to access the large developer documentation to understand and use the APIs correctly.
Despite many app developers avoiding Windows Phone 8, nobody can deny the fact that the mobile operating system is still capable of challenging iOS and Android. There are also chances that developers will start developing apps for this platform after a substantial increase in its share in the smartphone market.