|
|
Tools |
Language(s) |
Cost |
Devices |
Documentation |
Developer Support |
App Delivery Mechanism |
Carriers |
Target Audience |
| Android |
• Android SDK
• Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin on Eclipse 3.4 and 3.5
|
• Java for native apps
• Android Native Development Kit (NDK) for apps requiring C/C++ libraries
|
Free, open source; no upfront fees
|
Smartphones and PDAs from many different manufacturers, including HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung
|
SDK provides extensive developer documentation
|
Complete documentation online (with videos, official Android developer blog and an active Android development community)
|
• Google Android Market
• Third-party app markets and publication channels
|
• All major U.S. wireless carriers
• Most major global carriers
|
Consumers for personal use
|
| BlackBerry |
• BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE)
• BlackBerry Java Plugin on Eclipse 3.5
• BlackBerry Theme Studio; BlackBerry device simulators
|
• Java ME + rich set of custom APIs
• Widgets and Web apps (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript)
|
• Free access to SDK and simulators
• $20 to sign an app
• $200 account fee for every 10 apps on BlackBerry App World
• BlackBerry Alliance Program for ISVs ranging from $2000 to $5000
|
BlackBerry smartphones in a variety of models
|
• Javadocs
• BlackBerry Knowledge Base
|
• RIM community developer forums
• Support for registered RIM ISVs
|
• Cable-loaded
• Browser
• Java Application Descriptor (JAD) files
• .COD files
• Content aggregators
• BlackBerry App World
• Branded carrier app stores
|
• All major U.S. wireless carriers
• Most major global carriers
|
Primarily business users
|
| iPhone |
• iPhone SDK
• Ansca Corona
• Appcelerator Titanium Mobile
• Nitobi PhoneGap
• Rhomobile Rhodes
• iUI
• DragonFireSDK
• Unity
|
• Objective-C
• HTML, CSS and JavaScript
|
• $99 per year for Apple iPhone Developer Program
• Most developer tools are free, open source, others vary from $99 to $400 per year
|
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 4
|
Apple Developer Program, which is free to join and includes access to the iPhone SDK, iPhone Reference Library and documentation
|
• Apple Developer Community
• Code-level technical support from Apple for iPhone Developer Program members
|
• Safari web browser
• Apple's App Store
• iTunes
|
• US: AT&T
• UK: O2, Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile
• Germany and Netherlands: T-Mobile
• Canada: Rogers, Telus and Bell Mobility
|
• Primarily early adopters, young adults
• Enterprise users have been reluctant to jump on board.
|
| Windows Mobile 6.5 |
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition or better, but not Visual Studio 2010
|
Native C++ or supported .NET languages C# or Visual Basic .NET
|
• Free SDK
• Visual Studio 2008 Professional - $1200
• Application marketplace subscription - $99/year
|
Smartphones and PDAs from many different manufacturers, including HTC, LG and Samsung
|
• Microsoft Developer Network and related sites
• Large amount of community content
|
• Microsoft Professional support
• Free community support
|
• Through a memory card, network or an ActiveSync connection
• Microsoft Windows Marketplace for Mobile
|
• All major U.S. wireless carriers
• Most major global carriers
|
Business and average consumers
|
| Windows Phone 7 |
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone
• Expression Blend 4 for Windows Phone
|
• .NET; C# only
• Silverlight
• XNA
|
• Prices not finalized yet
• Free SDK, most probably free development tool
• Windows Marketplace for Mobile developer subscription - $99/year
|
No availability until Q4 2010
|
Electronic on MSDN and on the SDK
|
• Microsoft developer support
• Broad community support
|
Via Windows Marketplace for Mobile
|
• All major U.S. wireless carriers
• Most major global carriers
|
Business and average consumers
|
| Palm WebOS |
• Palm webOS SDK
• The Mojo framework
• Palm Developer Tools (PDT)
|
Applications typically written in JavaScript, HTML, AJAX, and other common Web technologies, as well as in C and C++
|
For a limited time (as of 7/22/2010), HP waiving $99 annual fee for developer account
|
• Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, Palm Plus
• HP has promised to leverage webOS platform on multiple products, including smartphones, HP slate tablets, and printers.
|
Plenty of documentation at developer.palm.com
|
Plenty of support and information at developer.palm.com
|
The Palm App Store
|
• All major U.S. wireless carriers
• Most major global carriers
|
Business and consumer users
|
| Symbian |
• Application development kit (ADT)
• An application software development kit (SDK)
• Nokia Qt SDK
|
• Native language is C++
• Other languages include: Python, Java ME, Flash Lite, Ruby, .NET, Web Runtime, Widgets, VisualBasic and Standard C/C.
|
A few hundred dollars
|
• Nearly all devices using Symbian are Nokia phones.
• A few Sony Ericsson phones and one from Arima.
|
SDKs contain documentation, the header files and library files required to build Symbian OS software, and a Windows-based emulator ("WINS")
|
Good support through the Symbian Foundation
|
Nokia's apps store, Ovi Store
|
• All major U.S. wireless carriers
• Most major global carriers
|
Business and consumer users
|
