Although iOS appears to currently be the platform of choice for developers, research firm Ovum suggests that Android is set to surpass it "in terms of importance to developers within the next 12 months".

Traditionally, the Apple App Store has generated higher revenues than the Android Market as users are more likely to download paid apps, thus luring developers. However the Android platform has been incredibly successful in the past few months and the number of app downloads have been significant, so it comes as no surprise that developers are bullish on Android's prospects in 2012.

Additionally, according to its latest "Developer Insights" survey, Ovum has found that almost all developers support both Android and iOS and interest in development for the BlackBerry and Windows Phone OS is growing.

The research also indicates a generational shift from older cross-platform mobile standards, such as Java, Flash, and WAP, towards more web-based standards, such as HTML5.

However despite increased interest in web-based development, developers are still using "vendor-specific distribution channels", i.e. the Android Market and the Apple App Store. This is hardly a surprise, as these app distribution platforms are still the most effective way of mass-distribution of apps.

[Source: Ovum]