Windows app developers will be pleased with this good news , Windows Phone 8 helped increase app downloads 100%, increasing revenue for developers by 140%. It’s a huge boost for a system which was thought to be struggling, though it looks as though it is simply finding its feet.
The mobile market is already saturated, with Apple and Android taking a dominating share. Computing giant Microsoft has responded well though, and a slow start looks to be turning into growth, according to this report from the company. Windows app development is already on the rise, but this news will surely boost the process.
The Lumia range of handsets can take some of the credit for Microsoft’s growth in the smartphone market. 5.6 million units were sold in the first quarter of 2013 and an ambitious payment scheme for Windows app developers, prompting an influx of new apps. This new content may also be one of the reasons for the growing success of the Windows Phone as customers and developers alike start to see Window’s devices as genuine contenders to mobile’s big hitters.
The app submission process is also planned to be improved, with Microsoft eager to tempt developers to create or port apps for Windows. The payout market has been expanded, with six new countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, added to the list of eligible nations. For some, the promise of cash wasn’t worth the effort, but improved an improved submission process might grab the attention of some and produce a new set of Windows app developers. Allowing developers to review their submission, rotate and resize screenshots will make Windows app development just a little easier , and might persuade fans of iOS and Android to give Microsoft’s system a go.
Windows Phones are still relatively new introductions in the mobile market, and these figures are expected to improve as the rest of 2013 sees more new apps and the possibility of more interest from developers. A smooth transition to the new version of the Windows phone operating system is key to building on this success, and might bode very well for a company still learning the ropes of the mobile industry.
Photo Credit: Vernon Chan