TR Forums

Gerbils, I was wondering if any of you is doing smartphone app development for profit? I am looking to develop a few apps in my free time but I am wondering which platforms are the most profitable?
Obviously, iOS and Android are the two big platforms right now but both of these platforms have a lot of competition. Is it worth writing yet-another-app for iOS and Android or should I be looking at other platforms?
Any advise will be appreciated.

There are multiple articles that I have read that do not paint a pretty picture. AllAboutSymbian has started a multi-part series on how to monetize your apps. Sure it may earn you some change if some people bother to click Buy and check it out, but it does not seem like it will make you big money with only a few exceptions.

Short answer: don't quit your day job just yet.

There was a great video shot at a talk about making money from iPhone apps. I can't find it now but it was very funny and was something like a 1 minute time limit talk, almost like a small TED talk. Hope someone else can lay there hands on it.

Despite all the humour in it, it turns out that the way to make money is to skate around the edge of the porn restrictions on the Apple apps. The developer talked about some apps he wrote and the one that was making the most was one that wasn't seen as porn in North America (where the apps are apporved), but the Japanese went wild over.

I know ssidbroadcast here does iOS development. Give him a ring and see what he has to say.