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The State of (Mobile) Web Development 2011

Welcome to the first State of (Mobile) Web Development report, which focusses on mobile web and application development related aspects of a survey of over 1,300 professional web developers and designers in February 2011. Web Directions has been conducting this survey annually since 2008.

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Key Findings

  • 2010 saw an explosion of interest and activity by developers in HTML5, and developing native apps for mobile platforms like iOS and Android using web technologies.
  • Android gains dramatically on iPhone as developers’ regular mobile browsing platform
  • There is a correlation between the devices and platforms developers use, and those they develop for.
  • Web site testing across a wide range of mobile devices jumps significantly.
  • JQuery Mobile leads from JQTouch and SenchaTouch in a still immature mobile frameworks market place.
  • Three quarters of respondents expressed an interest in developing native apps using web technologies in the coming year, with 30% likely to do so.
  • iPhone, iPad, along with Android phones and tablets all show strong interest from developers, while other platforms have their work cut out to woo web developers.
  • Web developers express confidence in developing native apps using HTML5, with reservations about application performance and user experience.

Jump straight to the results, or read on for more background on the survey and audience.

The survey was conducted by Web Directions, and supported in part by WAC, Sencha and Microsoft.

Contents: Report Introduction Browsers HTML5 Native Apps Platform Choice The Wrap

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Thanks for an amazing few days Web Directions. So many great themes of empathy, inclusion, collaboration, business impact through design, and keeping our future deeply human.

Laura van Doore Head of Product Design, Fathom