Developing for the Experience: Choices in Device Development

William Volk

CEO, PlayScreen

• Published 1st iPhone web games at launch

• 20+ Apps in the Apple iPhone App Store

• 10+ on Google Android App Market

• Blackberry Apps for Clients

• Symbian, J2ME and Feature Phone experience

• Games, Enterprise, Health, Security and Telecom

Our Experience

Smartphone Market

Source: Millennial Media, 8/10

Smartphone App Stores

Source: Silicon Valley Insider, 3/10

Overview: iPhone

• iOS Operating System

• Objective-C Programming

• Uniform Screen Resolutions

• Semi-Multitasking

• Good development tools

• Crowded Market

Overview: iPhone

Source: AdMob 2009

Overview: Android

• Multiple Screen Sizes:

– G1: 320 X 480 pixels

– Samsung Captivate: 480 x 800 pixels

• Java/Eclipse & Multitasking

– NOT Java Micro Edition

• Open Market - Low Revenue

• May become #1 Smartphone

Overview: Blackberry

• Many devices - legacy handsets

• Java 2 Micro Edition, long history

• Multitasking

• Many Screen Resolutions:

– Curve: 320 x 240, Bold 480x360 …

• Large installed base

• Migrating OS to QnX

– Version 7 last of the current OS

Other Handsets

• Nokia is still the #1 Smartphone

– Over 40% Worldwide, but in decline

– Fragmented handsets and software

• Ovi store ships 2.3 million downloads per day ….840 million per year level.

• Does support J2ME.

• Windows Phone 7 and others

History of App Porting

• 1970’s/1980’s

– UCSD Pascal P-Machine

– Publishers (games) create own virtual

machines that abstract hardware

• 1990’s

– Java, HTML

• 2000’s

– Flash etc.

Business Considerations

• Paid or Free App?

– Users don’t care about app portablity

– iPhone market HYPER-COMPETITIVE

• Purpose of App?

– Serving an existing base

- OR -

– Trying to reach a new market

Strategy and Tactics

• Asset Creation

• Code Modules

• Least Common Denominator

• Reduce Feature set on some handsets

• Porting Solutions:

– Flash, HTML5 Based

Porting Tools

• Flash

– iPhone NOT supporting Flash in the browser

– Flash will be able to create iPhone apps.

– Android and Blackberry runtimes coming.

– Not clear on if this will be deployed in the app stores

• HTML5

– Run HTML5 in native wrappers.

– Commercial conversion tools:

PhoneGap, Titanium

Case Study - Destination Irvine

Tourism app for iPhone, Android, and RIM

Features: Maps, Videos, Calendar and Attractions

… and what about Games?

• Very demanding marketplace

• 3D apps create even more issues

• Fragmented hardware on Android and

Blackberry - Huge performance

differences

• Lessons from the video game industry

• What about Facebook?