When Android first arrived in 2008, it was a bit drab compared to the much more stylish iOS on the Apple iPhone/iPad. But, quite quickly, through a variety of handset offers that struck a chord with practical, price-conscious consumers, as well as those who are fashion-conscious and tech-savvy, Android user numbers exploded.
For many, myself included, developing for Android is the most rewarding pastime and business, bar none.
Quickly putting together a prototype of an idea, refining it, and then deciding to run with it and wire it up into a fully-fledged app, is such an exciting and rewarding process. Any programming can be fun – I have been programming all my life – but creating for Android is somehow extraordinarily rewarding.
Defining exactly why this is the case is quite difficult. Perhaps it is the fact that the platform is free and open. You can distribute your apps without needing the permission of a big controlling corporation – nobody can stop you. And, at the same time, you have well-established, corporate-controlled mass markets, such as Amazon Appstore and Google Play.
It is more likely, however, that the reason that developing for Android gives such a good feeling is the nature of the devices themselves. They are deeply personal. You can develop apps that interact with people's lives, which educate, entertain, tell a story, and so on, and it is there in their pocket ready to go – in the home, in the workplace, or on holiday.
You can certainly build something bigger for the desktop but knowing that thousands (or millions) of people are carrying your work in their pockets and sharing it with friends is more than just a buzz.
No longer is developing apps considered geeky, nerdy, or reclusive. In fact, developing for Android is considered highly skillful, and the most successful developers are hugely admired, even revered.
If all this fluffy, spiritual stuff doesn't mean anything to you, then that's fine too; developing for Android can make you a living, or even make you wealthy. With the continued growth of device ownership, the ongoing increase in CPU and GPU power, and the non-stop evolution of the Android operating system itself, the need for professional app developers is only going to grow.
In short, the best Android developers – and, more importantly, the Android developers with the best ideas and the most determination – are in greater demand than ever. Nobody knows who these future Android app developers are, and they might not even have written their first line of code yet.
So, why isn't everybody an Android developer? Obviously, not everybody will share my enthusiasm for the thrill of creating software that can help make people's lives better, but I am guessing that, because you are reading this, you might.