Hello 2014! What have you got in store for developers?

In the first few weeks of every year, we hear all sorts of predictions for trends over the next twelve months. Some are wackier than others – the world’s only ‘asparamancer’, who predicts the future with asparagus tips, springs to mind – but I’m confident about the developer trends that are being discussed on the Intel Developer Zone right now. Here’s a little snapshot:

I’m pretty sure developers are responsible for a significant chunk of the coffee consumed around the world. How many times have you found yourself up at 3am, trying desperately to figure something out in your code? Some might call developers eccentric (really!), but they answer that it’s just for their love of programming.

One of Intel’s predictions for 2014 is that this isn’t going to change. Over half of developers do it for the creativity and the sense of achievement, and a third say their most important goal is to gain knowledge, have fun, and put a real effort into self-improvement. I wonder what these stats will look like in a year’s time?

Android, iOS and HTML5 were the top three platforms chosen by developers in 2013. In North America, two thirds of developers use Android, which is significantly higher than its two closest counterparts. Developers say that speed and ease of use, cost of development and the consumer base are the reasons for choosing a particular platform.

One of the predictions on the Intel Developer Zone is that revenue potential for Android is going to rise in 2014. I’d put this down to the devices available on the Android platform now. Android smartphones and tablets really boosted their ‘cool’ factor among the consumer base in 2013, which is going to have a serious knock-on effect for coders this year.

To read about these trends, as well as predictions in mobile and wearable technology, see this post on the Intel Developer Zone. You can also read about other emerging and growing trends for devices and the companies that provide them. And, for the nostalgic among you, find out what the top ten apps of 2013 were, as well as taking a look back over mobile development in 2013. Here’s to another great year! Let me know your 2014 predictions in the comment box below.

• This blog post is written by Softtalkblog, and is sponsored by the Intel Developer Zone, which helps you to develop, market and sell software and apps for prominent platforms and emerging technologies powered by Intel Architecture.

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