Mobile app developers prefer Apple over Google's Android operating system, according to a quarterly survey.

Appcelerator, a firm which works with developers conducted the survey with research firm IDC. The survey asked developers which devices they were interested in writing programs for and the results could spell trouble for Google's Android OS. The survey of more than 2,100 app developers showed that 78.6 percent were interested in developing apps for Android smartphones during the first quarter of 2012. Developer interest is down from the 83.3 percent in the last quarter of 2011 and from 87 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

The steady decline of interest in Android is partly due to plat fragmentation as developers have a harder time generating profit from apps compared to the centrality of Apple's iOS app store. In addition Android updates are left to manufacturers to implement.

"Massive platform fragmentation is a big reason that we're seeing this decline in interest," said Mike King, a former Gartner analyst who now works as Appcelerator's principal mobile strategist. "If you look at all the other numbers such as Android smartphone market share it's on the upswing, but for app developers it's a real challenge."

The slow decline is interesting since Android was just 3 percentage points behind iOS for iPhone and 2 points behind iOS for iPad a year ago. Now interest in Android smartphones is below 80 per cent and interest in Android tablets is in the 67 percent range.

Despite the decline, Android is still only second to Apple's iOS as the platform developers are interested to work in. Microsoft was successful in attracting mobile developer interest as 37 percent said they were interested in creating apps for Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 tablets. Research in Motion's BlackBerry fell again with only 16 percent of mobile app developers showing an interest in the platform. RIM is launching an upgrade to its QNX software for its next-generation handsets that will be released later this year but it looks like app makers aren't falling for RIM's upgraded software.

"Developers are taking a wait and see approach with QNX," King said.

The survey questioned almost 2,200 developers, about 38 percent from Europe, 34 percent from North America and 28 percent from elsewhere.