Mobile app developers' interest in HTML5 is slipping

Appcelerator and IDC found the number of developers who said they were very interested in building apps on HTML5 had fallen to 59.9 percent.

This was the lowest level since Appcelerator began tracking the specification in April 2011. “Interest in HTML5 peaked in July 2012 at 72.7 percent and has shown and uneven but downward slope since,” the report said.

Appcelerator expects the gap between HTML5 and native mobile apps will continue to grow, said Michael King,  Appcelerator director of enterprise strategy. “The promise of HTML5 is you write once, run everywhere and this is not happening because of the divergence of browser features.” HTML5 does not offer the performance and access to native features that a native app can, he said.