In J2ME and Android which one is more useful, useable and popular as mobile programming language or framework? [closed]

Question

I am very interested in mobile application development. But which language or framework is more popular, useful and usable?

I know Java well. If you have any idea and/or experience, please help me to take my decision.

Answer 1

J2ME is much more popular than Android - many phones of many vendors (Nokia, Sony Ericson, Motorola, LG, Samsung and more) have it, and you can deploy application to them. The price is limited capabilities and no consolidated distribution channel (for the moment, Sun is talking about the Java Store).

On the other hand, Andriod has much more capabilities, its API is closer to the Java API, and it has more capabilities, but there is a limited number of phones. Also, you have the Android market as a distribution channel.

If you can describe what you have in mind, I can elaborate more.

Added Information

The J2ME market is quite large, but Android is rising fast - it is a true smartphone, a segment which has become more and more popular in the recent years. According to job trends, both are have roughly the same demand now:

Answer 2

I've dabbled in some J2ME programming, but right now I've written about 4 Android apps.

My observations:

1. The Android API is a lot of fun to use. J2ME is showing its age. For example, a JSON parser is built in. And you have access to SQLite. Android's SQLite access code is like an amalgam of lessons learnt from Ruby on Rails, REST and plain-old SQL.
2. In terms of deployment numbers, there are more J2ME apps than Android apps. However if you want to enter the smartphone market, Android is second in mindshare to iPhone (BlackBerry is reinventing itself, but its API is still looking like a J2ME++). Read this article.
3. The whole platform is open source. So learning it and mastering it is easy.

Answer 3

I think you're missing an important fact: Android is not only a platform, but also brings with it a fully fledged application framework which continues to grow and gets backing from some very big players (Open Handset Alliance). J2ME is just a stripped down version of the Java platform. That's a major difference.

Having worked with Android since over a year now, I can definitely say that is has grown into a very powerful system and decent tool support.

Answer 4

Only Android Can Catch the iPhone

There are something like 20 Android phones coming out before the end of the year.(*)

Networks like Verizon that ship only deliberately-crippled handsets will be hard-pressed to win sophisticated consumers. Their customers mostly make voice calls and text each other, to get fancy they might run Song ID or VZ Navigator.

I think the issue is: which phone owners actually d/l and use the apps? The walled-off Verizon customers, not so much. Right now, the action is in the iPhone, but I think Android might catch up.

(*) Here is just one.