If you’re looking to build a mobile app, it’s important to keep up with the latest app development trends and technologies in order to get your product out there as quickly and effectively as possible. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes, don’t worry! Here are 10 things you need to know before developing a mobile app to help you stay on top of the trends.
1| Building Apps for Foldables
Smartphones haven’t been around for that long and now they have competition from devices with even smaller screens. Some people prefer small screens because they feel like larger displays are hard to hold or uncomfortable, so you might want to consider making your app available on smart wearables. Another reason why foldable is important is that many of these devices have game-changing features that could revolutionize app design. For example, Google has created something called Lens which lets users point their camera at an object and get contextual information about it without having to click any buttons or tap anything. This kind of functionality opens up new design possibilities for all sorts of apps — so don’t ignore foldably!
2| Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
At first glance, these two terms seem like they would work in tandem. They don’t. ML and AI are different things entirely. ML refers to making machines learn from experience and adapt to changes over time without direct programming or help from humans. For example, machine learning can be used in web search engines or speech recognition programs to improve their responses over time based on how many times people use them.
3| The Rise of Chatbots
The biggest and most important mobile app development trend of 2018 was probably chatbots. Everyone seems to have an opinion on them: Do they really work? Should I build one? And even if I want one, what should it do? The truth is, yes, chatbots are useful—but they’re not perfect. For starters, not everyone wants one; many consumers are perfectly happy with apps that don’t require them to communicate with technology beyond a tap or swipe. Chatbots also still have room for improvement in terms of providing an enjoyable user experience.
4| Wearable App Integration
As app developers, we’re no strangers to wearables. Research shows that over 50% of smartwatch owners use their watch for activities such as reading emails and listening to music. That number is only set to increase in the future. In fact, it’s been predicted that by 2021 more than 67% of all smartwatch owners will use their devices for ordering food, buying products, and gaining information about specific events.
5| IoT-Enabled Mobile Apps
The Internet of Things (IoT) is about to take a leap forward with mobile apps. Over 50 billion IoT devices are expected to be deployed by 2021. The challenge lies in making these things capable of machine-to-machine communications and smart enough to recognize changes in their environments and respond appropriately. They need an interface through which they can communicate with each other so that their collective knowledge pool can grow exponentially for all connected entities. Machine learning has progressed far enough that we may soon see entire networks of interconnected smart devices without human intervention, as long as developers use IoT-enabled mobile apps.
6| Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are only just getting started. Facebook purchased Oculus VR in 2014 for $2 billion, making VR one of social media’s big tech bets, even though no one really knew what they could do with it yet. Meanwhile, AR has made its debut into iPhones through apps like Google Translate and Yelp. Soon we’ll be able to use smartphone technology to see our surroundings as if we were in an alternate universe—and that will change everything from how we consume entertainment to how retailers market their products.
7| Mobile Wallets
As mobile payments become more commonplace, consumers are less and less likely to carry traditional wallets or purses around. As such, your business is wise to make it as easy as possible for customers to pay you through their phones. Take online retailers, for example Online shopping accounts for $3 trillion in sales every year—but many of those transactions take place on desktop and laptop computers that aren’t easily accessible on the go. If your business accepts mobile payments through apps or text messages (using technology like Apple Pay), you’re already ahead of your competition.
8| Mobile App Security to Gain Extra Attention
App development trends are constantly changing; as one platform becomes more popular, another falls out of favor. For example, apps developed for iOS and Android have dominated recently. However, security issues that plagued Apple’s operating system in 2018 make security one major mobile app development trend you’ll want to pay attention to. As users become more aware of their privacy online, developers will need to focus on creating apps that protect sensitive information while they’re being shared across multiple platforms. Expect companies with strong track records of information protection and data handling—like Google and Microsoft—to dominate in 2020 when it comes to mobile app development trends.
9| Beacons Technology
Bluetooth beacons are small devices that can send out notifications within a certain radius, including details like coupon codes or special offers. Think of it as localized advertising—when you pass by, you get sent an offer via your mobile device. For retailers and restaurants, beacons can help drive traffic into brick-and-mortar stores. Similar technology is geofencing, where mobile apps can send alerts when users enter or exit designated locations. For example, an app could alert you when you’re leaving work that there’s still enough time for you to go back and get one more cup of coffee before heading home.
10| Instant Apps are Coming Around
Instant apps are baked directly into your native mobile app experience, and they don’t require installation or an additional download. Like Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), instant apps allow developers to leverage existing components of an app and slice them up into smaller parts that can be shared across multiple platforms and devices—enabling users to access desired content faster and easier. In short, they allow you to build apps for specific functions with more flexibility than ever before. They also help you offer content via Google Search results, which could lead to higher visibility in SERPs as well as more search clicks and traffic. Ultimately, it’s about adapting our own practices so we can create applications that meet user expectations while keeping their needs in mind at all times.
| Final Words
Even though mobile app development seems like an easy industry at first glance, it’s actually very complicated. Several factors have to be taken into account before you can even think about getting started with developing your app. In order for you to build something that can reach success in 2021, you need to consider all of these factors and find out what would help make your app appealing and popular. Remember that there are always new trends popping up every year and some of them could drastically change how people use their mobile devices in a certain way. If you are looking for a developer there are many app development companies that can help in developing apps for your project. For example, voice command software was introduced only recently but is already considered as one of the main mobile trends in 2019. Make sure that you keep following new mobile trends because they will help boost your app development process if used properly.