What are the future tendencies in the mobile app development industry

Mobile app development: what lies ahead for the industry

Can you believe there were just 500 apps on the Apple store’s offer back in 2008? Much has changed since then, didn’t it?

Mobile app development has revolutionized business operations with an impeccable app that streamlines the processes involved in various aspects of the business. For effective mobile app development, it needs to be done in a series of steps that various mobile app development services have to follow. Let’s take a look at how to structure your app development process.

Mobile app development market growth

Lately, smartphones and apps have gone from nice-to-haves to absolute essentials for many consumers and businesses. Case in point, in 2017 there were almost 4 billion connected mobile devices generating 178 billion annual app downloads and more than $81 billion in in-app store consumer spending.

According to Q2 202 Statista report, users downloaded about 28 billion apps from Google Play Store and about 7.9 million from the App Store. Additionally, by the end of 2022, US consumers will spend around $34 billion and even more on apps via the app stores. 

As recorded in 2021, worldwide, there are about 7.1 billion app users. Every smartphone user has installed about 35 and more apps on their devices. Out of those, they uninstall some because of some issues like performance. Still, nothing has stopped the growth of the mobile app development industry. The global app revenue of about $581 billion in 2020 is expected to reach nearly $808 billion in 2022. 

Noticing the hike in these stats, more and more startups and enterprises are emerging to develop mobile app ideas for their business. Besides, this increased the competition in the mobile app development industry.

Voice-enabled technologies

Voice-enabled technologies allow users to communicate with their apps without touching their phones. At this point, it is still not possible to have complete conversations with voice assistants. However, phone owners can use voice controls to get their apps to perform specific functions. While the technology is imperfect, it is improving rapidly.

The use of voice-enabled technology can offer the option of hands-free app use to anyone. This option is something that all smartphone users may soon come to expect from their apps.

5G technology

Why is there so much buzz about 5G? 5G technology may radically change the way people use mobile apps. It will reduce latency and increase data-sharing speeds for mobile phones. The environment will encourage the exchange of massive amounts of data between apps and services, and make the benefits of cloud computing even more accessible for all kinds of devices. This development could open up new app markets.

Not only will developers need to create apps that can keep up with this amount of data, but they will be racing to be the first to develop apps that can take advantage of real-time data to create new and more useful apps.

IoT

With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), the number of devices with embedded computer hardware is increasing by the day. The IoT covers a vast array of systems.

Many users may already be familiar with home internet-connected systems — smart home technology — that control lights and heating. The IoT also connects medical device monitors, auto information centers, smart refrigerators, and automated manufacturing equipment controls.

More and more consumers will expect to monitor their devices from mobile phones and get operational data and warnings of malfunctions. Healthcare and manufacturing are two industries that will expect apps that can monitor patients and production, respectively.

e-Commerce

Payments via mobile wallets, such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay, continue to grow in popularity. Companies want to offer consumers the option of cashless and cardless payments, and the trend toward mobile commerce, in general, is leading to new app development.

Existing companies, including those with brick-and-mortar locations, want to offer mobile payment and shopping options, and newer businesses can start with lower overhead by using mobile commerce solutions.

Augmented and virtual reality

In 2021, the AR, VR, and mixed reality market will likely reach $30.7 billion and catch up with about $300 billion by 2024. Augmented reality mobile apps have the feature to simulate products in actual size in virtual trial rooms, which is giving customers a virtual in-store experience.

In the retail sector, AR mobile apps can allow users to try on clothes by using virtual fitting rooms, saving time and effort. The apps that use augmented reality can also enable the store to showcase more stock than they can physically manage. Augmented reality examples of such apps are Converse, Sephora, and L’Oréal.

The viral Pokemon Go app was an early example of the possibilities of augmented reality. Both Google and Apple have augmented reality frameworks for app developers to use.

The real estate industry is taking maximum advantage of augmented reality business applications. Realtors and real estate agents are using the AR app to sell the benefits of the property. AR is embedded in the mobile app to give potential buyers or tenants a 3D experience of the apartment or flat.

Blockchain

As per the predictions, the global blockchain revenues will grow in the future by about $39 billion by 2025. Blockchain integration solutions will change the way the apps are developed and deployed. 

Initially, blockchain technology was famous for the stable functioning of all cryptocurrencies. Now it’s used as a database that one can use for almost every app like a fintech app, retail app, health app, and more. 

Final thoughts

As we move forward, the mobile app development industry also advances over time. This is the main technological aspect that will surely make the development of mobile applications more advanced. And over time, new technologies will emerge to open up new possibilities and develop applications.

Other emerging technologies like blockchain are quickly becoming mainstream in mobile app development. We will also see how mobile app security will reach new heights with a higher-level user experience. To reach a balance between pricing and quality, consider hiring an experienced mobile app development company to help you build an outstanding mobile product that fully meets your business objectives.

Author’s Bio: 

Alex Kulitski is Founder and CEO of Smart IT and is the co-founder and executive CTO at MEDvidi. Being a serial entrepreneur, he is a keen investor in technology startups and runs several successful side projects besides Smart IT and MEDvidi.