Are you planning to enter the mobile app industry? Then, it’s an exciting and right time!
Many technologies that were hyped earlier, have finally come into the mix and are used to develop scalable, real and usable products. As a result, businesses are embracing advanced technologies, and we are witnessing many novel ideas in the market. Some of the major innovations hitting the industry are:
Mobile IoT
Internet of Things (IoT) is not a new technology, in our daily life we see wearables to smart speakers IoT devices are around us. For instance, 3.6 billion connected devices were used in 2018. Such growth in numbers always presents opportunities for mobile app developers and entrepreneurs. Several smart devices now get through software and sensors all within a network which facilitates the exchange of data and execute diverse predetermined functions. Businesses across globe are expected to utilize the power of interconnected devices made possible by IoT space.\
Wearables
Wearable have appealed to many people which help them monitor different aspects of their health. They help in monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, calories count and much and is touted to become an indispensable accessory for almost everyone. The most exciting mobile app development trends are in more novel forms of wearable devices. For instance, Seismic introduced Powered clothing, which uses robotic components to support the user’s movements, augmenting the user’s strength and promoting good posture. Others include a smart pacifier which can monitor baby’s body temperature, wearable tech to log sleep cycles and even detect signs of breast cancer. Nowadays people have become more health conscious, aware of their lifestyles, hence there will more demand for wearable devices.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
The practical applications for VR and AR are countless. Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Reality has been used in everything, right from teaching, simulator games, overcoming PTSD, helping electricians handle complicated wiring in aircrafts. However the adoption has been quite gradual, due to technical limitations. In terms of products, it is slowly catching up eg: HTC and Oculus (mobile VR), MR systems in the form of Microsoft Hololens.
In the meanwhile, AI has been growing by leaps and bounds, which has led the way for practical applications of AR and MR. For instance, Google’s AR microscope that helps pathologists to detect tumors. Other organizations like Walmart are using MR technology for training employees right from customer service to compliance. For mobile app developers, this is an interesting arena to explore as companies sink additional development hours into these technologies, VR, AR and MR will play a significant role in how we work, learn and play.
m-Commerce
Mobile is already used widely for browsing, communicating and gaming. Now the trend is shifting more towards online mobile transaction. Mobile will increasingly be the first and often the only, touchpoint retailers will have with a shopper. In this regard, making more personalized, convenient and engaging mobile shopping experience will be a significant mobile app development trend. Small companies are willing to adopt, in an attempt to enhance customer engagement and sales. For mobile app developers, the key to success will be finding what the customers want and help in accelerating this industry.
Beacons
Beacons are potentially useful to many organisations. Beacons are simple, low energy transmitters that send their unique codes to nearby users, enabling mobile app deveopers to trigger events based on their proximity. They allow for location-based targeting, customer behavior monitoring, cross-selling and much more.
Beacons are deployed in retail stores, which helps in improving in-store customer experience. For instance Macy’s utilized beacons to help customers identify the products they need, Target used it as a navigational aid, Sam’s club introduced cashierless store and the recent one being Amazon’s Go Store. Besides, retail and marketing they are useful in home automation, self guided tours etc.
Mobile Wallets
Presently, customers are expecting convenient and safe payment methods from all the apps they use. With a shift in shopping styles across the globe there has been a significant move from cash and card payments to mobile wallets and digital currencies. Now most ecommerce platforms have integrated payment gateways and included mobile wallets such as Paypal, Google Wallet, Amazon Pay etc. They provide highest level of secure encryption which has become mainstream for all such apps. Moreover, the global mobile wallet market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 30% by 2026. Considering the ongoing growth of mobile commerce and consumer preference for m-wallets, people will increasingly adopt this type of payment and we can expect to see more mobile payment apps in future.
Chatbots
Chatbots are capable of delivering self-service and personalized responses to users in real time. With the advancements in AI, businesses and organisations are now integrating chatbots to better user’s interaction. For instance, they were earlier used in messaging apps like Facebook, Slack, Skype but the evolution of AI had made it possible to integrate with mobile native apps. They can improve functionality of mobile apps, increase user engagement to deliver better results.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI and ML has been quite dominant technology and it is expected to continue that way. The advantages include analyzing enormous amounts of organizational data, providing valuable insights to business management. AI and ML can help in building smarter mobile apps that gives users a more personalized experience thus increasing user adoption and retention
So, let’s watch for the developments of these trends and see how they will continue to make a difference within mobile app development in the future!.