Mobile apps have changed every possible thing, from being there just for communication purposes to the point where they have become every man’s best companion. Technological advancements, people’s demand, the quest for something more, and other factors you name, has certainly made the mobile app development sector a buzzworthy realm.
This doesn’t leave the business ecosystem unaffected though. It has pushed many businesses to keep up with the latest trend to the point where a mobile app and its technology integration is what decides every outcome, either to be all or nothing.
Listed in this blog are some of the top trends that are evolving in the app industry, which might be the best bet for your business if implemented.
Mobile App Development Trends in 2022
- Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things is definitely not a new concept to the tech industry. But its popularity sums up the mobile penetration across different sectors. As mentioned already, people’s demands and convenience are the fuel for any new innovations.
The automated control of devices, the connection of more devices to the internet (such as smart devices, automobiles, household devices, etc.,) for remote operations, are two perfect reasons to let us know why people love it. The IoT analytics also shows that there will be 26.7% growth between 2022 and 2025, promising us how it is evolving. Smart home technology is a great example that depicts the growth that every mobile app development company is witnessing.
- Foldable devices
The last time we heard about foldable mobile phones was when the flip phones came to the market. It does seem like a century ago, compared to what we have now- the touch screens. But over the last two years, foldable devices have been making their name, again with Hauwei and Samsung’s new models. The smartphones can be compressed or expanded to alter the screen size based on the users’ preferences.
For example, the user can make a call with the device folded or can expand it when they watch a movie. From the developers’ point of view, the app should adjust its display on a fold or unfold basis. Though these devices are just a small part of the overall smartphone market share right now, it has higher chances of becoming a big fad. So, you have to be ready with your app development strategy to make your app compatible with these devices.
- Machine learning (ML) and Artificial intelligence (AI)
One best example to illustrate this exemplary technology is ‘FaceApp’, which gained its fame in a way shorter time. Many apps have already started implementing this technology into their apps to make the user experience more personalized and entertaining. Take for example how people are loving Siri, Google Assistant, and chatbots that combine both AI and ML.
From a business perspective, it has helped in offering valuable data and insights, and from the users’ perspective, personalization has become the new vogue that every user is loving. But this is just a scratch on the surface of what these technologies can offer. There are many features to these technologies that can make apps smarter like text and image classification, speech recognition, sentiment analysis, etc.
To conclude, it will credibly change the app development landscape in 2022 and beyond.
- 5G Technology
The 5G rollout in 2022 will give a major change to the way mobile apps are used and created. Why? Because as the network is changing, there will also be a drastic improvement in the speed, network efficiency, and traffic capacity. When compared with the 4G network, the 5G network will be 100 times faster depending on the mobile network operator.
Therefore, this network will boost the functionality of the mobile apps and without having any negative impact, you can add more new features to the app when you develop one for your business. By 2023, the share of 5G-enabled smartphone shipments is poised to be 69%, according to Statista.
- Wearable Devices
Wearable devices and wearable technology have been evolving these years. Though there is no sudden spike in the market, there is a constant growth in this sector, by 28.4% growth each year. We are already familiar with smartwatches, fitness bands, and trackers. That’s not it, as wearable devices are yet to reach their potential. Changes are still being born every day and trends are not something that we can ever predict.
Some reports state that ear-worn devices are making a huge difference in the market’s growth so far, but Apple’s watchOS update of bringing the Apple App Store to Apple Watch, proves to us that we can look forward to apps being created exclusively for these devices, and people adapting to it.
- M-Commerce
M-commerce is not something that can be ruled out that easily from this list. No matter what year, the eCommerce trend will still be dominating throughout the near future. This space wouldn’t need any requirements or major investments from the businesses’ side like their business size or anything, apart from offering users choice, and that in abundance. Whether you are an individual content creator or a brand, there is a bountiful amount of possibility for you to bank on with this business.
- Mobile Wallets
Security is the topmost concern for everyone while making payments online. But mobile wallets have been ensuring more features than just security, especially apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay are shooting upward. As many smartphone users have slowly started using mobile payments, there are many opportunities for businesses to develop mobile wallets. Though this is not a standard feature you could spot in many apps presently, in the coming years, mobile wallets will become a necessary part of every app and will grow significantly.
- Chatbots
Chatbots have become a perfect way to enhance customer relationship management. As many customers are wanting custom service that can be done by themselves, the chatbot integration has increased over the years. Since users appreciate quick responses and precise answers, this is a perfect business opportunity to integrate a chatbot into your mobile app. It is said that 47% of organizations will implement them in the coming years, as more of its features will be powered with AI technology to produce human-like responses.
- Beacon Technology
Beacon technology has witnessed a significant change in its application. What first started off with just retails and restaurants, is now being embraced by various other industries as well. By integrating them into the mobile app, it can be useful to track buyer behavior in a store or for proximity marketing.
For example, if a user has an app of a particular retail store, they will be immediately notified of any sale or special products in that store when they are closer. Or a retailer can also track buyer behavior in stores, by analyzing their time spent on a particular aisle and on a later date, send a sale notification of related products to attract them.
- Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
AR and VR technology doesn’t just end with Pokemon Go. They are one of the latest trends that has the whole tech landscape’s attention and have been implemented for various use cases. There are many top brands like Apple, Google, L’Oreal, etc., that have started rolling out their fair share of ideas with AR. L’Oreal has started using a virtual makeup app and Google Maps have a feature called “Live View”.
On the contrary, VR technology has been enhancing the gaming experience for some years now and will continue to do so, as many gaming apps are enhancing their functionality by allowing gamers to connect it with phones, apps, and wearable devices.
- Instant Apps
Android Instant Apps are offering a better user experience to the users since they allow them to have an instant app experience without installing it. It would be a great marketing strategy to try, as these apps give a taste of what using their app might feel like and hence pull the users towards trying and installing the app. Also, an eCommerce app called Hollar had said that 30% of their entire Android traffic is from the instant app. So, this will be great if you implement the same.
Closing thoughts
Mobile app development is not a monotonous industry. You might not know what tomorrow brings, and to remain competitive, you must bring a new idea to your app. Implementing a feature from two or three years ago will only result in your app lurking at the back of the app stores and in people’s minds. So, have a general understanding of the market’s drifts and sketch an idea that will give you an edge.
