The mobile software development industry is unremittingly changing day by day. A wide range of factors to include technology advancements and consumer demands have a significant influence on mobile app trends.
In today’s world, mobile apps are profoundly changing business models, operating models, and marketplaces, at an astounding speed. The mobile app market revenue is anticipated to cross $700 billion mark by the end of 2021. However, the popular apps that outshined others in the past might not have the same aptitude to work successfully in 2021. To ensure success, apart from implementing the appropriate mobile app development approach, it would be imperative to integrate the hottest mobile app development trends in the strategy. Being up-to-date with the latest trends is unarguably the most imperative attribute of success in this domain.
Let’s analyze some of the top mobile app trends that are predicted to rule the industry in 2021.
Wearable’s –
Considering the increasing interest in healthcare and fitness, the development of wearable smart devices has been a hot trend. In light of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, smart watches and other wearable’s have proven their utility in tracking health parameters and supporting the diagnostic process. It is supported by the fact that several watch and mobile device manufacturers have now included smart watches in their portfolio.
Smart glasses, for example, Google Glass, Vuzix, is another example of a popular wearable device and has shown their versatility in a number of areas. Several other ways to use the capabilities of wearable devices with mobile applications are being continually discovered.
M-commerce –
M-commerce implies purchasing and selling products and services by means of mobile devices. Formerly, it ensued chiefly through mobile web pages; however, nowadays it is becoming increasingly popular to shop in applications. Furthermore, more than 80% of people prefer native applications over mobile websites.
Motion and Location Sensing –
Nowadays the majority of mobile phones are equipped with location sensor capabilities that utilize various positioning methods to provide different details of location data. With the knowledge of an individual’s location to within a few meters, it is possible to provide relevant contextual information and services. While motion-sensing apps are vital in security, anti-theft, power-saving and games, location-sensing apps are useful in Geotagging, navigation, and fitness apps.
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)/Application Performance Management (APM) –
EMM refers to the management and security of mobile devices utilized by employees within an organization rather than merely providing them with remote access (for example with VPN). The chief aim of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) is to increase productivity. EMM comprises MAM (Mobile Application Management), MDM (Mobile Device Management), MCM (Mobile Content Management), and MIM (Mobile Identity Management).
All the above-mentioned processes are multi-purpose. In addition to safeguard against data breaches and unauthorized access, the aim is to make sure everyone has access to required applications, keep all devices up-to-date and coordinate back-ups and synchronization with cloud storages.
When a number of employees use remote access points, the infrastructure struggles to serve all users. Thereby, in order to ensure everything runs smoothly, you also need APM (Application Performance Management). Performance monitoring and management allow expedient and stress-free work.
It would be an interesting and advantageous niche to build better business solutions for EMM and APM.
Internet of Things (IoT) and Connectivity –
The IoT is a modernistic catchphrase and old technology. Originally, the idea of connected devices that exchange information to liaise effectively was perceived in production and heavy machinery but it was not until recently the technology was launched into the consumer market with smart home devices, smart watches, smart fridges, etc. The IoT market is predicted to cross $1,300 billion by 2026.
Linking the Internet of Things with smartphones has made it possible to provide users with advanced tools to control their machinery. One such real-world solution can be seen in agriculture where the systems of machines like tractors and combine harvesters are being controlled through smartphone apps.
Smartphones and apps are presently the intelligent cores of smart devices and will continue to be in the not too distant future. Moreover, the continuous launching of multitude of new IoT devices into the mobile world will push the cross-platform mobile development archetype on many software development organizations.
Human Augmentation –
Human augmentation refers to a set of technologies that are utilized to improve, replace, or supplement the natural capabilities of people. Human 2.0 technologies subsist in the form of implants placed into the body, such as implants to restore/aid sight or hearing as well as external devices and tools for example exoskeletons to enhance natural capabilities. Innovative technologies and use cases are making headway to significantly improving human lives, and the technology that we’ve seen in the form of things like Google Glass is just the start.
Continuous Integration and Deployment –
This procedure is designed to reduce the sequence of feature delivery, allow bug fixing to be more regular and effective, and allow more pliability and experimentations in software development. Continuous delivery suggests apps go into production for comprehensive testing, whereas continuous deployment updates them automatically. Since the code is adjoined to a shared repository, it is tested hence the delivery is sped up. It allows software development teams to continually improve functionality and deliver products quicker.
Progressive Web Apps –
Upon comparing websites between web apps, the former are effortless to access, whereas the latter can provide wider functionality and better performance due to enfolding platform-specific hardware support. Even in their early stages, progressive web apps are proving to be a worthwhile settlement between easy access and superlative performance. They give users an out-and-out and full-screen experience with reduced data usage and briefer loading time. They append the app-like features to the browser window, thereby indicating a revolution of web development.
Instant App Development –
Instant apps development is said to be one of the newest mobile development trends. For now, the technology can be implemented only on Android devices, but a global raising of it has been predicted in the not too distant future.
It is very common to confuse instant apps with mobile websites. Similar to mobile websites, instant apps are not needed to be installed from Google Play Market. Since they run directly from the internet, instant apps expend virtually no mobile resources or device’s internal storage. Users need to follow the link to the instant app, check if they would like to use it and then start using it without/after downloading.
Low-Code Development –
Formerly, to create any sort of digital solution, large and dedicated teams of software engineers and architects were required that happened to be very expensive and medium-sized businesses were barely able to afford it. However, with the advent of the low-code development trend, it is possible to simplify complicated programming languages and afford access to a coding miracle to more experts. Low-code platforms have the obligatory potential to transform the software arcade, evade a lot of manual work, and offer ingenuous interfaces to help people develop new apps with modest investment of money, time, and specific skillsets.
Rise of Chat bots/Virtual Assistants –
Even though chatbots are still in their nascent stage, they have already gained popularity. With their ability to process the natural language, they are playing an important role in automating several tedious and recurring actions like responding to users’ most common questions, automating the ordering process, etc.
Big Data –
Big data computation has continually been featuring in the top trends and investment prospects. In 2021, a substantial part of the job is going to be performed through the tools that process everything in memory straightaway instead of storing data after every calculation. Especially in terms of social media data, text and document analysis, clickstream media, batch processing frameworks will be in demand. Big data can potentially also be used to assist climatic change research, searching for novel medical cures, and also can be used for more natural language processing and easier data governance.
Conclusion:
The trends outlined above reveal that the conventional way of doing business is continuously challenged by modern mobile technologies. Mobile devices are constantly transforming the ways of carrying out various day-to-day tasks and with better mobile applications and more competent technologies, people are always welcoming the new solutions opportunities.
To be successful and develop the business, one will need to embrace and adopt the change. In order to be one of them, you would need to be on board with an expert and trustworthy website development company.