Mobile applications have changed the way we consume the internet. We use the internet to connect and stay informed, work efficiently, even book, and pay online. Cloud-based storage is also a norm now, and so are virtual meetings, distributed teams, remote working, and even distant learning.
This year has been impactful to the mobile app industry as well. Lockdowns due to the pandemic have upended our lives and made mobile apps more in demand. The migration of most human operations and interaction online put a more massive demand on app developers.
Today, apps need to be more robust in handling the influx of users and threats. Both of these have increased during lockdowns or stay-at-home periods. Mobile app developments continue to breakthrough due to all these demands and frontier research of mobile app experts.
Let us see what mobile app trends we will see or experience in greater detail this 2021.
Upcoming Mobile App Development Trends in 2021
1. Buying Software Online is the New Norm
Using mobile apps is not just popular. Buying software online is also the norm. Leaps in technology have pushed mobile app development even further. Some of these innovations are big data, cloud-based solutions, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and the IoT (Internet of Things).
Innovations like AR/VR (augmented reality and virtual reality) and 5G (fifth generation) are also making mobile app experiences better. More cutting-edge technology developments are expected to impact mobile growth throughout and beyond 2021.
2. Beacon technology will take center stage.
Global Business Insights forecasts that the Beacon technology industry is expected to top $25 billion by 2024. This innovation is very useful and is likely to add to the coming years’ marketing environment.
Beacon technology is expected to transform the way consumers communicate with products. It will also make devices more versatile and change how retailers calculate the offline effect of online advertising.
It is a cutting-edge retail marketing tool, as well. More than a million beacons will be installed in retail stores across the U.S. this year. The world over will soon follow as beacon technology gains more traction towards 2021. Today, marketers mainly utilize this technology to push notifications on your phone.
Beacon technology includes software that uses Bluetooth from your mobile device to relay signals between your computer and a company server. The beacon technology is widely used by a broad array of industries to provide customized, location-based messages and services.
Hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott are fast-tracking to provide their visitors with personalized travel guides through beacon technology. Other retail and marketing companies are discovering the potential of this innovation. It can boost customer service and boost engagements and conversions.
2. 5G
5G, or fifth-generation mobile connection, continues to change mobile technology and applications’ track and pace. 5G technology is definitely a frontliner in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But how is this relevant to mobile app development?
5G dramatically improves mobile apps’ speed and connection, with one millisecond in latency, giving you great real-time experience.
The extremely low latency, high bandwidth, and link capacity of 5G push mobile apps’ development even more. It runs alongside technologies like the IoT, AR, and VR, connected driverless, smart cars, mHealth (mobile health), to name a few.
Next-generation apps will significantly benefit from strength and speed to do things that we never thought of before. 5G will also enable more precise geolocation, reduced battery usage, and more.
3. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Integration
Scientific breakthroughs in mobile technology have enabled all modern phones to have built-in apps. Apps continue to drive mobile app development, as there are now thousands upon thousands of downloadable apps on various mobile platforms.
In turn, it empowers mobile app developers to create futuristic mobile phone apps. It includes interactive capabilities such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).
The demand for AR and VR mobile solutions in multiple industries is increasing. It includes healthcare, retail, tourism, and education is growing. Mobile applications that integrate these technologies create a better customer experience that can help businesses increase their profits.
4. Edge computing will outperform the cloud
Edge computing is a growing and important app trend. Edge computing is similar to fog computing. In fog computing, all data is processed in an IoT gateway called fog node within the LAN. On the other hand, edge computing processes data on the device or sensor without being transferred anywhere.
The need for optimal data analysis is more critical than ever before. Rather than transferring all data to the cloud for IoT application retrieval, developers can send it to a local device. It makes data transmission faster. Smartphones and similar edge devices are samples of local devices.
For instance, a smartphone as an edge computing device can hold Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. It can also be used with smart appliances, home security, wearables, or even a smart car.
Cloud computing is still beneficial. With technologies such as edge, fog, and cloud computing working together, data transmission can be quicker and more accurate. The volume of data that must be accessed repeatedly and instantly can take advantage of edge computing.
Mobile apps can be used for edge computing. It means data that is for archiving and not necessarily needed all the time can go to the cloud.
5. Progressive Web Apps and “Instant” Apps
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) are native, hybrid applications supported by Android. Over a decade, app trends in iOS show the first signs of support for PWAs in iOS 13. Steve Jobs coined PWAs as “home screen web apps,” although Apple’s version has limited function.
PWAs merge the best of applications and web sites. It also takes less time to create PWAs than typical apps. By enabling pages that can be saved on the mobile phone’s home screen, PWAs have increased the usefulness of apps.
A PWA eliminates the issue of an app losing 20% of potential users. This loss usually takes place in the process between a user’s first experience with an app and using the app. With PWAs, users can start using apps right away from the moment they see it, without requiring an app download.
PWAs plays a significant part in mobile app development between now until next year, 2021. Edge computing further helps in removing the need to download an app to use an app.
Soon, mobile applications will become standard. Mobile app development will transition to on-demand digital platforms similar to SaaS services (Software as a Service).
6. Wearables
The wearable industry is increasing enormously as the demand for wearables grows. According to Statista, more than 1.1 billion wearables will be connected in 2022.
The integration of wearable technology to mobile app development will also increase.
This trend will improve consumer experiences and, at the same time, give mobile app developers a commercial edge.
7. The Demand for Mobile Wallets Will Continue to Increase
The number of mobile wallet users rose in 2020. Countries preferring online payment methods are increasing. The preservation of human touch and strict social distancing sanctions due to the pandemic is driving this preference.
A mobile wallet is an app that incorporates and stores multiple payment options. These options include credit/debit cards, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies. You can also include unique payment options like discount codes, store credit, and gift cards.
The mobile wallet platform is now being utilized by different companies to enhance consumer and market satisfaction. The two commonly used mobile wallets and payment gateways are Google Pay and Apple Pay. The goal should be to increase precision and protection in 2021.
The threats, though, are also increasing. Hackers revel in the abundance of unsecured users conducting mobile wallet transactions with their devices vulnerable to malware attacks.
If you are doing online transactions, you need to be buying software online. Bitdefender Total Security is an example of online software you can download for your mobile devices. It comes with everything you need for cyber protection, including its own VPN solution, BitDefender Premium VPN.
Mobile transactions are only beneficial when you are protected. A device with no security features is prone to fraud and theft and puts you at risk.
8. Mobile gaming libraries will displace standalone games.
Online gaming libraries with loads of titles in one place is becoming the preferred go-to of mobile gamers. Gamers are veering off from standalone mobile games that dominated in the past. Mobile technology advancements boost mobile apps’ hosting capacity that paves the way for this mobile app development in gaming.
Mobile game engines and development platforms made a bang this year despite the global crisis. The more that the mobile game industry developers, the more app user engagements will grow.
Mobile app development will not only make mobile phones more potent because of productivity tools. It can also heighten the entertainment and gaming capacities of mobile phones. Indeed, mobile app gaming development is a lucrative business that will continue to expand.
Conclusion: Mobile App Development is Rising
Desktops are not growing obsolete, but we live in a time when mobile devices will continue to dominate the digital space. More than 67% of the world’s population uses mobile phones. Mobile phone traffic also exceeds desktops and laptops, tablets, and other devices.
Mobile centered user experiences will dominate digital technology even further from now until next year. Mobile app developers need to keep their edge when it comes to mobile apps. Mobile apps can be at the frontlines of opportunities sprouting from this emerging industry.