Mobile Apps in the News: 9 Trends Businesses Should Know

Advances in technology and consumer demands are the key drivers of the evolution of mobile app development. Mobile app revenue will surpass $690billion in 2022 and is only going to grow. Despite this success, the untold story is that of a majority of apps that never get traction or generate enough revenue to provide a positive return on investment. Such apps often fail to adapt to evolutions in technology and consumer preferences while competitors do.

As a business, here are some key trends in the mobile app development space in 2022 and how they will shape the industry.

1. 5G Technology

The number of 5G-capable devices in use is growing fast. In 2019, there were just about 3.7 million 5G devices worldwide. According to Statista, the number has since grown to over 200 million and is predicted to hit 1 billion in 2023. While developing your mobile app today, it’s important to remain alive to this trend and build features that leverage greater connectivity speeds. 5G is up to 100 times faster than 4G speeds. Developers will add features without affecting performance due to latency. In order to remain relevant, businesses will have to add greater functionality to invest more into research and development because competitors certainly will.

2. Foldable Devices

Foldable devices no longer seem like a fad by mobile phone manufacturers. The release of foldable phones by more companies such as Huawei, Motorola, and Samsung shows that there is a market for such devices. Statista estimates that around 50 million foldable phones will be shipped in 2022 worldwide. The devices allow users to expand or compress screen size according to their own preferences. Mobile app developers must now take this market into consideration so that their apps work in either mode on foldable devices. Fortunately, apps in the market can fix this through an update.

3. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Apps are leveraging AR and VR technology to offer more immersive experiences for customers on their apps. IKEA has famously been using AR to let customers visualize how a piece of furniture would look in their house. Live maps are a feature on Google Maps that allows users to see directions in real-time. LIDAR technology on Apple devices uses augmented reality technology to let users take high-quality images in low light conditions.  Asos, a British online fashion company, launched an AR-powered feature called ‘See my Fit’ in 2020. The feature allows shoppers to see how clothes look on models with different body types and sizes. The technology resulted in a 24% jump in revenue within 18 months after the launch.

The first movers have shown that users will embrace technology if it brings more convenience to their lives. Globally, the AR and VR market is worth more than $200 billion. The number of people who’ve interacted with augmented reality has hit 100 million. Going by trend data from Statista, the number will only continue to grow.

4. Developing for Wearable Devices

The number of wearable devices in active use is over 900 million in 2022. Apple WatchOS has been a major factor in the growth of this market because it delivers a native experience for its apps. Developers that want to generate revenue in this space must build apps for wearable devices to ensure the app experience is smooth as users toggle between the wearable and the smartphone. Developing app versions for wearable devices could be a competitive edge when competitors have not done so too. Your app is likely to be used more frequently than those by competitors.

5. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

More mobile app developers are taking advantage of advances in AI to build more features into apps. For instance, Google Maps has a feature that suggests less carbon-intensive routes to minimize fuel consumption by cars. Features such as image recognition, face detection, and speech recognition all rely on AI technology. The availability of these technologies mean that app developers can improve their apps significantly over the coming years.

On the backend, app analytics can improve to help developers decide on features to improve upon. AI models can be used to implement predictive maintenance on apps based on user trends. Developers can also rely on natural language processing to classify reviews and app mentions on social media to assess user thoughts on their products.

6. Mobile Wallets and Payments

It feels like online payments have been here for a while. However, the market is still young and growing.  Whereas PayPal has been around for over a decade, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay are expanding.  Mobile wallets allow mobile phone users to make in-app payments safely and on the go. Mobile app developers can boost app revenue by making it easier for users to make purchases even from wearable devices. The wallets will account for $13 billion worth of payments in 2022. Any business seeking to grow app revenue must introduce mobile wallet payment functionality.

7. Mobile App Security

As the volume of in-app transactions grows and more personal data is stored online, app security becomes more important. Malware attacks are on the rise to target mobile device vulnerabilities. Mobile app developers, therefore, need to implement security precautions that are up to date. One such method is allowing users to sign into apps using their Apple ID, Samsung ID or Google Account. In many cases, these sign-on options have 2 step authentications to add a security layer. Still, mobile app developers must keep testing for susceptibility and implementing correct fixes.

8. Super Apps

There is a new trend where apps are seeking to be a one-stop portal to solve several problems for users. Take Facebook, for instance. Besides being a social website, it is evolving to become a marketplace where people can create catalogs for their business. To add importance to an app, developers should think about how an app that’s already working well can become even more useful. For instance, a mobile wallet could become a place to pay all your bills. Whereas super apps are popular in China particularly, the trend is just starting in the west.

9. IoT Integration in Mobile Apps

The Internet of Things consists of a network of internet-enabled devices that are communicating with one another. Smart home technology is perhaps the most common and easiest way to understand how IoT technology is useful. From a mobile phone app, one can control their Air Conditioning system, switch on alarms and control the lighting in their house. But IoT technology is applied in far more sophisticated and high-value situations. For instance, an oil pipeline company can use IoT devices to monitor hundreds of miles of its infrastructure for peculiarities. Manufacturing companies can use IoT devices to inform their predictive maintenance operations.

As the IoT market grows, there is an opportunity for mobile app developers to spot opportunities for IoT to add utility to their apps. For instance, IoT can help a real estate management company to use IoT to monitor infrastructure such as HVAC in its property. Hotels can build apps that allow guests better control of their rooms.

Finding the Right Development Partner

Every business that has an app or is intending to build one must identify trends that will affect its industry. It can also find a trend it could pioneer in its industry and perhaps use it to build a competitive edge. Survival in a dynamic business environment such as the mobile app landscape requires constant adapting and evolution.

To work with a reputable mobile app development company, reach out to NS804. We help start-ups, entrepreneurs, and businesses build mobile apps using the right technology and in step with the latest developments in their niche. Schedule a call with us today.