Mobile applications are now bigger than ever. As the usage and capabilities of mobile technologies grow, new trends rapidly emerge. Although not all of them are here to stay, learning about the most prominent tendencies can go a long way towards helping your application stand out and retain customers.
1. Artificial Intelligence
The use of artificial intelligence in mobile development is one of the older trends on this list. AI has penetrated the market years ago and has only been growing since. The success and durability of this trend lie in its remarkable multifunctionality. Artificial intelligence can help boost the app’s performance, security, personalization, and it can also enable developers to integrate additional features that are only available with the usage of machine learning.
Image and face recognition capabilities that AI provides can boost the app’s security. Text detection and natural language processing improve the functioning of chatbots and personal virtual assistants. Also, the predictive functionality of AI makes it possible to greatly enhance personalization and recommendations.
Virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana demonstrate how useful AI can be in making an app handier and shaping a more human-friendly experience for users. Another stunning example of how AI is changing the mobile market is Google Duplex, an AI-powered application that can make phone calls and schedule appointments with local restaurants, salons, and other businesses.
If you are considering supplementing your business with an AI-driven mobile application, companies like LITSLINK can provide professional development services that will help you stay ahead of the competition on the mobile market in 2020.
2. Wearable Devices
Wearable devices include everything from conventional fitness bands to smartwatches, sleep trackers, and smart rings. These devices have once been moderately separate from the mobile market, only requiring an application to connect to. In 2020, however, wearable devices are woven into our daily routines and into the mobile world much more tightly.
While fitness trackers and other field-specific devices will be less affected by mobile expansion, daily accessories such as watches are likely to receive a mass makeover. Wearables will be produced with connectivity in mind, meaning that manufacturers will make it possible to download applications straight to the device. In this new version of “1000 songs in your pocket,” applications that will be able to run smoothly on various wearable devices will obtain an edge on the market.
The vast majority of apps are currently not integrated with wearables. The main reason for this is the incompatibility of platforms. For instance, every smartwatch uses an operating system that differs from the primary target platforms of mobile applications. An app that runs flawlessly on Android will not be compatible with watchOS by proxy. Likewise, software designed specifically for smartwatches will frequently be unavailable for smartphones, particularly when the devices are of different brands. It all leads to the conclusion that, in the future, developers will need to expand the notion of cross-platform software and develop applications with a greater number of target platforms in mind.
3. 5G Technology
The fifth-generation technology in telecommunications was deployed in 2019, and it has already made an impact on how mobile applications should function. By itself, 5G offers a speed that exceeds that of 4G networks by a hundred times, enhanced data security, and better functionality for the development of augmented reality applications and 3D elements. Although 5G is still young in 2020, the results it continues to demonstrate indicate that the success of this technology will grow, and developers will need to tailor their application to suit 5G services instead of currently employed 4G.
Several companies have already factored the trend into their development decisions. Samsung, Verizon, and LG have announced the deployment of 5G-capable chips in their new phones and other devices. As more and more companies jump on board with the new technology, mobile applications that don’t correspond to the demand will rapidly become outdated. Among all other trends in this article, the support of 5G is going to become the most practically necessary functionality.
4. Beacon Technology
In the context of mobile trends, a beacon is essentially a small radio transmitter that connects to users’ devices via Bluetooth. The primary function of a beacon is to improve user experience and increase the effectiveness of shopping. For a beacon to work, it must be installed in a retail store, healthcare institution, or any other venue that connects to a specific mobile application. When a client walks past the beacon, the corresponding application on their phone responds to the signal sent by the beacon and notifies the user of the sales, new items, and other important information related to the place.
Beacons enable customers to have better experience with mobile apps. In addition to providing updates swiftly, beacons personalize the user experience by tracking what aisles the person spends the most time at and sending offers about similar products when the person is away from the store. Also, point-of-sale proximity payments use beacons to enable wireless payment through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
5. Mobile Wallets
Wireless and card-less payment systems have been on the rise for some time now. Mobile wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay are incredibly popular and convenient, and applications that process payments through them are more likely to attract and retain users. The technology is so handy that the total sum of transactions through mobile wallets is expected to surpass $13.97 billion by 2022.
The primary advantages of mobile wallets include the safety and ease of use. Combined with encryption, AI-powered face detection, and other security features, such wallets are likely to soon become irreplaceable. Mobile app development should take notice of the trend and strive to incorporate mobile wallets into apps that need payment functionality.
Mobile Trends Recap
In 2020 and the following years, the most prominent mobile trends are the support of 5G, compatibility with wearable devices, and the use of artificial intelligence. Although these features are not currently mandatory for apps to function, they will soon become defining in which application thrives and which fails. The use of beacon technology and the integration of mobile wallets are also likely to boost an app’s popularity as they make applications more personalized, modern, and easy to use.