Mobile App Development Trends

The release of smartphones between 2007 and 2008 revolutionized how we use devices. Where previously needed to carry a camera, music player, navigation system, and multiple other devices, these smartphones compacted everything into our pocket and made life infinitely easier.

Today, there is an app for almost everything under the sun, from booking getaways to having food delivered to our door.

With so many apps being launched daily, certain trends come and go as developers try to outshine each other in terms of downloads on the app stores.

Alongside this friendly competition, constant advancements in the hardware these apps run on are also changing the way apps are designed and developed. Notably, there are a few trends emerging that appear to be here for the long haul.

Foldable Integration

The concept of folding a smartphone in half was almost laughable just a few years ago. Today, however, Samsung, Motorola, and Huawei have all made this high-tech fantasy a reality.

While the novelty of having a folding screen may spur many to try out the new technology, it causes a unique challenge for app developers. They must ensure that their apps are responsive to a phone that may only be folded halfway open and account for cover screens.

As the foldable revolution continues, with millions of foldables shipping each year, developers need to work tirelessly to ensure that their apps perform as expected on these marvels of modern engineering.

Artificial Intelligence

While artificial intelligence has been around for a number of years, it came to the forefront in 2022 after the release of the popular assistant ChatGPT. Since then, numerous industries have adopted AI to help automate tasks, make client services easier, and even map out business plans and models.

This influx of AI has not been lost on mobile app developers, with several applications now featuring artificial intelligence assistance. While Google Assistant and Siri are the forerunners on smartphones, many apps also feature dedicated AI.

From AI image generators to speech recognition and text classification, app developers hoping to stay ahead of the pack are being forced to see how AI integration can enhance their apps.

Wearables

Another trend in the development of mobile apps over the years is support for wearable devices. As these devices, such as smartwatches, have grown in popularity, apps need to speak to these devices.

To achieve this, app developers must actively consider how their app will engage with wearables and whether to allow full app functionality or limit the experience to just sending notifications to the user.

As wearables become more advanced, these developers must constantly recalculate how to improve or update their apps to take advantage of hardware changes. All this provides convenience to the end user and makes the apps even more worthwhile to download.

IoT (Internet of Things)

While many believe that IoT (Internet of Things) devices are a modern innovation, the first such object happened to be a toaster that could be controlled over a network way back in 1990.

Since then, IoT has developed into a significant industry, with thousands of objects being IoT enabled so that users can conveniently control them over the internet, regardless of where they are.

Apps that support IoT are massively popular and help people automate their daily lives. In fact, the industry is so large that it is expected to be worth a staggering $318 billion by the end of 2023.

5G

Out of all mobile spectrums launched over the years, 5G has had the rockiest start. With allegations that it causes cancer and theories that it helped spread COVID-19, the uptake of the technology by many countries was delayed far longer than it should have been.

Thankfully, the mass rollout of the technology is now being used to afford populations easy access to incredible speeds and greater reliability in their mobile networks. However, this accessibility means compatibility must be developed for all apps and devices.

Because of the massive speed increase the network allows, app developers need to ensure their applications can handle the extra speeds without any lag or delay. This means developing ‘thinner’ app clients that use fewer resources but offer the same incredible features.

Fintech

Thousands of years ago, transactions were made using rudimentary currency or bartering. After that came cash, which changed commerce forever. Eventually, banking and modern bank cards arrived, changing how business was done again.

More recently, the launch of digital fintech products, mobile wallets, and wireless payments has yet again thrown the way we transact into a new sphere. NFC compatibility has accelerated this, with people now simply able to tap their device or wearable to make payments.

With the rapid growth of fintech (financial technology) services, app developers need to stay on top of the latest innovations to stay relevant. Doing so keeps their apps at the forefront of fintech movements but also grants incredible ease to the masses as they transact.

Security

Security is one of the most repeated concerns about the digital lifestyle and modern devices. This isn’t unfounded, considering the massive data leaks that have occurred over the last decade.

While many device manufacturers already strongly consider security when developing their devices, app developers cannot rely on these protocols to keep their software or their users secure—especially apps that allow financial transactions via banking, e-commerce, or the many casinos available on mobile devices.

Because of this, the built-in security within the source code of applications is constantly evolving. This is done to minimize potentially disastrous client data leaks and to put end users at ease about using these apps without fear of their sensitive information being stolen.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.