7 trends shaping the future of mobile app development

With more than 1 billion smartphones and 179 billion mobile apps downloaded annually, mobile phone development is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and actively growing sectors. The mobile app market is likely to be dominated by Google apps (Gmail, Maps, Search), social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), and gaming apps (Angry Birds, Temple Run). Giants like Walmart, Bank of America, and Amazon use mobile apps for branding, improving customer engagement, direct marketing, etc. Small and medium businesses are also following the mobile trend. Ultimately, an effective mobile strategy involves more than just a mobile-friendly website. Technological advances drive mobile applications' development, so businesses need to have a vision for the coming years. Here are some trends that will shape the future of mobile app development.

 

| 1. MOBILE DEVICES

 

According to IDC,  shipped 101.9 million mobile devices in 2016, a sharp 29% increase from the 79 million units shipped in 2015. Smart wearable devices, such as the Apple Watch and Microsoft's Hololens, demonstrate an imminent shift in computing and the transition from primary to intelligent wearable devices, opening new opportunities for vendors, app developers, and accessory manufacturers. The smartphone will become the hub of a personal area network consisting of wearable devices such as body health sensors, bright jewelry, smartwatches, projection devices (such as Google Glass), and various sensors embedded in clothing footwear. These devices will interact with mobile apps to provide information in new ways. They will also enable a wide range of products and services in sports, fitness, fashion, hobbies, and health. Thus, mobile devices connected to smartphones will influence the next generation of mobile app development strategies.

| 2. INTERNET OF THINGS AND MOBILE CONNECTED SMART OBJECTS

 

According to Gartner, by 2020, there will be 26 billion connected devices, including several hundred intelligent objects such as LED lights, toys, home appliances, sports equipment, medical devices, controlled outlets, etc. These smart home devices will be part of the Internet of Things and communicate through an app on a smartphone or tablet. Smartphones and tablets will act as remote controls, display and analyze information, interface with social networks to monitor "things" they can tweet or post, pay for subscription services, order replacement supplies and update the firmware of objects. Established companies such as Microsoft, with its Intelligent Systems Service, and enterprise software vendors such as SAP, with its Internet of Things Solutions, also add Internet of Things capabilities to their offerings.

 

Currently, with RiotOS and Thingsquare Mist software technologies and with RFID, WiFi, EnOcean, etc. Communication technologies used for IoT. Google has two projects, Nest and Brillo, that focus specifically on IoT. Nest develops home automation products - smoke detectors, cameras, and thermostats, while Brillo is an IoT operating system that supports WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and other Android stuff. Apple recently launched some "Homekit" products that allow you to control your home devices wirelessly and electronically. The products include lighting dimmers, air monitors, a thermostat, and an entire "smart home hub" that can control through apps and Siri, allowing you to automate your home through voice commands. Similarly, Amazon launched the "Amazon Echo," a voice control device that can answer questions, play music and control smart devices. For a complete list of technologies powering the IoT, visit Postscapes Labs.

 

|3. M-COMMERCE

 

Many analysts believe that mobile shopping's positive trend will continue over the next four years as more and more consumers adapt to mobile commerce. With the growing popularity of Apple Pay and Google Wallet, it will be easier to make purchases using your mobile phone rather than your debit or credit card. To do this, developers will need to create a mobile app that can process transactions without the need for physical debit/credit cards or cash. Combined with wearables that can process payments, m-commerce will take a different form. Beyond data collection and predictive analytics, wearables will also play a vital role in the future of mobile payments and customer loyalty.

 

|4. MOTION AND LOCATION TRACKING

 

Most mobile phones are with location sensors, which use various positioning methods to provide different location data details. Knowing a person's location within a few meters helps provide information and services related to the environment—motion detection applications in security, anti-theft protection, energy conservation, and gaming. Position detection is helpful in geolocation, gaming, car navigation, and fitness applications. Applications that exploit precise indoor location use WiFi, imaging, ultrasound, and geomagnetic beacons. In the long term, technologies such as intelligent lighting will also become important. Accurate indoor location detection, combined with mobile applications, will enable a new generation of highly personalized services and information.

 

|5. INNOVATIVE DESIGN OF THE MOBILE USER EXPERIENCE

 

The effective display of data and content on your mobile user interface is essential for a healthy user experience. Successful mobile app companies such as Houzz, Instagram, Pinterest, and Wunderlist have developed new standards that describe intuitive designs and interactive interfaces. Designers are also creating apps that can handle mobile challenges such as partial user attention and interruption. Applications need to take advantage of technologies that offer new features, such as interactive content layers, circular design patterns, maps, and content manipulation. These features create "augmented reality," allowing users to interact with content in more detail. Advanced consumer applications set high standards for user interface design, and all organizations need to learn new skills and work with new partners to meet the growing expectations of users.

 

| 6. APPLICATION PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT (APM)

 

The diversity of mobile devices and the non-deterministic nature of mobile networks are two factors that cause bottlenecks in application testing. However, mobile device measurement and monitoring tools, known as application performance management (APM), have improved testing and quality assurance. APM provides visibility into application behavior, provides statistics on devices and operating systems adopted, and tracks user behavior to determine which application features. As the enterprise application and infrastructure landscape shift to the cloud, APM tools face increased challenges in delivering real performance benefits to virtual reach systems. Modern enterprises need powerful tools to monitor application resources, correlate that data with meaningful user information, and align performance with business processes.

 

|7. MOBILE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Mobile enterprise management (EMM) is a set of people, processes, and technologies that use mobile computing to improve business performance. The main dimensions of EMM are security, application management, and financial management. These tools will mature, grow and eventually address a wide range of mobile management needs across all major smartphone, tablet, and PC operating systems. EMM thus represents the future evolution and convergence of multiple mobile management, security, and support technologies.

The demand for skills to develop consumer applications is higher than ever, forcing companies to take mobility seriously.  Top app development companies in India follow these trends to adapt their mobile app development strategy.