App Development Trends 2021
There have been many exciting app development trends emerging over recent months. Advancements in technology are allowing developers to do more and more interesting things with mobile apps. The best developers always keep their ear to the ground in order to gain an edge over the competition and deliver the greatest app experiences they possibly can.
Mobile apps have a long history of driving revenue, boosting brand engagement and ensuring companies can not only survive but flourish.
How apps improve lives
People are spending much less time in their mobile browsers and sourcing the information, entertainment and support that they require via mobile apps. There are many reasons why apps have grown in popularity over recent years. These include the way that they load faster than websites, how they offer both online and offline usage, the way they allow us to gain more value from our device’s features, push notifications and how they bring us closer to the brands that we love.
Let’s take a look at some of the current most talked-about app development trends right now.
5G apps
As you would expect, 5G is playing a bigger and bigger role in our lives as we move further into 2021. Experts say there will be 3.5 times more 5G connections than they were last year. 5G can deliver data transfer speeds that are 100 times faster than 4G. The technology is allowing app developers to include additional features in apps without the app itself losing functionality.
The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things has been in the headline for many years. However, it is now gaining more prominence than ever before. In The Internet of Things, a host of devices and appliances are hooked up the internet to make our lives easier. An example of The Internet of Things would be controlling your home heating system with an app. It’s predicted that the Internet of Things industry will be worth $222 billion by the end of the year. It’s also said it will have generated 1.6 trillion in revenue within five years.
Wearable functionality
Wearable tech has become increasingly popular over the years. Highly supportive of fitness-conscious individuals, it has been used to meet fitness targets and track general well-being.
A substantial number of apps have been created for wearable devices, and it’s predicted that thousands upon thousands of apps will be available for these products in 2021.
Rising mobile sales
A huge range of companies are generating sales rises via mobile apps. More and more brands are deciding to use apps to gain an edge over their competitors and compete with the global giants. Many of these brands are looking very closely at what the bigger players are doing in order to avoid being left behind.
It’s said that almost 73% of all eCommerce sales will be completed on mobile devices by the close of the year.
Foldable device apps
Flip phones are on their way back. Last popular well over a decade, they are currently seeing a vast resurgence, and more and more apps are now being created for use on these devices.
Today’s flip phones are used to deliver even more screen capacity and can be made smaller when individuals are simply using their devices to make calls rather than carrying out activities such as watching YouTube clips and movies. It’s said that there will be 50 million units on the market by 2022.
Artificial intelligence in the app market
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used to create and develop apps that add value to people’s lives. Growing numbers of apps are now using image recognition, face detection, speech recognition and data-backed predictions to enhance the user experience and deliver extra personalisation.
AI is being used to make app experiences more personal for users and drive sales more effectively. Few predict AI won’t continue to play a pivotal role in app development this year.
App payments
The mobile wallet has become an increasingly important of day-to-day life recently. With more and more retailers refusing cash payments due to the pandemic, this trend is only set to continue.
It’s thought there will have been almost $14 billion in mobile wallet transactions by 2022, with the market doubling within just two years. Developers everywhere are now integrating wallet payments into apps that support purchases.
Augmented reality apps
Augmented reality-based apps are also on the rise this year. Brands are using AR to show people what homes, hairstyles and cars could look like once they are personalised.
Google’s Live View feature even allows users to point cameras at external locations so the search giant can confirm where they are situated. AR is also being used for workplace training across various industries.
Increased use of chatbots
The chatbot has been a major part of online culture for decades. Today, they are much more advanced than they once were thanks to artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated, leaving individuals with the impression that they could be talking to a real human being.
Growing by around 24% each year, the chatbot market saw approximately a quarter of all customer service interactions being carried out by virtual assistants. Expect to see chatbots carrying out their duties across more and more apps in 2021.
Enhanced security
Security standards are being tightened up across the app industry. There were over 54% more malware attacks year-on-year. Over 60% of fraud is coming from mobile devices, with 80% of them being linked to apps.
Over the coming months, it will become much harder for fraudsters to access apps illegally. More and more users are signing into apps with their Apple IDs, with the activity going untracked and two-factor authentication being required.
Other trends that are set to become more prominent within the app industry include predictive analytics, on-demand mobile apps and cloud computing integration. App developers simply must keep up with the latest trends and make the most of the most exciting technology in order to maintain the demand for their skills.