Mobile applications have become an integral part of our lives for a very long time. We use them for shopping, payments, entertainment, and communication – for almost every area of our existence. From social networking to e-commerce and productivity, state-of-the-art app development has changed the way we interact with technology.
As a business owner, it’s imperative to stay on top of the latest mobile app trends to ensure that your product meets the needs and expectations of your users. This is just a must for everyone who plans to develop their business in the future and remain competitive.
In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of following innovations in mobile application development and how they can become one of the cornerstones of your business’s success. We’ll also explore the latest trends businesses should look out for and how they can use them to their advantage.
Apps Are Getting Smarter
One of the main mobile app development trends is that applications are getting smarter, and this applies to every industry. The use of tech innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has revolutionized business development, creating the foundation for process automation and a more personalized and efficient user experience.
Now app developers use these technologies to train the software on user behavior, preferences, and habits. This allows the development team to configure the product features in the most accurate accordance with the target audience’s needs and to provide more relevant and adapted content. There is no doubt that this is a critical moment for business: to give customers exactly the value they need and expect.
In addition to this, smart mobile apps can also help companies collect valuable information about their customers, such as their purchasing behavior, location, and demographics. Together with advanced BI tools, it allows companies to use the most accurate predictive analysis and risk management, as well as optimize their marketing and sales strategies for better targeting of campaigns and increased profits.
Therefore, smart app development is a really important trend, and it is definitely worth paying attention to. It provides businesses with unique opportunities to optimize internal processes and use data in the most efficient way. This is a great competitive advantage and an absolute must for every enterprise or startup.
Specially Designed Apps for Foldable Devices
Mobile Internet has become affordable and fast enough to perform tasks on a smartphone, so many people use mobile applications not only for personal but also for work purposes. The global foldable phone market in 2021 exceeded $6.8 billion, and according to experts, it may reach the mark of $64.35 billion by 2031.
Apps built specifically for foldable devices are about interactive experiences and full accessibility. It’s also a responsive design that makes applications look and function equally well on different gadgets, including folded and unfolded screens of a complex devices. This approach ensures the continuity of user interaction, optimization, and intuitiveness.
Also, app development for foldable devices ensures the continuity of programs. The application must save the text entered in the fields, quickly restore the state of the keyboard, resume the playback of media files from the point where it was stopped on another device, etc. In other words, the app should automatically adjust its layout and content when the device is folded or unfolded or take advantage of two separate displays when the device is open.
Foldable devices offer users a larger display area than traditional smartphones without compromising portability. In most cases, they are used for games, video viewing, and multitasking workflows. That is why one of the key features of such applications is multitasking with a split screen and variable window size. In addition, such app development requires a unique approach to navigation and user interface creation.
This is one of the most important and exciting mobile app development trends that can offer users a more immersive and engaging experience. As foldable devices become more common in the market, the number of applications for them, designed with their unique functions and capabilities in mind, will only increase.
M-Commerce Is Becoming A New Standard
Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is the field of electronic trading of goods and services using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. With the increasing mobile internet use, this has become one of the most relevant mobile app trends in the e-commerce industry.
Due to the rapid development of mobile payment systems and mobile-friendly websites and applications, m-commerce has become more complex but essential. It allowed sellers to find convenient and unobtrusive tools for communicating with potential buyers in a way that is more convenient for them. The development of such mobile apps can be a new and effective method of reaching and attracting customers.
Another advantage of m-commerce is the ability to contact clients at any time and from any place. This is especially important for businesses whose sales success depends on timely promotions. By offering mobile-friendly web apps or mobile-first apps, businesses can make it easier for customers to browse and buy products anywhere, anytime.
In addition, m-commerce applications help collect valuable data about customer behavior and preferences. By tracking user activity on mobile devices, companies can gain insight into how customers interact with their products and services. In the future, this data can be used to improve customer service, optimize marketing strategies and provide efficient risk management.
M-commerce also increases customer engagement and loyalty, their satisfaction, and encourages repeat purchases. This is possible thanks to personalized recommendations, special offers, and other features that help build better and stronger relationships with customers.
In other words, mobile app development for m-commerce is becoming the new standard for companies that want to stay competitive in today’s digital marketplace.
Mobile Apps Take Advantage of Cloud Computing Solutions
One of the most prominent mobile app trends is integrating cloud computing solutions. Thanks to them, mobile apps can leverage the power of the cloud to offer their users better functionality, scalability, and security. Let’s take a look at a few key examples of how cloud-based solutions can be used for applications and software development.
- Cloud storage solutions (Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft Azure, etc.). They help store and manage large amounts of data securely and efficiently, which is critical in today’s digital world, where information is everything.
- Cloud databases (Firebase Realtime Database, Google Cloud SQL, Amazon DynamoDB, etc.). They are simply necessary to manage and process data, work with product functionality, scale applications, and ensure security in app development.
- Cloud APIs (Amazon API Gateway, Google Cloud Endpoints, Microsoft Azure API Management, etc.). In app development, they are needed to integrate with other cloud services and server systems to expand functionality or create a single platform for data exchange.
- Cloud analytical solutions (Google Analytics, Amazon Pinpoint, Microsoft Application Insights, etc.). Help mobile apps collect and analyze data to improve user experience, optimize marketing efforts, and conduct effective risk management. They also help connect business intelligence solutions for better business management and improved decision-making.
The cloud environment is also used to deploy complex mobile application infrastructure. It helps create products that are faster, more scalable, and more secure. On the other hand, integration with other services and platforms helps provide new value for users. This is especially relevant in creating investment management solutions or healthcare products.
Banking Is Going Mobile-First
With the growing popularity of mobile applications, many industries are shifting their focus to mobile-first strategies rather than web apps, and the banking sector is no exception. Modern financial institutions realize the importance of providing mobile banking services to their customers who want access to essential functions immediately and anywhere. As a result, mobile-first app development has become a key trend in the fintech industry.
So, mobile banking applications allow customers to perform a wide range of financial transactions on their smartphones and offer a more convenient and accessible way to manage their assets. They also help banks reduce operational costs by encouraging self-service.
Here are just a few examples of features that app developers commonly include in mobile banking apps, significantly improving the user experience:
- Account management: account balances, transaction history, account details, etc.
- Paying bills and invoices, transferring funds, setting up recurring payments, etc.
- Depositing checks using a photo from a mobile device.
- Real-time monitoring and notifications of account activity, such as balance updates and transaction confirmations.
In general, a mobile approach is becoming increasingly crucial for all financial institutions, but it is especially important for banks, as they need to be as convenient as possible for customers in order to remain competitive. And mobile-first software development allows you to provide a perfect and personalized experience for customers. Not to mention that the field of online banking has examples of digital financial institutions with no web applications at all – only mobile ones.
Touchless UI
The touchless interface is one of the mobile app development trends that gained popularity after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was relevant even before that. Such solutions allow users to interact with mobile applications without touching the screens, thus reducing the risk of transmission of viruses and other germs, as well as increasing accessibility and inclusivity.
Among the key features of the contactless user interface, it is worth paying attention to the following:
- Voice commands. Voice recognition technologies are used to create authorization and identification systems. They also allow users to call, send messages, and set reminders without touching their phones.
- Gesture control. Some touchless user interfaces allow users to perform tasks by making hand gestures in front of their phones. This is a great technology that will continue to evolve and will definitely be part of the devices of the future.
- Eye tracking. It detects where the user is looking on their phone screen and reacts accordingly. Such technology significantly improves the inclusiveness of products and is very important for app development, especially when it comes to creating applications for users with disabilities.
- Proximity sensors. They detect when the user’s hand is near the phone and adjust the display accordingly. A touchless interface, in this case, can change icons or text when the user’s hand approaches the screen.
So, as you can see, a touchless interface provides many advantages in software development. This is not just about hygiene but also about improving special features, program accessibility, convenience, etc. That’s why it’s one of the most promising mobile app development trends mobile that will probably become more common as technology advances.
Artificial Intelligence Is Real Now
Artificial intelligence is an incredibly popular direction in mobile app development, and its fast-expanding capabilities are crucial in various fields. Developers use artificial intelligence to improve user interaction, expand the functionality of applications, provide advanced security, etc. It also helps make the app more intelligent and personalized.
AI is one of the most important application development investment trends because it is an indispensable part of Industry 4.0 and the concept of the decentralized Internet. It is already actively used in logistics, fintech, healthcare, etc. Here are just a few ways to adopt artificial intelligence in software development:
- Personalized recommendations. AI tools are used in software development to quickly and efficiently analyze user data and provide customized recommendations. This is especially useful in e-commerce applications, sales, and anywhere users can get added value through personalized proposals based on their interests and preferences.
- Voice and image recognition. This technology is integrated into mobile applications to provide hands-free functionality and to create advanced security systems.
- Predictive analytics. One of the main perks of artificial intelligence which allows the analysis of user behavior and product usage patterns. It helps the development team make data-driven decisions about app features and identify potential problems before they occur. In addition, it allows you to improve the user experience, create a reliable fraud detection system, etc.
- Chatbots and virtual assistants. This is simply a necessary feature in today’s world, where everyone is talking about ChatGPT. It allows companies to provide instant support and assistance to users, answer common user questions, give valuable recommendations, and even help with transactions.
Therefore, using artificial intelligence in app development allows you to create intelligent and personalized applications designed according to user’s specific needs and preferences. And this is a serious competitive advantage for businesses, so this trend will be relevant for a long time.
Wrapping Up
So, mobile applications have not just become an integral part of our everyday life. They have evolved into a tool for managing data and delivering value to customers, so companies can no longer ignore their importance. Staying abreast of the latest mobile app development trends is critical to the success of any business or startup.
Thanks to the use of technologies such as AI and ML, mobile products are becoming smarter, enabling the automation of processes and providing more personalized and efficient functionality. Developing apps for foldable devices offer users a more immersive and engaging experience. These technologies provide application continuity and require a unique approach to navigation and user interface design.
Also worth looking at are mobile commerce products, which are becoming increasingly complex but much more important every year, offering businesses an effective method to reach and engage customers, collect valuable data, and build stronger relationships with the target audience. Finally, the integration of cloud computing solutions can offer mobile programs better functionality, scalability, and enhanced security.
So, by keeping abreast of the latest trends in mobile app development, businesses can gain a competitive edge and succeed in today’s digital marketplace. Mobile-first banking, products based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, a unique approach to design and touchless interfaces, the development of e-commerce, and the limitless possibilities of cloud computing – all these are worth attention and are unconditional trends.