The smartphone industry has radically changed business models, operating models, and marketplaces in the modern world, especially during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The outrage has bolstered the app development sector remarkably, causing it to flourish at a breakneck pace.
The market for creating mobile applications is now constantly changing. Mobile app trends are directly influenced by customer desires, technological developments, and a wide range of other variables.
These days, the smartphone is the core of digital media success. And now the mobile app market revenue is predicted to reach $693 billion by 2022.
With new innovative evolutions, it has also become important to follow the latest mobile app trends to stay ahead of the competition. Thus, in this article, we have highlighted some amazing trends that are emerging in 2022 and are expected to boom in 2023 and beyond.
What are the New Trends in Mobile Application Development
Several mobile app development trends are emerging this year; however, these are the top eleven that we picked after in-depth, fact-based research.
1. The Rise of 5G
Although 5G is now among the current trends in app development, its widespread use is yet anticipated. By 2025, 5G connections are expected to grow in the rest of the world. See how the use of 5G technology will increase globally in the chart below.
5G, a Fifth-Generation wireless cellular network, is the latest radio technology, aiming to strengthen mobile connectivity and enhance the smartphone users experience. While some people consider it a modified version of 4G, it is not true! The 5G technology offers:
- High-speed performance (100 times faster than 4G)
- Enhanced connection for up to a million devices
- Low latency that enables data delivery in only a millisecond
- New opportunities for building more complicated and realistic AR/VR apps, and streaming quality 4K-8K and 360 movies
- Supporting high-resolution live streaming at a quicker rate will result in smoother video streaming.
- Due to quick biometric data processing, mobile payments are secure.
As you can see, 5G creates new possibilities for creating mobile apps that are more reliable, efficient, and secure than they were previously. So, it truly comes as no surprise that one of the most well-liked mobile app trends is complying with the 5G standard.
2. Internet of Things (IoT) App Integration
IoT is a new trend, rising in mobile penetration across a wide range of categories and sectors, this has created endless chances for the Internet of Things. IoT is one of the mobile app development trends that refers to the expanding network of gadgets that are linked to the Internet and offer users convenience and automated control.
Mobile apps can be used to connect to home security systems, lock or open a front door, and change a home’s thermostat from a distance. Mobile apps can also be connected to refrigerators and other home appliances.
In 2022, it is anticipated that the market for the Internet of Things would grow to $264 billion. Of that estimated total, $190 billion will come from software like mobile apps.
3. Apps For Foldable Devices
Things are expected to evolve more in the coming years, even though the market share for foldable smartphones is still in its infancy. 50 million units will be shipped in 2022, according to Statista.
It’s time to incorporate foldable phones devices into your strategy for developing mobile apps. One of the difficult mobile app development trends for 2022 is foldable devices, so make sure your apps work flawlessly on them.
Users may benefit from the gadget being folded to provide a larger screen in the following ways:
- A bigger screen provides more room for a rich, immersive experience.
- A user can handle several tasks at once with multi-windows.
The best way for video streaming and gaming apps to take advantage of foldable devices is to simply increase the size of their screens, or alternatively, use the extra room to provide more information and controls. Thus, one of the main mobile app trends in 2022 will be to create apps with the screen in mind.
4. Wearable App Integration
Wearable apps are undoubtedly ruling in 2022. This year we have seen many crucial things happening in the wearable devices industry, such as Apple has announced its WatchOS 8 update this year and Google has announced a unified wearables platform that combines its wear operating system with Samsung’s Tizen software platform – enhancing app startup times by 30%.
In other words, businesses and app developers should prepare ready with apps that offer consumers on Smartwatches and wearables an outstanding digital experience, giving them a clear advantage over those that do not.
Take advantage of this trend in mobile app development to reach out to your target audience and provide them with a flawless online experience.
5. AR & VR App
Although the triumph of Pokemon Go may have been temporary, it flagged the way for AR (Augmented Reality) in the mobile app development industry. It presented the world that we can use VR to enable an immersive experience for potential users.
Nowadays, when we look around, we can find several cases in which brands use AR & VR to enhance the user experience, such as:
- L’Oreal offers a virtual makeup app, enabling users to see how the makeup can look on their faces.
- Ikea uses AR to allow users to see how furniture will look in their home before making a purchase.
- Even Google, Apple, and Meta are developing AR & VR technology trends. Google Maps now has a feature known as “Live View” that allows users to see the direction in real-time on actual imagery.
This year, we’ll witness a rise in the usage of AR and VR. It means you have a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of these trends in mobile apps to give users of mobile devices experiences that will change the game.
6. Mobile Commerce
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the paradigm of e-commerce business. From large-scale retailers to small businesses, now everyone has started depending on mobile apps. This change has given rise to mobile commerce and now most apps of the future are heading towards e-commerce increasingly.
Therefore, it has become important for e-commerce businesses to adapt to this new trend the app industry is following. They can only survive by doing this in the fierce competition.
But having an app for your company shouldn’t only be because mobile commerce is trendy. There are other several benefits of having a mobile e-commerce app, to enjoy those benefits, it is important to choose a top-notch company for leading app development services.
7. Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning
Mobile app development was impacted by artificial intelligence and machine learning years ago. But the potential applications for these cutting-edge technologies are still barely scratched.
Virtual assistants like Alexa or Siri come to mind when we first consider AI. Furthermore, Apple has been a game player in ML and AI and also announced Core ML 3 last year. The most recent iteration of the iOS machine learning framework was created to aid developers in incorporating AI into their applications.
Some examples of AI features that can be implemented into a mobile app are:
- Face detection
- Image recognition
- Predictive maintenance
- Sentiment recognition and classification
- Text and image classification
- Speech recognition
For the past few years running, AI and ML have consistently been among the top trends in mobile app development. AI and ML can make apps of the future smarter and eventually enhance their performance at every level.
In 2022, this trend is expected to alter every aspect of app development, from the backend end to the user interface.
8. Voice Technology
Voice technology has radically revolutionized the globe, so it’s not a surprise that it will soon be one of the most common mobile app trends. According to Statista, the size of the worldwide voice recognition industry would increase from $10.7 billion in 2020 to $27.16 billion in 2026. So, what exactly is voice technology, and why is it so alluring?
The term “voice recognition” describes a device’s capacity to hear and understand spoken commands. Simply, speech recognition technology allows users to control devices and conduct online searches using voice commands.
Voice technology is already being used by banking and finance companies in their smartphone apps today. Mobile personal voice assistants can now be used to send payments.
The Garanti Bank’s voice-activated mobile banking is a striking example. Garanti developed a virtual assistant that lets users conduct voice-based banking operations. Users can transfer money and make purchases by only saying the name of a business or individual.
Voice technology is also advantageous for the retail sector. An online retailer named Carrefour has partnered with Google Assistant to offer voice-activated grocery purchasing.
Customers of Carrefour can add things to their shopping list by simply speaking the necessary items into a Google assistant connected to their account (milk, bread, spaghetti). Following that, the list is transformed into a cart of goods, and clients confirm their purchases and provide payment information. The process of paying and checking out is voice-based as well.
9. P2P Mobile Apps
Peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo allow the speedy and secure transaction of money between individuals and are primarily growing in popularity due to their practicality. Users can pay instantly, and merchants can have the money in their accounts right away. Tidy and simple!
This technology is being implemented as a built-in payment feature in other mobile app categories, like social media apps or mobile wallets for cryptocurrencies, in addition to solutions based on built-in mobile OS systems like Apple Pay or Android Pay. Considering that P2P mobile payments are likely to be popular for some time, 2022 looks like a good time to bring one into reality.
10. Superior App Security
The last year saw mobile malware attacks in practically every enterprise worldwide, according to Check Point Software’s Mobile Security Report 2021. So,
- In 2020, 97% of businesses dealt with mobile threats that utilized a variety of attack vectors.
- At least one employee of 46% of businesses downloaded a harmful mobile app.
- At least 40% of mobile devices worldwide are innately susceptible to assaults.
Because of the rise in cyberattacks each year, cybersecurity is a top concern for many people. There are several strategies to offer the maximum level of app security, which is a blessing!
Here are a few examples:
- Fingerprint, face integration, voice recognition, or a password for a single user with two-factor authentication.
- Data encryption to turn sensitive information into code that stops fraud.
- Tokenization refers to the process of replacing sensitive data with a line of random symbols.
- With restricted access, only authorized employees can access the data of the clients.
- Dependable data backup to avoid information loss during some data activities
The users can rapidly depart if they have even one security incident, using a mobile phones app. Consequently, take trustworthy precautions instead of putting your reputation and users’ sensitive information at risk. Make sure your team has extensive expertise in developing dependable solutions and provides the best app development frameworks before beginning the creation of mobile apps.
11. Super Apps
Mobile app development trends businesses have been following this strategy for years: one app, one goal. But today, the strategy is altering. Businesses are moving away from single-purpose apps and toward all-in-one solutions that address many needs.
These applications are referred to as Super Apps, and they are wildly popular in Asia. But the west is also catching up to the trend. Natural AI, created by California-based company Brain Technologies Inc., is an intriguing example of artificial intelligence in the US market. It aims to transform how people use their phones by enabling them to accomplish various tasks with just one app.
Moreover, you might have observed that now Facebook has extended and it is more than just a social media platform. The platform now offers marketplaces where users can buy and sell products. Similarly, it has also become easier to pay bills and make payments from Amazon apart from online shopping.
In the western world, there is less of a super app obsession because individuals prefer to check out various solutions before choosing one. But ultimately, everyone looks for convenience. Consequently, we should anticipate super apps as mobile app development trends in 2022.
Future of Mobile Application Development In 2022-23 and beyond
Together, the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store have almost 6.63 million apps. How would you ensure that your app is distinctive?
The truth is that you can’t until you keep up with the most latest trends of mobile apps and understand how to take advantage of them to produce powerful, feature-rich apps.
The mobile app market will keep growing rapidly, and the field of mobile app development will continuously evolve. Mobile app solutions will continue to be driven by the developing backend platforms, microservices, and mobile app platforms as well as new hardware capabilities. The only means of surviving the fierce competition are constantly learning and attentiveness.
Furthermore, if you are looking to develop a mobile app using some of these trends, then let us know. We offer cutting-edge software development solutions to help businesses stay competitive in the tech industry.
