As we move further into the 21st century, mobile apps have become an increasingly important part of our lives. We use them to stay connected with friends and family, shop for products, listen to music, navigate unfamiliar places, and much more.
Mobile app development is the fastest growing industry in the world and it shows no signs of slowing down. But it’s not just the volume of apps that poses an opportunity for businesses; what you do with the apps is equally important. The number of apps that reach the top charts is increasingly dominated by games, while productivity and business-centric apps are being pushed down. Rather than thinking about how to build an app, businesses should think about what they want their customers to do with the app. It should directly contribute to revenue growth or brand exposure, so companies can generate more lead sales or support growth in whatever their primary business is.
In this post, we will discuss the top 10 mobile app development trends in detail to enable you to thrive in 2022.
1. Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) apps: The augmented reality and virtual reality markets are expected to increase by USD 162.71 billion from 2020 to 2025 at a CAGR of 46% as per the latest market report by Technavio. While early adopters have been mostly gamers, AR/VR is set to change the way we do business, interact with friends and family, and access information. It’s predicted that by the end of 2025, most web browsing will be done with AR/VR headsets or glasses.
2. Blockchain apps: Blockchain technology first became popular as part of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, but it is now being used for a variety of other services as well, including voting systems, medical records management, collecting taxes, and more. There are many different blockchain platforms available for developers to use, but the most popular is Ethereum. By 2023, it’s estimated that 80% of the global population will have some understanding of what Blockchain is.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) apps: While the bulk of AI usage in apps today focuses on chatbots, in 2022, AI will become an integral part of mobile app user interfaces. Technology already exists that enables mobile apps to understand what users are trying to do and suggest the best course of action. Machine learning is also improving how algorithms learn from data, so mobile apps can anticipate our needs better than ever before.
4. Voice-controlled mobile apps: The voice recognition market has gone mainstream and will continue to grow rapidly for years to come. Over 1 billion smartphones already have the ability to be controlled by voice commands alone. As this technology develops even further, it’s predicted that smartphone users will be able to issue full sentences of voice commands.
5. Mobile Apps for Social Good: The number of people accessing the Internet on mobile devices has surpassed the number of people accessing it via personal computers, meaning that apps are now more accessible than ever before. This increased connectivity is allowing developers to experiment with new ways to solve social and environmental problems. Mobile apps for social good will become more popular as they offer a scalable way to solve problems facing the entire world, such as poverty, hunger, and climate change.
6. Augmented Analytics: One of the top mobile app development trends today is “augmented analytics.” This refers to apps that provide real-time data analytics and insights to mobile users. By the end of 2022, augmented analytics will become so intuitive and so customized to the user’s needs and preferences that it will be almost like having your own personal data scientist on call 24/7.
7. Embedded Apps: Embedded apps are already very common today. These are apps built into devices rather than separate apps that need to be downloaded. For example, the Nest thermometer is connected to the Internet and has an app for iPhones and Androids that you can use to control your home’s temperature. These kinds of apps are expected to become even more common with the rise of IoT (Internet of Things) devices. By the end of 2022, embedded IoT devices are predicted to outnumber the global population.
8. Voice Assistants: Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa have become household names in recent years. They can perform many tasks, including answering questions about the weather or maintaining a to-do list. However, they aren’t yet able to carry out complex tasks such as booking a restaurant reservation. By the end of 2022, voice assistants will be able to perform such tasks and will become more helpful than ever before.
9. Chatbots: The majority of companies are now using chatbots for customer service functions. By the end of 2022, it’s estimated that more than half of mobile users will be interacting with chatbots on a daily basis. This is because they can answer frequently asked questions faster and cheaper than human agents. They’re also available 24/7, so customers can contact them anytime they want.
10. 5G Technology: Finally, 5G technology will finally become mainstream by the end of 2022. According to reports, this new standard is expected to be up to 100 times faster than 4G LTE . For example, it’s estimated that 5G download speeds could be as high as 20 gigabits per second (or 2.5 gigabytes). What does this mean for mobile apps? It means that mobile apps will be able to download data more quickly, allowing users to interact with them even if they’re not connected to the Internet. Furthermore, all this extra bandwidth will be needed to support the huge increase in mobile devices & IoT devices coming online.
As you can see, there are many exciting developments happening in the world of mobile app development! These trends have limitless possibilities if they are utilized correctly by developers around the globe. How do you think these trends will impact the future of mobile app development? Will they change how we live or work? What new opportunities do you see with these technologies? Please let us know in the comments!
