Apps have reshaped everything from our daily life routine to means of communicating. We don’t call cabs; we use Uber. We won’t rent places following classifieds because Airbnb is easier. Text messaging is old school, WhatsApp is our priority. Moments are captured on Snapchat and shared on Instagram. Thus, apps have gained the largest chunk of time in our life.
We are through the middle of 2018 and app industry is surging to the top with thousands of apps releasing every day. App trends are changing, and as the time is passing by, app development trends are adjusting accordingly.
With such fast-paced tech development globally, apps are all set to rule the global world and while we delve deep into the predicting upcoming app development trends, here is a list of app trends that are bound to trend in the forthcoming years.
Artificial Intelligence
AI has been a center of attraction and attention for many years, but from 2017 till now, the technology is evolved at a rapid pace with a number of apps making it big with AI. Microsoft is working heavily to enhance and improve its AI-based service, Cortana. According to International Data Corporation, AI industry will experience growth with significant numbers, estimated $42 billion by 2020.
Google just launched “Google Duplex,” and people are going gaga over it. Thanks to artificial intelligence, you don’t even need to talk to people. With artificial intelligence on the rise, app development in this particular area will surge, and tech giants already depend heavily on the duo of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Instant Apps
Apps with convenient nature, instant apps were launched in 2016 by Google, and since then, they are appreciated for their nativeness and user-friendliness. Everyone likes to use apps with less mb’s and more performance and instant apps perfectly fit in these demands. These apps are integrated with functions just like websites and famous names such as Buzzfeed, Vimeo, Wish, Periscope and NY Times have their instant apps on Google Play Store.
Instant apps can be accessed right away with no installation or download needed. Moreover, these apps are accessible on all versions of Android, and the catch is – they don’t need much space on your phone while being easily shareable. Instant apps are predicted to gain a massive market later in 2018 and onwards.
IoT and Wearable Apps
According to a report, the IoT industry will be injected with an investment of $120 billion by 2020 and the industry is expected to be valued at a whopping $267 billion dollars. While a majority of home appliances and devices are already controlled via apps, tech giant like Microsoft is working on integrating whole cities with IoT technology. If it gets to success, it would be a breakthrough for the tech industry. With internet of things gaining more popularity by every passing day, this niche is destined to grow at a rapid pace.
Xiaomi, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Apple and many other tech giants are already offering a variety of wearable devices that includes fitness and smartwatches. Fitbit is another example of the wearable success story and with business insider predicting a massive 35% increase in the wearable market, the future of this industry is already on the boom. With industry giants heavily depending on and investing in IoT, it is predicted to be the next big thing in the tech industry.
AR and VR
Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift are only some examples of AR. AR app development is hiking by every passing day, and one of the biggest success stories of AR is Pokemon Go that stormed the world by fetching a revenue of over a billion. Every other field is experimenting with AR and VR to expand its scope.
Similarly, VR has been integrated into apps of industry giants like IKEA. Samsung Gear VR and Oculus are other popular examples of how Artificial Reality is being adapted and offered by tech moguls. Dominant social media apps such as Instagram and Snapchat are expanding their list of features by integrating various elements of AR into their app functionalities, and people love all of these value-added filters. Moreover, AR and VR are still to be implemented in multiple untested niches and industries. All of the aforementioned examples are evident how AR and VR will be in-trend in future.
Mobile Wallets
Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Alipay, Paytm, PayPal, and many other mobile payment services rose to gain fame and fortune, thanks to the expansion of this relatively new niche known as Mobile Wallets. In 2017, global mobile payments exceeded $700 billion mark.
With the surge in mobile banking and e-commerce, mobile wallets have become an industry in itself. People have started to prefer mobile payment wallets rather than using credit and debit cards. Mobile Wallets have made money transactions and bill payments more accessible than ever and with the ever-increasing number of mobile users globally, this industry is written “expansion” all over it.
Accelerated Mobile Pages
A stripped down version of HTML; AMP has quickly gained a massive user base and reputation. Boasting fast page loads, high performance and lower bounce rates, accelerated mobile pages are adapted by industry giants such as The Guardian, etc.
Moreover, AMP offers increased CTR (click through rate), improved page rankings and better ad visibility which is lucrative for all online businesses. With lightweight pages and speedy websites, AMP is expected to be implemented by more businesses in 2018 and beyond.
Bots
According to a report, chatbots will be used for 85% of customer service tasks by 2020 and another report by Gartner; chatbots will save a humongous amount of approx $8 billion for the companies between 2018 and 2020. With Facebook and Amazon adapting bots for a majority of their customer-related tasks, it is evident how bots will rule the interaction soon.
Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Duplex are popular examples of tech giants investing in bots for the prompt communication between technology and humans. Businesses which need rapid response such as food delivery, and cab services have already started to leverage from bots, and in coming days, this trend is to surge more and more.
Cloud Apps
Cloud technology has various advantages attached to it such as reduced hosting and operational cost, seamless performance, scalable infrastructure, expandable storage, and increased productivity. Moreover, apps that are powered by Cloud are observed to be faster, reliable and secure. Hence, a major concern of data breach gets resolved by using cloud technology.
Additionally, cloud-based apps are easier to develop for the fact that they don’t need to be built for separate platforms such as iOS and Android. Developers can build one app that works with both the platforms. With such merits on the go, cloud-based apps are expected to become a trend in coming years.
Blockchain
Almost everyone is well aware of Bitcoin, Ethereum and lots of other digital currencies but, blockchain is much more than a source of cryptocurrency. Its transparency and clarity are unbeatable, and with incorruptible infrastructure, blockchain has become one of the most popular technology globally.
Facebook was allegedly involved in a data breach, and since then, blockchain has been praised for its security and its transparent access. For data tyrants, this technology is a nightmare as it isn’t controllable by a person and can’t be influenced by any company or influencers. With blockchain gaining the trust of industry giants like Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Ma, this technology surely has a safe and booming future.
Personalization
Personalization is the success factor behind various popular businesses such as Netflix, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, etc. From the searches performed, trips taken and show watched; these platforms observe everything that its users do to offer a personalized experience and this trend won’t stop in coming years too.
E-commerce has enormous potential for personalization too. Alibaba and Amazon provide personalized shopping experience from previously clicked products that prove to be an excellent advantage for regular shoppers. No matter what business it is, personalization is the key to success, and by every passing day, this trend is raking in more eyeballs than ever.
What’s Next?
Tech industry is evolving at a rapid pace. Thousands of startups are launched daily, and a majority of them have their roots attached to the aforementioned trends and technologies. While the listed technologies can prove to be a problem solver for many niches and industries, still there is a lot of room for more upcoming revolutionary technologies.
The scope of mobile app development is broader than ever and year 2018 will prove to be a breakthrough for various apps. Let’s see how the mobile app development industry transforms and paves its way to gain more success.
Fingers are crossed, and masses are more welcoming towards the rapidly changing industry trends.
