7 Incredible Trends That Will Dictate The Future Of Mobile Apps

In terms of technological development, humans have come a long way. Two decades ago, the kind of technologies we used to read and see mentioned in sci-fi fiction (books and movies) were slowly becoming our reality. Astonishingly, we haven’t even scratched the surface, there’s a lot more to accomplish.

The progress we have made in the mobile app development industry so far has been revolutionary for human civilization—who would have thought that we would be able to create our very own virtual realm, aka Metaverse?

In the last couple of years, we have seen mobile apps becoming an integral part of our lives. From checking in on friends via Facebook to tracking our health goals on Fitness apps.

Technology is reaching new heights every day, and so will mobile app development. Read this complete blog to know which technology trends are going to dictate the future of mobile apps.

What does the future of mobile apps hold for businesses?

Applied AI

Source Deloitte

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading the pack of mobile app development trends and technology that will dictate the future of humanity and its interaction with technology. AI is a simulation of human intelligence via computer systems—however, it is difficult to define AI in an objective way, as it is continuously evolving.

AI is responsible for making our devices smarter and more intuitive. Over the last couple of years, we have witnessed AI being implemented in a variety of things, from cars to medical treatments, and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet!
There was a time when the arrival of voice-enabled virtual assistants seemed like we had been transported to a sci-fi movie. But today, they have become part of our daily routines, and it doesn’t seem extraordinary anymore.

Therefore, it is expected that we will see the comprehensive implication of AI in mobile app development. Mobile applications are already offering a personalized experience to users with the help of AI technologies such as Machine Learning and Deep Learning. AI comes with numerous advantages:

• Saves costs
• Leads to an increase in revenue
• Unlocks new business capabilities

Various industries are already utilizing AI in mobile app development to make their apps more user-friendly (as per their offerings). And the future seems brighter with technologists exploiting AI beyond its established limits.

AI allows extreme scope for personalization in mobile app development. By 2020, Natural Language Processing (NLP) proved to be as efficient as the human level of performance. This development will enhance the proficiency of the voice-enabled virtual and digital assistants in mobile apps.

For example, progress in NLP in AI is expected to become a big part of mobile app development trends that especially caters to people with disabilities.

Advanced Connectivity (5G/6G) and Frontier Connectivity

Connectivity is the heart of all the mobile app development that we witness and will continue to witness in the coming future. According to Cisco Annual Internet Report (2018–2023) White Paper, about two-thirds of the global population will have access to the internet by the year 2023. This means 5.3 billion, which is 66% of the total population, will be using the internet by 2023, and this percentage will continue to grow.

The need for efficient network connectivity will continue to increase. Therefore, the development of an advanced connectivity mechanism is the key to ensuring large-scale implementation of digital progress and transformation.

Existing connectivity technologies are striving towards upgrading their connectivity services and are coming up with their next-generation versions. As a result, we have two types of emerging connectivity trends.

Advanced Connectivity

It refers to the continued evolution of the existing network connectivity. At present, internet service providers are actively upgrading from their existing 4G infrastructure to low-to mid-frequency “non-standalone” 5G network overlay.

The upcoming generation of Wi-Fi—the Wi-Fi 6 will also significantly improve the wireless internet speed. Other than this, technologies such as Bluetooth, NFC, and RFID, which use radio signals, and Low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs) continue to improve and are becoming more sophisticated.

Progress in Advanced Connectivity will also impact the mobile app development space to a great extent because the functionality of the mobile apps is highly contingent upon the connectivity services.

Frontier Connectivity

It includes technologies such as high-band 5G/6G and low-earth orbit satellite network technologies. High-band connectivity speed refers to the use of frequencies above 24 GHz; it aims to offer a significant shift in speed and low-latency from low-to-mid band 5G networks.

Low-earth orbit (or LEO) satellite connectivity is a non-terrestrial wireless network technology that not only delivers breakthrough speed but also enhances the breadth of coverage area. It essentially beams broadband from space, which will make it easier for the network connectivity to reach remote areas. Starlink, an Elon Musk initiative, is a pioneer in offering Frontier connectivity services.

A significant highlighting factor is that developments in the realm of enhancing connectivity are happening alongside developments taking place in hardware and software. Here, the developments in Cloud and Edge Computing will experience significant prowess with expansion in Advanced and Frontier connectivity.

All industries will undergo an exponential transformation in terms of connectivity once these technologies begin to see widespread implementation, especially in the mobile application development industry. For example, the healthcare industry has already started the provision of remote healthcare—telemedicine, with their mobile apps and with increased reachability in remote areas with advancements in connectivity technologies that will allow real-time monitoring of patients.

Energy Efficient

As much significance mobile apps have attained in our day-to-day lives, we seldom think about the environmental impact of mobile apps. Since these applications need constant updates and new features, with changing user needs and demands.

However, the existence of anti-patterns makes sustainable mobile application development challenging. Now, what is an anti-pattern? You all might wonder.

Let’s say, for example, as a mobile app software developer, you are asked to fix an existing bug, and due to time constraints, you try an experimental hack. It worked, and you copied this same code at multiple places to fix the same bug.

And the existence of these anti-patterns makes it hard for mobile app developers to understand (and reuse) the code to incorporate new updates. This hinders the mobile app’s maintenance and contributes to excessive battery drainage. Therefore, mobile app developers should avoid anti-patterns at all costs in order to ensure sustainable mobile application development.

Hence, mobile app development following energy-efficient development practices will dictate the emerging technologies and the future of mobile apps.

According to Principles.Green, there are numerous advantages to following sustainable and environment-friendly software and mobile app development practices, as they are economical, show excellent performance, and are even more resilient.

They have also set 8 principles that should be followed by mobile app developers:

• Ensure that apps built are CARBON EFFICIENT
• Ensure that apps built are ENERGY EFFICIENT
• Ensure that the apps consume less electricity and leave the LOWEST CARBON INTENSITY
• Applications are built on EFFICIENT HARDWARE, which is
  PROPORTIONAL to energy efficiency
• Work toward IMPROVING NETWORKING that reduces the amount of data and distance it travels.
• Building CARBON-AWARE mobile applications
• Follow a MEASURED OPTIMIZATION method

Immersive Reality Tech

Immersive technology is the most interactive form of technology as it enables users to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds. With time and more developments in the field of immersive technologies, sometimes it becomes difficult to distinguish between the physical and virtual.

Immersive technology is of three types:

Virtual Reality: In Virtual Reality, the user is supposed to wear a headset that creates real-world simulations by completely replacing the real world with digital assets. The user is able to experience and move around in the virtual simulations with the help of external cameras, wearable devices, and sensors. It is a fully immersive technology whose widespread implications can be seen in the virtual gaming industry.

Augmented Reality: Augmented Reality technology overlays the digital over the physical in real-time with the help of smart devices such as AR glasses, smartphones, etc.

A very good example of this immersive technology would be the AR filters (used on social media networking platforms). Many eCommerce platforms are also using Augmented Reality to render virtual-try-on facilities on their mobile apps.

Mixed Reality: In Mixed Reality, the physical world is modified by the integration of digital/virtual content into the physical world using a device. Thus, enabling interaction among both the physical and the virtual elements.

While we have come across or been introduced to AR and VR in some way or the other, the implication of MR is still quite limited. Nevertheless, these immersive technologies are here to stay and will continue to amaze and cater to people with their implementation in various industries and consequently redefine mobile app development trends.

For example, in the last couple of decades, we have already witnessed the facilitation of audio and video mediums of communication in the education industry. Integration of immersive technologies in education mobile app development will allow educationalists to improve their services and render a more holistic learning experience to learners.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing, in simpler terms, refers to the delivery of computing services over the internet. The user (or organization) simply have to pay for the cloud service, which eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware and software. Thus, making it an economical option. Broadly, there can be three deployment models in Cloud Computing:

• Private Cloud: It is privately owned by a single organization.
• Public Cloud: Computing services are either subscription-based or free of charge over the public internet.
• Hybrid Cloud: This model consists of a combination of private and public models of Cloud Computing from different Cloud technology service providers.

Another approach to Hybrid Cloud Computing could be computation with both Cloud and Edge Computing (discussed later) models. This particular model is expected to see faster implications in mobile app development.

For example, gaming apps would be able to render larger-than-life experiences to users with enhanced cloud gaming services and augmented reality assistance with the help of Cloud technology.

Edge Computing

Edge computing refers to the architecture which facilitates faster and more efficient processing of data closer to the place it is generated. As the name suggests, Edge Computing happens outside the cloud i.e., at the edge of the network where instant processing of data is needed.

This leads to better results in better results as compared to cloud computing, which operates on big data, Edge Computing operates on instant data.

In the future, the network will consist of computational resources located closer to the user so that they are able to use digital products and services more efficiently. This indeed would be a step ahead of Cloud technology, implications of which we are already witnessing in various industries.

Edge Computing will soon take over the operational activities of many organizations globally. It is because of the benefits it yields, such as:

• Facilitating enhanced data protection owing to its localized mechanism
• It has the capacity to process big chunks of data faster and does not incur high moving costs
• Gives real-time insights

Hence, Edge Computing renders increased flexibility to organizations as it helps them have more control over their data and processes with real-time processing.

Edge Computing will have its impact and benefit a wide range of industries, including Telecommunications, Automotive, Manufacturing, Finance, Power Generation, Retail, Healthcare, and much more.

Implementation of Edge Computing in mobile app development will prove massively beneficial for users as well as the business (the mobile app owner). For example, media and entertainment apps using Edge Computing technology will be able to deliver and support large volumes of streaming content. This will happen because of minimum delays and downtimes because of increased processing speed.

Packaged Business capabilities for composable applications

Have you experienced a lack of customization, i.e., not being able to deliver UX specific to your target audience, or delays and high expenses in updating or rolling out features? One of the reasons might be your digital solution is built on a monolithic system. These are the systems or platforms in which all services are offered out-of-box, and all layers of the application are tightly coupled with each other.

Enterprises and, subsequently, medium-sized businesses are realizing the importance of composable mobile applications – ones in which application services are loosely coupled via APIs rather than tightly coupled in a monolithic architecture. As a result, headless architecture, microservices, and API-driven solutions are being explored and put into practice in mobile app development. Gartner believes next in the phase of making composable architecture is Packed Business Capabilities (PBCs).

PBCs are similar in ideation to microservices and help businesses to create best-of-breed solutions. PBCs are defined in terms of business functionality and can be of varying sizes. Envision PBCs as building blocks that are reusable and can be composed via third-party APIs or developed internally by your development team. The true composable application will allow PBCs to be developed from no-code or low-code platforms. Though Gartner’s research shows this approach to composable architecture will mature in 5 to 7 years.

Nevertheless, adopting ideal headless solutions and a modular approach can be the initial steps businesses can take to make their mobile applications composable.

Why should businesses make efforts to embrace PBCs and this whole modular philosophy?

• Allows teams to extract great results from agile methodologies.
• Reduce time-to-market and always stay ahead of the competition.
• Build cross-functional teams that help them put into practice human-centered design.
• Become conducive to innovation.

Technological developments, dictating the mobile app development trends, help in building a more connected, empathetic, value-oriented, and economic ecosystem of services.

At NetMaxims, we can help you build powerful and engaging digital solutions for your business growth. Our focus is on integrating the most appropriate tech and building apps on modern architecture. Share your project brief with our cross-platform mobile app development company.