Mobile app development has fully transformed everything in our lives, the way people work, shop, live and communicate. However, the mobile app development industry is evolving at an unimaginable pace by adopting the latest technological trends each day. The newer trends are due to consumer demands, technology advancements, and other factors in the industry. Therefore, the most important aspect of succeeding in this technological space is up-to-date with newer trends.

Mobile app development companies should constantly communicate with other industry leaders about gaining a competitive edge while also researching patterns. Besides, producers and creators should also keep up with the latest mobile app development industry trends to serve their clients better and take their brands to a new level.

Here we look at top 15 mobile app development trends to follow in 2021.

1. IoT (Internet of Things) App Integration 

The Internet of Things is not a new concept in the mobile app development industry. Still, the high level of mobile penetration in different categories and sectors has brought more IoT opportunities. The IoT provides consumers with more automated control and convenience of using devices connected to the internet. A perfect example of smart home technology is the rise of mobile app development and IoT.

In 2021, the Internal of Things global market value is expected to hit $222 billion, with $161 billion coming from software products like mobile apps. The value in 2021 will be a 14% increase in the value recorded in 2019. According to statistics, the IoT market is poised to maintain steady growth in the future with the software industry leading the way.

By 2025, the IoT market and associated technology revenue will grow beyond 1.6 trillion. Consequently, we expect to have more IoT technology in mobile app development in 2021. Some of the areas that you should keep your eye on include the healthcare, automobile, and household devices industry.

2. Machine learning and Artificial intelligence 

With the latest technology advancements, automated face recognition is now a common feature in most devices. As the technology that allows machines to process natural language and recognize images continues developing, developing AI-powered features in mobile apps is likely to be a growing trend in 2021.

AI applications may be smart filters in-camera, speech recognition features or an automated assistant to set up the camera before capturing an image. Examples of AI-powered apps in the mobile industry include Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. Therefore, there is an excellent possibility for AI to feature in custom mobile app development.

Smartphones can be used to detect signs of upcoming industrial machine failure by analyzing their sound. Sometimes human ears cannot spot a slight change in the sound of a working industrial machine, but an advanced machine like a smartphone can do it through mobile app development solutions. Therefore, AI will still be among mobile app development trends to follow in 2021.

3. Foldable Devices Apps

Over the last decade, phone technology has clearly changed and adopted new designs and the latest technology advancements. Today, the market is full of touch screens devices with no buttons or one button.

Consumers might have forgotten about flip phones, but the foldable devices appear to be making a comeback in the mobile industry over the last few years. For instance, Huawei Mate X, Samsung Galaxy Fold, and new Motorola Razr were released in 2019, and they all came with a foldable design. These foldable devices fold to expand or compress the screen size depending on user preferences. With this particular design, a user might unfold the phone to watch a video clip and fold it when picking a call.

Therefore, although foldable devices represent a small percentage of the market share in the mobile industry. However, this is expected to change in the next few years starting from 2021. A study by the US today shows that nineteen percent of Android users and seventeen percent of iPhone users are happy with the idea of purchasing a foldable design device.

In 2019, statistics show that about 3.2 million foldable devices were exported and the number is expected to hit 50 million by 2022.

This shows that 2021 will be an eventful year in the field of foldable devices as mobile app developers work on meeting the emerging consumer demands.

4. Decentralized apps on Blockchain 

Decentralized apps refer to pieces of software that communicate with Blockchain. The pieces of software manage the state of all network actors. Decentralized apps have an interface just like mobile apps and websites today.

Blockchain technology is known for powering cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin being the most popular. Blockchain technology applies the concept of developing a decentralized database that is fraud-proof and resistant to hijacking.

The technology may be used to access networks or secure payments through the generation of tokens used in the authentication. Decentralization of the database would prevent anyone from gaining unauthorized access to the database records.

Blockchain technology is not a new concept as it has been in use in the cryptocurrency industry, but more tech giants have developed an interest in it. For instance, Microsoft has already launched Coco, which is a blockchain-based platform. The latest development is likely to be a kickstart for decentralized apps on blockchain technology, which makes it a new trend that you need to follow in 2021.

5. 5G Technology

Huawei has released a rollout of 5G technology in 2020 and has been launched in a few countries. Therefore, 5G technology is expected to have a huge impact on mobile app development in 2021. The technology is expected to change the way apps are created and used, which means that creators, developers, and resellers have to follow this trend keenly.

According to studies, 5G connections will increase 3.5 times in 2021 as compared to 2020 and will nearly tipple in 2022.

5G technology will drastically improve efficiency and mobile devices’ speed, with the connection expected to be 100x faster than 4G. However, the impact of the 5G technology will also depend on the mobile network operator. The mobile apps’ functionality will be ultimately boosted by the 5G network, which will allow developers to include more apps without affecting the performance of the app negatively. Therefore, mobile app resellers and developers should use 5G network speed in the development stages and testing while creating a new app.

6. Wearable Devices Development

Over the last couple of years, wearable technology has been making great strides in the tech industry. This is not a new concept since there have been fitness bands, smartwatches, and trackers in the market.

Wearable technology is yet to reach its full potential, but we are likely to see some developments in the field in 2021.

In 2019, Apple announced at WWDC that they had released a new watch that would bring the Apple App Store to Apple Watch, the new WatchOS 6. This development has created an excellent opportunity for content creators, and app resellers as independent apps will have to be built specifically for wearable devices. Thus, developers will consider wearable when creating most mobile apps in 2021.

7. Beacons

The other mobile app trend to keep your eye on is Bluetooth-powered beacons technology. This is not a new technology, but it has gained a lot of attention as they help create a connection between the offline and online worlds. The technology is being used in Leroy-Merlin mobile app to help understand the user’s behavior in brick-and-mortar stores.

Understanding the user’s movement patterns makes it easier for the retailer to optimize the merchandising and placement. A study by Grand-view predicts that by 2025 Bluetooth beacon market will hit $58.7 billion with a 95.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate. Leroy-Merlin app might be the only application of the technology in mobile app development, but we expect more in this field in 2021.

8. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality have improved user experience in mobile apps by making them more interactive. The technology has clearly revolutionized how these apps work, including social media, AR apps, and business apps. Therefore, we expect to see technology advancement in 2021 through mobile app development.

Currently, Ikea’s augmented reality app can be used to help you determine how your new furniture will fit in your house. The app allows you to use a smartphone screen and camera to place a digital bookshelf or armchair in a room virtually.

On the other hand, augmented reality is used to improve your world’s experience rather than enabling you to enter a new world. The AR technology can transform various industries, including utilities, fashion, and the beauty and fashion industry.

Consequently, augmented reality (AR) is expected to influence mobile app development trends in different industries, including engineering, healthcare, retail, and real estate industry and others. The AR technology will enable applications to give the user an idea of the property depending on the specified characteristics. With the app, the buyer will know whether the property has what they wanted while the app will save the designer the hassle of having to convince the client to pick it.

Virtual reality is also expected to be another mobile app trend that people should follow in 2021. The technology has been used to create scenario simulations that are expensive and difficult to create, such as human body anatomy, space simulations for medical students, and astronauts.

In the last few years, we have seen the entry of VR technology in businesses to recreate what a given product should appear before the customers. Some apps can show how shoes, jewelry, or dress will look on you without wearing them. Therefore, companies should invest in mobile apps with VR integration to offer such an experience to the customers because many prefer to use mobile phones to connect to the internet.

9. Instant Apps

This refers to an option that allows you to test and launch a mobile app before installing it on your device. Instant apps will come in handy when people want to try several apps before choosing one that suits their needs. The idea of instant apps allows consumers to have an experience of using the software product before downloading it from the store.

With instant apps, content creators and users will invest their time and resources in creating apps that enchant the consumer at first glance.

10. Mobile Commerce

Mobile commerce is not a new concept in the tech world as it is a trend that has been in the market since 2019 and 2020. Therefore, we expect it to continue thriving in 2021 as more businesses leverage mobile apps in their quest to increase revenue. This presents a great opportunity for individual content creators, larger retailers, and personal brands in this technology space.

As businesses continue to launch apps to drive sales, mobile eCommerce functionality is likely to be a top feature in 2021 for every mobile app reseller. Most online businesses are competing with big companies like Amazon, which means that they have to keep pace with the latest technology to maintain their competitive edge and also sustain growth. According to a study, over 72.9% of the overall eCommerce sales in 2021 will be from mobile devices. Therefore, eCommerce will be one of the mobile app trends to follow in 2021 since apps play a crucial role in its success.

11. Mobile Wallets 

The use of mobile devices is evolving fast due to market demands and technology advancements. Mobile wallets are now trending upward in the tech industry, with more products hitting the market. Some of the notable examples in this category include Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

A recent study has shown that mobile app transactions in 2019 amounted to $6.1 billion. By 2022, mobile wallet transactions are expected to hit $13.98 billion. For this to happen, there must be major developments in the mobile wallets field in 2021. Besides, the rate of penetration of mobile wallets in apps will also grow in the next few years.

12. Chatbots

Currently, chatbots may not be that developed, but the technology is already popular. Modern chatbots can process the natural language, which allows them to automate several repetitive and tedious actions like answering common questions from the users and automating the ordering process.

A survey in the US has shown that 36% of Americans interacted with the company through chatbots in 2019. Facebook messenger is one of the most popular examples of companies using chatbots, but the use of this technology is on the rise. Facebook Messenger has over 1.82 billion users across the globe, which shows that chatbots are the next big thing in the tech industry.

13. Predictive Analytics 

Predictive analytics has the ability to forecast events using data by leveraging data mining, modeling, AI, and machine learning technology. Most tech giants are already using predictive analytics to enhance user experience. Netflix is one of the simple examples of companies levering predictive analytics. The platform provides movie and TV show recommendations to users based on what they have previously watched. YouTube is also another popular example, as the platform also gives recommendations of video clips to watch based on what you have watched previously.

In 2021, we expect predictive analytics to be used in various mobile apps to improve UI/UX using an app.

According to a study, nineteen percent of companies use artificial intelligence for predictive analytics. Predictive analytics ensures that product preferences and suggestions are presented differently based on the user’s behavior history or actions.

14. Cross-Platform and Omnichannel 

Today, there are many channels in the market, and each of them is competing for the user’s attention, but Cross-platform and omnichannel standout. Customers are used to switching between the two, which means that developers must provide the best experience in the two platforms.

A study by MarketingSherpa shows that consumers use up to six touchpoints today, while 50% of the consumers regularly use more than four touchpoints with a brand. Therefore, it is important to unify the experiences to ensure consistency regardless of the channel or device you use.

Consequently, companies are using easy-deployable tools like React Native framework to create omnichannel solutions. The framework gives the user the ability to reuse up to seventy percent of the code and also share it between platforms.

15. Cloud Computing Integration 

Cloud computing technology is not a new idea in the tech market, but it has not fully penetrated the mobile app space. In 2021, there is a high expectation that some of the possibilities of cloud computing for mobile app development will be exploited.

For instance, cloud technology can help enhance the performance of apps in the mobile industry. The technology allows apps to carry out complex tasks and store data on the cloud rather than storing it directly on the device.

According to studies, eighty-three percent of enterprise workloads by the end of 2021 will be cloud-based. Consequently, any company that is creating internal workforce apps or business apps will have to consider cloud trends in 2021.

Conclusion

Modern mobile technologies have fully transformed how we live and conduct business. However, the mobile app industry is evolving fast, and developers and creators have to keep their eyes on the emerging trends in the mobile app development industry. We believe that what we have included in our list will be the top 15 mobile app development trends to follow in 2021.

As we follow the emerging new trends in mobile app development, many organizations will focus on looking for a reliable partner to work with them through the journey of digital transformation. If you are looking for the best IT consultancy and custom software development company that offers impactful solutions to your digital needs, you should consider TechTIQ Solutions. TechTIQ Solutions provide IT consultancy services to ensure that your business stays up-to-date with the latest technology to allow you to achieve sustainable growth.

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