In this age of smartphones and mobile applications, it is usual for any business to embrace the mobile app development tool trends to remain in constant touch with their customers. Mobile applications have become a part of our daily lifestyle today. We use mobile apps for everything today, be it updated with daily news bytes, booking air or rail tickets, ordering food online, scheduling appointments with doctors, ordering groceries or even fitness trackers and many more things.
The mobile app development industry is evolving rapidly; and to survive and prosper in the industry, one needs to embrace these changing mobile app trends. 2021 will see many crucial developments in this sector. Mobile applications are already transforming business models, business communications, customer interactions, and marketplaces, at an astonishing rate. It is expected by 2021, mobile app market revenue will grow to $693 billion. However, it is not untrue, that out of 10,000 mobile applications, 9,999 fails, according to Gartner’s predictions.
Going by the previous records, apps need to evolve with time. Something good in 2020, may not be good enough in 2021. Technology is changing fast, and businesses need to keep themselves abreast with the change. Just implementing the right mobile app strategy is not enough; you will need to remain updated with the latest trends to stay ahead in the competition.
So, how will you do this?
Let us try to understand what is going to be the top trend in mobile app development in 2021.
Top 6 Mobile App Development Trends to Follow in 2021
Here are some mobile app development trends that would help you outplay your competitors in the mobile application development industry.
1. Building Apps for Foldables
As Samsung is planning to introduce a foldable OLED display, the operating systems are all set to make use of this technology to upgrade the smartphone experiences. In 2018, Google declared the foldable technology support on Android phones by making use of its ‘screen continuity’ API.
Hundreds of top Android apps have been optimised for the Galaxy Fold, as per Samsung. It also includes Twitter, Facebook, VSCO, Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, and Microsoft Office.
In 2020, ‘foldable phone’ became the talk of the town. Therefore in 2021, you will have to devise your mobile app development strategy in a manner that it runs efficiently on foldable devices.
2. IoT-Enabled Mobile Apps
IoT or Internet of Things is a network of interconnected smart gadgets that are set with software, sensors, and other technologies to connect and exchange data or information with other devices and systems over the Internet. Some of the big names that have used this technology are Amazon and Google. These companies have made the competition tougher and their position in the market stronger in the IoT, by introducing the “Echo” and Google Home Voice Controller respectively.
Additionally, Google’s plan to acquire wearable device company Fitbit for $2.1 billion and its alliance with Nest, a Home security camera manufacturer, makes it evident that the company is all set to use the Internet of Things technology. There is a growing demand for IoT gadgets and systems in the market today. This demand for IoT-enabled apps will make it amount to the top mobile app development trends in 2021.
3. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
One of the top mobile app development trends augmented reality (AR) and, virtual reality (VR) are fast becoming part of every industry. Massively used in high-quality gaming applications, they are now actively finding a place in a wide range of other applications.
Both AR and VR are seeing growing use in education, defence, skilling and training sectors apart from its extensive use in the entertainment sector. These sectors are successfully developing applications using AR and VR, which are widely appreciated. Both these emerging technologies give real-life interactive experience to their users by bridging the digital and the physical world. According to a study done by Statista, the international market of AR and VR technology will climb to $209 billion in 2022 from $27 billion in 2018. Therefore, it is evident that in 2021, AR and VR will be among the most essential mobile application development trends. It will bring a massive transformation in the mobile industry world over by creating a seamless user experience. Both are here to stay for some time now.
4. Mobile Wallets
Mobile wallets have already created a massive impact on both the industry and market. More and more smartphone users are moving to mobile wallets and finding them more convenient than any other option. With the introduction of this technology, the pain of carrying cash and plastic cards has become minimal. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Wallet are expected to drive customer behaviour and purchase through 2021. This trend will be on the rise all through the year 2021 and beyond. As per many studies, in 2018, the mobile wallet transaction value rose to $4,296 billion and by 2022, this value is expected to rise to a mammoth $13,979 billion. More and more big companies are embracing mobile wallet technology to serve their users with easy and secure for all types of financial transactions.
5. Beacons Technology
Beacons technology is slowly becoming part of the regular applications. It is expected, in 2021, it will become even more prevalent. It has been found that beacon-based notifications are growingly serving many businesses and industries to stay in touch with their clients in an extremely circumstantial form.
Amongst the top mobile app development trends in 2021, beacon technology is likely to show more than ever in the form of mobile payments beacons, automated personal beacons and beacon-enabled airports. The technology is expected to make more personalised virtual tours and more seamless and secure information sharing.
6. Cloud Storage Development
With more and more enterprises worldwide shifting their loyalty to a cloud-based solution from a traditional platform, the grip of cloud architecture seems to become stronger in 2021 and beyond. The global public cloud services market is expected to grow faster in the years to come. Cloud technology is playing a crucial role in developing Android instant applications. iOS devices also use cloud databases in some applications.
Cloud helps mobile apps bank a massive amount of data in an organised manner and even execute complicated tasks efficiently. Moreover, all of it is cost-effective and provides additional protection, if configured correctly.
Some of the advantages of developing mobile applications over the cloud are streamlined operations, cost-efficient hosting, improved storage, and loading capacity, along with growing user retention.
Conclusion
Every year almost millions of mobile applications are developed worldwide. You can find them in the Google Play, Apple App Store, and Amazon App Store. The massive number itself is proof that mobile apps have become a hit not only amongst the businesses but also their customers. With these rapidly growing trends, the mobile app industry will certainly expand at an exponential rate.
Therefore, to stay ahead in the highly competitive mobile app development industry, it is imperative for businesses to keep themselves aware of the newest trends and technologies. The latest emerging technologies, the constantly increasing capabilities, and growing customer demand in the market will continue to drive the mobile app development industry in 2021 and beyond.