MULTIPLE: Watches no longer only tell the time. They can measure your blood pressure and can even help you to control your household appliances remotely.
By Amit Manchanda
The introduction of 5G has led to a spurt in the number of mobile apps. This ranges from apps for virtual and artificial reality and they are wearable like watch mobiles.
The mobile app development industry is evolving at a break-neck speed. To survive and thrive in this digital Darwinian era, you must get acquainted with the changing mobile app development trends.
What are the Top Mobile App Development Trends in 2022?
While a lot of new trends in mobile app development are emerging this year, here are the top 14 mobile app development trends that we picked after elaborative, fact-based research.
- Rise of 5G
The 5G technology has been around for a while. But this year, it has become a buzzword. Technology companies have started incorporating 5G at full scale, and we see 5G-enabled devices in the market. By next year, it is expected that 660Mn smartphones will have 5G connection which accounts to around 47.5% of all devices.
What does the rise of 5G mean for App Development?
5G will change the way we build and use apps. Speed and efficiency will significantly improve. Here are a few things we can expect:
• 5G will be up to 100x faster than 4G.
• Latency will reduce from 50 milliseconds (4G) to 1 millisecond.
•With higher resolution, less latency, and faster performance – video streaming apps will see a significant improvement.
• 5G will bring more opportunities for AR and VR as integrating these technologies into the app will be easier.
• Transferring data between devices and smartphones will be faster and smoother.
• 5G will allow Developers to build new features without negatively affecting the app performance.
• Mobile payments will be quicker and more secure because of the faster processing of biometric data for identification.
Overall, the 5G technology will make apps faster, smoother, and more efficient. It will also open rooms for innovation. All the exciting ideas you might have about your app will no longer remain ideas. With 5G, you can make them a reality. We can’t wait to see what the technology brings onboard.
- Apps for Foldable Devices
Although foldable devices are the tip of the overall smartphone market share, things will change in the coming years. According to Statista, 50 million units will be shipped in 2022. So, it’s time you also keep foldable devices in mind while planning out your mobile app development strategy. Make sure your apps run seamlessly on foldable devices — a challenging mobile app development trend in 2022.
Unfolding the device to provide a larger screen can have a positive impact on users:
• A larger screen means more space for a detailed and immersive experience.
• With multi-windows, a user can perform multiple tasks at the same time.
Video streaming and gaming apps can reap maximum benefits from the foldable devices by simply increasing their screen size – or instead, using the extra space to offer additional information and controls. Thus, developing the apps keeping the screen in mind will be one of the biggest mobile app development trends in 2022. - AR & VR
The success of Pokemon Go may have been temporary, but it paved the way for AR in mobile app development. It showed the world that we could practically use VR to offer an immersive experience to users.
Today, if we look around, we can find many scenarios in which brands use AR & VR to enhance user experience.
• Ikea uses AR to let users see how furniture will look at their home before buying it.
• L’Oreal has a virtual makeup app that allows users to see how the makeup looks on their faces.
• Lenskart lets users virtually try glasses before buying them.
Even Apple, Google, and Meta are bringing innovations in AR & VR. Google introduced a feature called “Live View” in Google Maps, where users can see the direction in real-time on real-world imagery.
LiDAR is another significant technology advancement we have recently seen in the field of AR. Called AR at the speed of light by Apple – we saw the technology making its debut in iPad Pro, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone Pro 12 Pro max. It has taken AR into a whole new level. With LiDAR, it has become possible to capture superior quality photos in low light.
Apple has even revolutionized the furniture shopping process by partnering with Ikea to launch a new Studio Mode feature that uses LiDAR technology. Using the feature, users can point their device to the place where they want to place the furniture and the LiDAR technology will scan the room to virtually place a true-to-scale furniture model.
This year, we will see AR & VR shaping the mobile app development industry in ways we can’t even imagine. The mobile app trend will go more mainstream. According to Statista, the worldwide market of AR and VR technology will rise from $27 billion in 2018 to about $209 billion in 2022. We’ll also see a spike in the number of AR & VR users this year. It means you have a great chance to leverage these mobile app development trends to bring game-changing experiences to users on mobile. - Wearable App Integration
Wearable devices are already ruling the world. According to Statista, connected wearable devices reached 453 million in 2017 and will reach 929 million by 2022.
This year we saw many important things happening in the wearable devices industry. Apple announced its WatchOS 8 update. It brought new features, fresh watch faces, increased wallet access, and redesigned interface for Apple watch users.
Even Google announced a unified wearables platform that blends its wear operating system with Samsung’s Tizen software platform – boosting app startup times by 30%. - Food & Grocery Delivery Apps
People started relying heavily on apps like Instacart and meal kit as they stayed at home following the lockdown. As a result, these two were the fastest growing app categories in 2020-21.
As you can see, there was a 40.9% rise in grocery app users in 2020. Most people preferred shopping for groceries online instead of visiting physical stores. Similar was the case with food delivery apps. They saw a rise of 32.9% because people preferred ordering food online as it felt safer.
light decline in their growth as we go back to normality. Food and grocery apps will still be a critical part of our lives. People will never stop ordering food online, and the Grocery apps will still account for 15.5% of smartphone users. - Mobile Entertainment & Gaming
Entertainment and gaming apps have become a part & parcel of lifestyle. Some people can’t even imagine spending a single day without them.
We can guess the popularity of mobile entertainment apps as Netflix has around 74% active subscribers in the US and Canada. Not only this, with over 159.1 million mobile phone gamers, mobile devices are favorite among gamers – amounting to over 89% of US digital gamers.
The figure will go even up in 2022, as we can already see in these stats:
Why are Mobile Entertainment & Gaming Apps so Popular?
• They have provided easy access to entertainment. People no longer have to buy expensive gadgets or even expensive laptops. Instead, they can enjoy them on mobile.
• Users no longer have to confine themselves to one place to watch a movie or play a game. Instead, they can entertain themselves on the go.
• Technological advancements like AR, VR, and artificial intelligence have made games & entertainment apps more immersive.
• Mobile Entertainment & gaming apps provide a great escape. Especially during the pandemic, people spent time on games and entertainment apps to distract themselves.
- AI & Machine Learning
After the ground-breaking success of FaceApp, most of the folks were wondering: What’s next? That’s when AI brought something that propelled my expectations to a whole new level. The MyHeritageApp brought a powerful photo animate feature that converts pictures into realistic animations. These animations are so impressive that you feel your loved one is smiling at you. It resulted in some epic reactions.
It is not the only exciting thing that happened in AI last year. We also saw Google launching new features to its Maps app that uses AI to enhance user experience. One such feature is Live view that offers users AR navigation in large indoor spaces. Google also uses AI to suggest less carbon-intensive routes by optimizing directions for lower fuel consumption.
AI and ML have been amongst the top mobile app development trends for the last few years in a row. But these technology advancements set the bar for mobile app development for 2022 very high, and it will be interesting to see what it brings to the table this year.
Machine learning is another exciting field in which we’re waiting to see revolutionary things happening. When Deep Learning joins hands with ML, it can do wonders for mobile app development projects by providing valuable data and real-time analytics.
Apple has been one of the key players in machine learning. Its intelligent ML models have allowed developers to create immersive new experiences. Not only can you easily add pre-existing features, but you can also create new ones. Besides, you can add new features with ML APIs. - There Will be More Focus on Mobile App Security
According to Check Point State of Mobile Security 2021 report, around 46% of organizations had at least one employee who downloaded a malicious mobile application. Given how much employees depend on mobile devices, it’s a matter of concern for businesses.
That’s why most businesses are looking to invest more in cybersecurity, given it is directly linked to data protection and information privacy laws. Thus, digital security has emerged as one of the top mobile app development trends in 2022. The finest minds in the industry are levelling-up the ante to draw out the uncertainty around mobile apps. In WWDC 2021, Apple took the first step to a password-less future by introducing a new feature called “Passkeys in iCloud Chain.” With it, Apple will replace passwords with a more secure login process. - Super Apps
One app, one purpose – it has been the approach of mobile app development companies for years. But now, the approach is changing. Companies are shifting from single-purpose apps to one-stop solutions that solve multiple purposes.
Such apps are called Super Apps, and they are insanely popular in Asia. However, the trend is also catching up in the west. One interesting example in the US market is Natural AI developed by California-based company Brain Technologies Inc. It strives to change the way people interact with their phones allowing them to solve multiple purposes from a single app.
Besides, you might have observed how Facebook has extended from just being a social media platform. It is now also offering marketplaces where people can buy and sell products. Similarly, you can now also pay bills and make payments from Amazon apart from online shopping.
The craze about super apps is not that high in the western world, as people prefer trying different solutions before settling on one. Still, convenience is what everyone seeks in the end. So, super apps are a mobile app development trend we should look forward to in 2022. - Mobile Commerce
The Ecommerce sector is responsible for sales worth $3.56 trillion, and 72.9% of these sales happen on mobile. Hence, mobile commerce is a rising app development trend.
We saw a significant lifestyle shift after the COVID pandemic. From large retailers to small businesses and individual consumers, everyone has started relying on mobile apps.
However, mobile commerce being a buzzword should not be the only reason you have an app for your business. There are many other reasons that we have elaborately covered in the blog on why you need an Ecommerce business app. You must check it out. - P2P Mobile Apps
P2P mobile apps are another key trend that will mark the mobile app development sector. According to eMarketer, the projected worth of P2P mobile transactions will reach $612.23 billion by 2023. It means there is a huge scope for P2P mobile apps at present.
Convenience is why P2P mobile apps are amassing popularity among businesses and users. Users can quickly pay, while sellers can directly receive payments into their account. Hence, there is no unnecessary hassle.
Here are some types of P2P mobile apps that we can see around us this year:
• Social media platforms with built-in payment features.
• Mobile OS systems with built-in systems for payments. Examples are Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay.
• Independent providers who are offering their own payment systems.
• P2P apps that involve a bank as a party to payment.
• Cryptocurrency wallets. - Blockchain
We first heard about Blockchain during the cryptocurrency boom. But now the technology has come a long way and is applicable in different areas. It is growing at a significant rate, and is expected to accumulate $20 billion in revenue by 2024. Blockchain is also playing a pivotal role in mobile app development.
Decentralized apps are a thing these days. There are over 70 million blockchain wallets out of which mobile wallets are the most preferred blockchain wallet form. These stats also show how the number of blockchain wallet users is significantly increasing, Besides, we also see currency converters that use Blockchain to track digital assets, secure digital identity, and keep track of loyalty programs.
In 2022 and beyond, we see the trend going more mainstream with intelligent contracts, anti-piracy software, tools to moderate elections, and Blockchain as a service (BaaS) platforms. Especially in mobile commerce and mobile payment apps, we can use Blockchain to prevent frauds from happening. - Predictive Analytics
Enterprises have been using predictive analytics in mobile apps for some time now. Netflix uses it to recommend movies and TV shows based on users’ watching habits. Also, Amazon leverages predictive analytics to personalize product recommendations.
• To Optimize the Development Process: Enterprises can process the data gathered from developers to discover issues before they occur and suggest better alternatives.
•To improve the User Experience: Businesses can use user data to predict the user’s actions and personalize their journey. - Mobile Learning
Mobile learning is famous for many reasons. First, it makes learning easily accessible. Learners feel empowered as they can learn from anywhere and anyone. Moreover, experiences like continuous feedback and 360-degree learning have made learning interactive and fun.
Even enterprises are now favoring mobile learning, as it leads to better course completion rates, faster learning, higher engagement, and better knowledge retention.
So, the demand for mobile learning apps is high. If you have a ground-breaking idea or a plan to launch a mobile learning solution to train your employees, this is the right time to contact a team that specializes in education app development. - IoT-Enabled Mobile Apps
The internet has crawled deep into our lives. From smartphones, laptops, and tablets to voice-controlled smart home devices – we are surrounded by devices connected to the Internet. The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a lot more than just a trend. With an estimated worth of $594 billion in 2022, it has become part & parcel of our daily life.
In the last few years, we saw brands like Amazon and Google fully utilize this technology. They strengthened the competition in IoT by introducing the “Echo” line of devices and Google Home Voice Controller respectively.
But now brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, Bosch, and Honeywell are also moving fast to Internet of Things technology. Continuous supply chains in retail, smart homes, and savvy health insurance plans are no more sci-fi stuff but have come to life in reality.
With the increase in demand for IoT gadgets and systems, the demand for IoT-enabled apps too will increase simultaneously; thus, included in our list of the top mobile app development trends 2022.
Courtesy: The Net Solutions