THE 9 MOST IMPORTANT TRENDS FOR MOBILE APPS IN 2021
The mobile app development industry is constantly changing. As smartphones have become part of our lifestyle, most companies are trying to attract potential customers with mobile apps, as it's the one device we always have with us - at work, at home, and even on holiday.
COVID19 locked us in our homes for over a year, and mobile started to play an even more critical role in our daily lives - grocery shopping, lectures, games, streaming on OTT platforms, virtual meetings - all via smartphone!
That's why 2021 is the year of new and innovative trends in mobile app development. Blockchain for secure payments augmented reality for fun lessons, on-demand apps for home delivery of medicines - so much can be achieved with the plethora of new technologies in mobile app development!
Let's dive deeper into the nine major trends that will change the mobile app development landscape in 2021!
| 1. Blockchain technology
Blockchain can imagine as a digital balance sheet for all cryptocurrency transactions with complete transparency. It works a vital role in ensuring the security of electronic transactions made through mobile applications.
With COVID19 set to break from business as usual in 2020, the number of digital payments and mobile wallets has skyrocketed, so the best time to integrate blockchain technology into mobile apps and leverage its most excellent functionalities is NOW.
However, as blockchain involves processing a large amount of data, you need to clearly define your application's business requirements before entering the blockchain pool.
Reasons why mobile developers are excited about blockchain:
- Private decryption keys assigned to users ensure data security.
- Each transaction block contains a timestamp and data from the previous block, providing transparency to stakeholders.
- Secure mobile contactless payment.
| 2. Beacon technology
The iBeacon in 2013 and Eddystone in 2015 paved the way for the use of beacon technology in iOS and Android app development, and since then, it has been a widely discussed technology trend in mobile apps.
Beacon technology is an upcoming trend in mobile app development that uses Bluetooth Low Energy signals to transmit and connect to mobile devices at a distance of 100 meters.
Mobile apps using beacon technology will be able to suggest the best services nearby to the consumer based on the device's location.
However, when developing an app, a lot of information needs to be provided to the app, such as the user's preferences for notifications and the places they regularly visit.
As this is a relatively new trend, it would be advisable to hire the best mobile app development company to develop a signaling-based app for you.
Advantages of a signal-based app:
With further development and additional features, it could help services such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and pharmacies that rely on residents for their business.
In emergencies, it can be a lifeline for consumers.
| 3. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has only been used in mobile apps for virtual assistants, photo editing software, and chatbots. However, in 2021, it can further integrate into mobile apps.
For one thing, it will make the mobile app development process more manageable.
Given information about the mobile app development process so far, you can create a mobile app without any instructions. If the app encounters any problems, the integration of AI can solve them in real-time.
Secondly, we can use AI to mimic user behavior by following the patterns provided.
For example, Amazon uses machine learning to recommend products to users. It stores all the data about the purchase, and the next time the app is opened, the user redirects to the recommended page.
In this way, you can enter all the necessary data into your mobile phone and control all your possessions with an artificial intelligence built-in app.
A mobile app with artificial intelligence you can count on.
- Compilers
- Face recognition
- Adaptive battery
| 4. 5G connectivity
As COVID19 brings us home, high-bandwidth, high-speed internet has become a necessity, not a luxury.
Faster downloads and better streaming are welcome, but 5G has the potential to change the landscape of mobile app development as we know it.
Here are some of the 5G-enabled apps to look out for this year.
OTT platforms for 4k streaming: low latency, high speed, that's what we need to make our viewing experience better.
Virtual reality-based gaming apps
Highly accurate location tracker: improved communication area and connectivity, which will allow GPS-enabled apps to locate more accurately
Faster data transfer means less strain on the hardware, so battery consumption is much lower than 4G.
| 5. Instant apps
Instant apps are becoming a trend in mobile app development, and the future of marketing has never been brighter.
Instant apps can give you an experience without you having to share any information or download anything. The app doesn't take up a single byte of memory, and you can use the essential functions without interfering with the system.
** Advantages for developers**
- Easy to develop
- Fewer resources are needed to build them.
- E-commerce and gaming applications can use them for marketing purposes.
| 6. Cross-platform mobile app development
Developers have always preferred the slogan "Write Once Run Anywhere.
."
Native applications are resource-intensive because they require two applications with separate development and support teams and two completely different codebases. It is a poor UX. The battle of web apps vs. native apps vs. hybrid apps continued without a clear winner.
The failure of hybrid apps to deliver the expected experience and functionality ushered in the era of cross-platform development, particularly mobile app development frameworks like Flutter.
Alibaba and Google Ads are two apps that use Flutter and have a great UI and rich features.
Advantages of cross-platform mobile apps
The app can run on any device user and get the same UI and user experience.
A support team is sufficient because it is compatible with different operating systems.
Fewer upfront costs, therefore, less risk for investors and developers.
| 7. On-demand applications
On-demand applications are becoming a means of communication between companies and potential customers.
And why not?
On-demand apps use the device's location to recommend nearby providers for any services the app user may need, and come with a rating option, GPS tracking option and push notifications.
Customers get instant access to urgently needed local services, and businesses can reach their customers without having to woo them with a series of emails and push notifications.
They have been game-changers in the hospitality industry, healthcare, and even in ordinary grocery shops.
Uber and Airbnb have managed to make millions using this mobile app development trend!
Benefits of on-demand apps:
Consumers can have their preferred service providers automatically listed. Once you buy from a particular provider, the on-demand app will add it to your favorites, and the next time you buy, it will come right after.
You can easily track your packages and purchases.
You can always tell the vendor if you are happy or disappointed, and the app will give you recommendations based on your feedback.
| 8. Augmented reality
With 50% of the world's population owning smartphones, developers can finally experiment and create augmented reality applications. Indeed, while web applications have been tested, they lack engaging mobile applications that they have.
2021 is certain that game developers are making good use of the popular augmented reality development tools Unity 3D and ARPA to create immersive game applications for avid gamers using augmented reality.
Benefits of mobile applications using augmented reality:
It has significant implications for the distance learning industry. Courtesy of COVID19 is already grappling with AR-based educational apps that are launching new and more innovative teaching and learning ways.
They can replace brochures to give tourists a real insight into what is on offer!
Augmented reality-based applications, such as AccuVein and Sagara, have helped medical professionals diagnose diseases and provided crucial information during surgery.
Sephora and L'Oréal have created virtual fitting rooms in their apps using AR to allow customers to decide what is best for them.
| 9. Accelerated mobile pages
AMP is an open-source framework that speeds up searches on a smartphone and improves the user experience.
Created by Google in collaboration with Twitter, AMP ensures that pages load instantly for search results. As part of this, the HTML and CSS code simplifies to work better on mobile devices. But the core component is the AMP CDN, which stores pages with search results and immediately converts them into AMP code. With faster loading pages, users get results faster, and businesses can improve their SEO score and move up in the SERPs.
** Benefits of mobile apps with AMP: **
It creates better marketing opportunities for businesses through better SEO. By reducing the loading time by just one second, the chances of conversion increase by 7%.
It increases engagement between businesses and potential customers, resulting in a higher conversion rate.
Server load minimizes as the AMP CDN responds to searches.
Overall, they ensure that consumers and businesses get the most out of this mobile age!
You can do a lot for your business if you hire a top mobile app development company in India to guide you in mobile apps' features and appeal. At Radixweb, our goal is to keep your business requirements and goals at the forefront while creating mobile applications that will keep customers connected to your service!