Table Of Contents
AR/VR
IoT
Beacon technology
AI and ML
Blockchain
Mobile Apps are constantly evolving.
The mobile application industry has come a long way since Nokia started installing the famous snake game on its mobile phone devices in the 90s. After WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) failed to meet the needs of consumers, years of platform wars ensued. Emerging triumphantly, Apple and Google ushered in a new era for open-source applications that elated consumers using devices like the original iPhone. In 2008, Apple launched the Apple app store, followed by Google Play in 2012, and the rest is history. Consumers started downloading as many mobile apps as their smart devices could handle.
Fast forward to 2022, and mobile app innovation is soaring to new heights. Though many innovations are taking shape in the mobile app sphere, five cutting-edge trends top the charts: AR/VR, IoT, Beacon technology, AI/ML, and Blockchain.
Which cutting-edge trends are soaring in mobile application development?
AR/VR
Augmented reality and virtual reality are becoming more prominent in mobile applications spanning multiple industries, including gaming, fashion, education, healthcare, aviation, manufacturing, real estate, and many more. While augmented reality focuses on enhancing real experiences through partial immersion, virtual reality creates a virtual world enabling users to interact directly with it.
Augmented reality allows users to enhance the real world by overlaying graphics and animations on top of reality. These enhancements augment reality-based experiences with the help of mobile apps and mobile devices.
On the other hand, virtual reality invites users into a simulated reality and typically requires a VR headset to provide the virtual experience. VR headsets can now connect to mobile apps to provide VR users with simulated experiences on the go.
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IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) allows mobile applications on mobile devices to connect to other smart devices via a network to exchange data. With IoT, mobile apps will enable you to control your smart television, your smart refrigerator, smart washing machine, smart lighting system, smart security system, and more. The interconnectedness of IoT technology with mobile apps lets users access most anything from their fingertips.
Beacon technology
Beacons use low-bandwidth Bluetooth to send signals to nearby smart devices with wireless transmitters. Anytime a user with a Bluetooth-enabled smart device comes in close proximity to a Beacon, it triggers the user’s device. Businesses across many industries utilize beacon technology to notify prospective customers of promotional offerings based on a user’s location. For example, you cross the street near a clothing retailer, and your mobile smartphone alerts you to a 10% off coupon. Or, you round the corner near a restaurant, and your mobile smartphone alerts you to the daily lunch special. From Emergency services to hospitality and retail providers, beacon technology drives foot traffic to physical locations.
AI and ML
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are becoming ever more pervasive in technology, especially in mobile applications. Open-source technologies offered by tech giants like Amazon and Google enable developers globally to enter into the mix. The result provides users with smarter, more intelligent applications that enhance a user’s quality of life.
Some examples include chatbots and virtual assistants, which use AI and ML to provide answers to queries in both text and speech forms. Another is autocorrecting AI/ML technology, helping craft emails and written documents by suggesting sentence completion and grammatical modifications. In gaming, AI creates human-like (and sometimes smarter than human) opponents to play against, providing an interactive experience without the need to interact with other human beings. In healthcare, AI and ML are helping to provide diagnostic information to doctors and patients.
Ultimately, AI and ML in mobile apps are helping organizations increase profitability through revenue generation and decreasing overhead expenses.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology is a trend that is just starting to impact mobile application development in a big way. Through its premise of decentralization, mobile DApps are just beginning to arrive. Entities do not own DApps like typical mobile applications, and access does not come through centralized app stores like Google Play or Apple’s App store. The installation of DApps occurs through web browsers, especially those evolving to web 3.0. DApps can be found on different marketplaces and can integrate with e-wallets. The backend code of DApps comprises smart contracts, which run on a decentralized network. The advantage of this backend technology means no downtime as long as the network is active.
Mobile Apps are constantly evolving.
The list of five cutting-edge trends in mobile application development is by no means comprehensive. Mobile apps continue to evolve as new innovative technologies come to life and older ones are applied to mobile use cases. With billions of mobile device users and more interconnectedness between smart devices than ever before, it stands to reason that mobile app technology still has a long road ahead. So, strap in and get ready for a ride filled with novelties to make your lives easier, more enhanced, and more connected.
References
- 5 Things You Need to Know About Beacon Technology (wordstream.com)
- Beacon – Wikipedia
- What is the Internet of Things (IoT)? – Definition from Techopedia
- What is the Difference Between AR and VR? (Infographic) (hp.com)
- The Evolution of Mobile Apps – 1994 through 2016 (arkenea.com)
- 1983 to today: a history of mobile apps | Media &Tech Network | The Guardian
- History of Mobile Apps.pdf (uky.edu)
- Top 17 Mobile App Development Trends in 2021 (mobileappdaily.com)
- App Development Trends 2022 – Business of Apps