The Biggest Trends in Mobile App Development We’ve Seen This Year

In 1973, the mobile phone was born. After almost four decades, the Nokia 6110 featured a built-in version of the simple arcade game “Snake,” which many believe to be the first mobile application. Now, there are more than 275 billion mobile app downloads and approximately 5.34 billion unique mobile users on the planet. Over the decades, the world has witnessed a break-neck evolution of mobile application development and continues to shift rapidly.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or established business owner, you need to be aware of mobile app trends dominating 2022. Remaining abreast with the most recent mobile app development trends can help position yourself as an industry leader and stay ahead of the competitors.

Building and maintaining your mobile app as per ongoing trends is the best way to provide more value to customers, build a stronger brand, improve customer loyalty, and ultimately take your business to a new height of success. 

Without further ado, let’s explore the key trends in mobile app development we’ve seen this year that every business should be ready for.

Top 3 Mobile App Trends in 2022

The following trends are not only transforming the mobile app industry now, but their popularity will only grow in the years ahead.

AR/VR Integration has Evolved

AR and VR mobile app trends have become more apparent this year. The features no longer limited to gaming and entertainment. Today, these state-of-the-art technologies are in use for a wide range of use cases in mobile apps.

As per the Statista report, the worldwide market for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) reached $28 billion in 2021 and will surpass $250 billion by 2028.

source: Statista

And this rapid growth in AR and VR is opening up new growth opportunities for businesses worldwide. The fascination with AR and VR mobile app development has motivated many investors to put their money into this progressive industry.

Top VR and AR mobile app trends businesses are excited about in 2022 are:

• Nowadays, retail stores shifting to an Ecommerce app are incorporating AR and VR to allow customers to virtually preview and try products before making a purchase. For example, Nike, Lenskart, and Home Depot are using AR and VR to scan feet, try glasses and see products at home simultaneously. 
• The perfect blend of AR and AI plays a vital role in AR mobile apps based on Natural Language Processing technology, enhancing people’s online shopping experience. 
• Another trend in AR and VR is its application in navigation. For example, Google Maps Live View enables users to use augmented reality while walking.
• From remote surgery to mental health issues to complex diagnoses, the healthcare industry got new valuable tools and opportunities in many different areas with the help of AR and VR.
• We saw how the COVID-19 pandemic had reshaped education forever. Today, AR E-learning apps are helping teachers interact with their students more effectively and creatively by using animation and virtual graphics in real-time.

AI and ML Have Dragged their Feet 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are taking over nearly every market, and the mobile app market is no exception. Small businesses and enterprises alike are using AI and ML to create ground-breaking apps. 

These AI-powered apps are already helping businesses boost the personalized user experience, improve security, enhance search, read human emotions, recommend services and sustain current market competition and growth.

And in 2022, this trend shows no sign of stopping.

“It is estimated that the worldwide explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) business would be worth 5.5 billion dollars by 2022”, according to the NMSC. The market is expected to be worth $21 billion by 2030.

Today, the application of these avant-garde technologies is not just limited to smart assistants, Netflix recommendations, and chatbots. For example, the recent use case of AI was to track people violating quarantine rules in many countries. “CoreML 3” was also released by Apple to assist developers in incorporating artificial intelligence into their applications.

Besides, the following AI applications have been in trend in 2022 and can be implemented into a mobile app in the future:

5G Has Become the New Normal

The 5G has been the talk of the town for a while now. But this year, it is in the top app development trends. With lightning-fast speed, massive network capacity, ultra-low latency, and increased visibility, it’s only evident that 5G is on its way to transforming the world of mobile app development for the better. 

According to Ericsson’s Latest Mobility Report, Global 5G subscriptions are predicted to cross 1 billion by 2022. And it’s expected to reach 4.4 billion by the end of 2027.

 Source: Ericsson.com

Because 5G is bringing the most definitive change in mobile app development trends, it presents new opportunities to developers and tech-driven businesses to build ground-breaking apps that will allow faster and more tailored experiences for users. 

What Benefits of 5G will Impact The Future of Mobile app Development?

5G will allow companies to develop world-class applications with better user experiences, which is a decisive factor for using or deleting an app. Let’s look at the 5G revolution’s impact on smartphone app development. 

• 5G will be up to 100 times faster than 4G (with 319 terabytes per second)
• It’s likely to have just one-millisecond latency compared to 4 G’s 50. 
• 5G is expected to support up to 1 million smartphones per 0.38 squares miles
• There will be better performance and speed of video streaming apps.
• Augmented and virtual reality will be integrated into mobile apps to their fullest capabilities.
• As it will enable the integration of cloud technology into apps more effectively, the users will enjoy a richer experience by placing the app’s data within the cloud.
• 5G will have a substantial influence on the performance of IoT in mobile apps.
• Future years will see an increase in the usage of 3D technology like 3D modeling, 3D printing, 3D visualization, and 3D display.
• From increased load time to an attractive appearance, 5G will enhance the overall UI/UX of the mobile app.

Conclusion

Mobile app development is continually evolving to satisfy the demands and expectations of today’s smartphone users. To make your business app stand out, you have to stay on top of mobile app development trends and understand how you can use them to build a feature-rich app.

Incorporating these trends into your mobile app development is the only way to offer a personalized experience, attract potential users and survive the cut-throat competition.