Following the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear exactly how much we can, and we do rely on technology to help us in our day-to-day life. The mobile application market has been burning since the first lock-down and in 2020 it was worth $318 billion. According to Statista, the mobile app market is expected to climb to $613 by 2025- a growth promising many opportunities for mobile software developers to build and deliver extraordinary mobile applications. This is why mobile apps are considered a smart business move in 2022.

With the technology advancements, consumer demands, and many other factors, mobile app trends are on the rise, but also hard to keep up with. Staying up to date with the latest mobile app trends is the most vital thing for businesses that want to leverage mobile apps to boost user interaction, retention, and increase sales. Furthermore, with the rise of mobile application trends, it becomes clear why investing in an app is a smart business move, one every business needs to consider. 

What are the Application Development Industry Trends in 2022?

caption mobile app development trends 2022

Armed with the tools for app development that will help you dominate your market, following these app development trends can be a game-changer for your company and your business mobile app.

• 5G

Where once 5G was just an idea in the making, now it has become an industry standard. With 5G everything we do on our phones from this year on will be faster and more efficient. While some application development trends end up being just a one-year trend, 5G will change the way mobile apps are being built. With so many advantages of the 5G coming with every new device, developers have more opportunities to create faster, more efficient, and innovative apps.

Furthermore, it will be easier for businesses to move to 5G in 2022 because many mobile operators stated they will dedicate as much as 80% of their profit to building 5G networks until 2025, according to GMSA Mobile Economy 2021 Report. Also, 5G technology may pave the way for Open-Ran, an open radio access network, which is an industry-wide standard for RAN interfaces that support the exchange of information between vendors' equipment.

• Mobile Commerce

Another thing the COVID-19 pandemic changed significantly is the way people go shopping. With the restrictions and lockdowns, people globally had to rely on the online eCommerce sector. To stay afloat, many businesses and retailers relied on mobile apps to earn profit during the crisis. And it worked. Not only that, but mobile apps during the pandemic also provided a much-needed sense of normality to all people by allowing them to shop for groceries, clothes, and other essentials.

Now, however, businesses are facing much larger competition and the only way to come out on top is to leverage an eCommerce business app.

Not only is an eCommerce app easy to use and gives easy access to products and services to its users, but it's also a great marketing tool. By using mCommerce platforms as a marketing channel, you directly connect to the end-users. Now, all it takes is a few push notifications of the latest deal, or a newsfeed informing them about the new offer, and you'll have better chances of reaching your target customers. Furthermore, if they decide to purchase your service or a product, this type of app will offer faster transactions for them, and they can get what they want in a shorter amount of time.

Mobile eCommerce can also increase in-store sales. Your users may use your mobile eCommerce app to check for product availability, pricing options, and reviews. By the time they come to the store, they've already decided to purchase your product.

• Blockchain

One of the biggest concerns of mobile app users is the misuse of their personal data. Blockchain technology trends can solve this issue because it provides decentralized databases. So, those mobile apps that use blockchain technology for security purposes become end-to-end encrypted. This means no person or company has the rights to the data or to modify the data. E-banking systems and e-wallets use blockchain technology for safer digital transactions and knowing how to find an app development company you can trust is imperative if you want to build this type of mobile application.

Keeping duplicate records and third-party validations can make any system vulnerable to fraud and cyberattacks. Blockchain is a members-only network, meaning you'll be receiving timely and accurate data, which can be shared only with those to whom you specifically granted access. As all transactions are recorded permanently, they are immutable, and not even a system administrator can delete them. And lastly, every transaction can be sped up with something called a smart contract- a set of rules which is stored on the blockchain and can be executed automatically. So, when it comes to security, blockchain is guaranteed to give you that and then some.

• Augmented Reality Technology

All the latest mobile app development trends include AR as a way to give a personalized experience to the end-user. Sellers and retailers can use AR to showcase their products in a more realistic way and even give their customers an option to try on clothes virtually before making a purchase. 

However, AR is not just a great trend to follow for retailers. Google Maps has something called ''Live View'‘; a feature created with the help of augmented reality technology. It lets you see the route in real-time on real-world images. We also must mention Pokémon Go which paved the way for AR in mobile app development with its unique and revolutionary way of using AR to engage its users.

Out of all trends, AR offers the most unique digital experience to the users. The best thing about it- your users don't need any special platform, hardware, or software to enjoy it. AR was first labeled as a gaming and entertainment technology, but there are so many examples of AR being used by businesses to increase user engagement. Those are the businesses that also managed to stand out from the crowd and cast a shadow on their competition by using AR to its full capacity. With AR they were able to come up with more creative campaigns that increased their position in the market.

• Wearable Technology

No matter how convenient and easy mobiles are and how they've absolutely minimized the user's effort needed to handle one, we still need to use at least one hand for them. Driving with the phone has even become punishable by law since mobile phones prove to be a distraction during rides. 

This is the reason why wearables have gained such popularity and the industry has been growing more each year. Manufacturers and developers today are designing several different versions of smartwatches and smart earbuds and all of them allow their users to take phone calls and navigate their destination while being engaged in another activity. Today, wearables are an industry valued at over $44 billion and one of the top mobile application trends.

Mobile-first Approach in Application Development

Cell phones today are being used more than ever and are embedded in our daily routines. With their busy schedules, people have just a few moments to check for news while waiting for the train or an appointment. All the downtime we have is being used to ''check something online'' and it's no surprise that on average people use their phones as much as 5 hours per day. 

The term ''mobile-first'' was coined by Google CEO Eric Schmidt back in 2010 when he first recognized that developing and designing applications for mobiles has great potential. Mobile-first approach was supposed to fix the problem of desktop applications giving a low-quality user experience when switched to mobile, which was always a problem between different app development platforms. However, if the applications were created and designed with the mobile-first approach, prioritizing features and capabilities of this app development platform, developers would get a space where they can be creative about how to engage users. 

The ''Mobile-first'' approach is specifically important in design. The mobile-first design means that you start designing a mobile app from the mobile end, which has more restrictions. Once you satisfy the mobile platform criteria you can expand the app's features to create a desktop or a tablet version. This method is also called progressive advancement. However, if the designers decide to do it the other way around, start building the app from an advanced end like a desktop then gradually cut some functions or content to make it compatible with the mobile end, this method is called graceful degradation.

How to Get Started with Quantox App Development for Your Business?

Quantox Technology prides itself on staying on top of the latest mobile app development trends but also on using our in-house genius to come up with new and innovative ways our clients can improve their customer retention and user experience. With more than 16 years of knowledge and experience in the app development industry, we can accurately predict what the future app development trends will be and ensure our clients are one step ahead of the game. The future of mobile apps is with Quantox! Let’s Talk!

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