There are many unforeseen changes in 2021. The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way we live. Many businesses are now struggling to adapt to this new customer behavior; industries need to act fast, explore new opportunities and take advantage of the latest technology trends. And this also applies to the relatively young and adaptable mobile app market.
Smartphones and tablets are undoubtedly our “to-go” devices, taking up 3 hours and 50 minutes of our attention per day in 2021. The average regular time spent on portable devices has been steadily increasing for years, and this trend expects to continue in the future. Most of this time is, of course, spent on mobile apps. No wonder mobile apps are considered essential for customer success long before 2021.
While the coronavirus has led to stagnation of mobile apps in some categories, others, on the contrary, are experiencing phenomenal growth. For example, in the first half of March 2021, downloads of the Instacart app increased by more than 200% from February to mid-March as consumers dreaded going to the grocery shop during the coronavirus outbreak. Other popular grocery delivery apps also seem to be doing well.
Five factors are influencing the cost of iOS app development.
At the same time, innovations and new mobile app trends are emerging, so the latter is pushing the boundaries while the former are trying to make their mark in the annual battle for a place among the top mobile app trends.
So what are the key current trends in mobile app development that publishers should keep in mind as they adapt to the ‘new reality?
The top mobile app development trends that will dominate in 2021
| 5G
The introduction of 5G technology will undoubtedly significantly impact mobile app development trends in general. The number of 5G connections worldwide expect to grow to 1.1 billion by 2025. It says that 5G will change the way apps are used and created.
The speed of the new material model is a giant leap forward. According to an analysis by Open Signal between 1 July and 28 September this year, 5G users often experience download speeds many times faster than 4G.
5G is a natural evolution of the previous generations – 3G and 4G. It will improve internet speeds on mobile phones and increase the functionality of mobile applications.
5G’s incredible ability to connect up to a million devices per square kilometer could make the idea of connecting everything from mobile phones to cars, fridges, washing machines, security cameras, and other electronics a reality.
| App Clips from
App Clips is a feature of Apple 2021 that has become a star among the latest trends in mobile app development. It attempts to level the sporting field for mobile apps by harnessing the power of Apple’s entire software and hardware ecosystem. The main idea behind App Clips is to allow users to preview and use an app without having to download or install it on their device.
All Clips integrates with the entire Apple ecosystem, including Apple Pay. You can read more about the use cases for App Clips in our article on this feature. Indeed, many developers and brands worldwide are finding numerous ways to use this new feature to their advantage. The decisive advantage of App Clips over Instant Apps and Progressive Web Apps may well be true.
The number of users turning to apps rather than websites for e-commerce or restaurant and food delivery is growing. This fact, combined with the post-pandemic heavy use habits of contactless shopping, mobile payments, and mobile wallets, will undoubtedly influence the development of the App Clips feature. Without risk, we can call this feature one of the biggest mobile app trends of 2021.
| IoT
By 2022, the IoT market in the US expects to exceed $500 billion. The lion’s share of this will be the consumer electronics segment, with a size of $180 billion. The Internet of Things is steering the business by storm. This very advanced technology is also one of the most human-like, influencing how they interact or even how they live in their homes.
The IoT provides users with a convenient and relatively easy environment to interact with devices and gadgets in real-time and expand as a technology-driven network of intelligent devices and objects. The most prominent area that the IoT will impact is certainly intelligent home automation. More and more extra smartphone users are checking their electronic devices at home with apps. Forecasts predict that around 50 billion of these IoT things will be in use worldwide by 2030, creating a vast mesh of interconnected projects ranging from smartphones to kitchen appliances.
In addition, the IoT also has the potential to share data within the network. All this will (and definitely should) attract the attention of the app industry, making IoT one of the preferred trends for mobile app developers.
| Voice
Voice recognition and communication are already disrupting industries beyond technology, changing the face of retail, customer service, and telemarketing. Gartner predicts that 30% of web browsing will do via voice by 2030. VUI (Voice User Interface) uses voice recognition technology to create a connection between the user and the device or specific technology that understands their current needs and can also predict the future.
The undeniable market potential of voice search is not being overlooked by mobile app vendors, as the popularity of VUI is growing even as we speak. TechCrunch reports that 66.4 million Americans own a smart speaker. Businesses should take note of this trend in mobile app development when thinking about their product in 2021.
| Instant Apps
Google introduced Android Instant Apps in 2016 as a new configuration of software that is decidedly convenient from the user’s point of view and most challenging from the developer’s point of view. So they are not new or uncommon in Android app development, but they are becoming increasingly popular. They allow the user to play a mobile game or try out the app without installing it on the device. Instant apps are compatible with all Android gadgets, require significantly less memory, and usually have a user-friendly UI design.
These benefits, combined with the fact that instant apps are beneficial for the mobile gaming and e-commerce industries, are sure to secure this technology a secure place among the mobile app trends of 2021.
| Mobile-first leisure
The need to lock down in 2021 has changed the way people shop and engage in leisure activities. It will benefit the gaming industry, especially the mobile games segment. Overall, mobile games will generate $77.2 billion in revenue in 2021, representing +13.3% year-on-year growth.
The lock-in forced to retreat to in-home entertainment leads to the increased time spent on mobile devices and the expanding demand for mobile games and apps that can help make that time productive or even beneficial. Users are choosing TV streaming apps like Netflix, apps for workouts and relaxation at home, mobile games with augmented reality like Pokemon Go or Witcher Monster Slayer – these types of portable products as an alternative to activities no longer possible in times of social distancing. The relatively low barrier to owning a mobile device will give the mobile entertainment segment a big boost.
| Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Last but not least. AI was also listed among the top trends for mobile apps in 2021. And we’ll probably be reading about it for a few more years in a row. Research on AI has not stopped even in the face of the global epidemic. This technology has changed the world in ways never seen before, and 2021 will bring even more disruptive and unique changes.
It is no wonder that we can expect the significant impact of artificial intelligence on mobile app development. Thanks to cloud computing, which has brought a tremendous amount of power to AI modeling, intelligent devices can benefit from this technology without exhausting their processors.
Advanced search engines, virtual assistants, marketplaces, business automation, and user preference recognition – all of these advances are now incorporated into the smartphone economy on a large scale. Indeed, the incorporation of AI and ML solutions into the mobile space is one factor that has contributed and will contribute to the mobile segment performing as well as it has.
| Summary
Every year brings with it innovations and trends that point to change. The state of knowledge is constantly evolving, and there is no other way but to adapt to it. Trying to build a successful mobile app with technology considered innovative five years ago probably wouldn’t guarantee that it would make it to market. It is crucial and sensible to assume the emerging or at least the latest trends that dominate the top app development companies in India.
