The current technological innovations are destined to revolutionise the world of app development, and not only, in the coming years. App development is a constantly growing sector, and the immediate future could see unprecedented scenarios for software houses. Let’s find out which trends and innovations the software houses like HT Apps are keeping an eye on.
A WORLD OF INTEGRATED INNOVATIONS
App development is the field that creates mobile applications and, given its technological nature, is constantly evolving.
Before diving into the innovations and trends related to app development in the period ahead, it should be emphasised that these trends are destined to interact with each other, opening up new and still partly unexplored scenarios. Mobile applications are increasingly central to the digital ecosystem as they have introduced a real revolution in consumer habits and the way companies do business.
To anticipate some of them, just think of the possibilities offered by the interaction between 5G and virtual reality, or the potential of artificial intelligence for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Let’s see in detail which innovations and trends will have a great influence in the world of app development.
THE POSSIBILITIES OF 5G
The 5G connection is destined to profoundly change the way of living the use of digital devices and internet connection. With a latency time reduced by at least 10 times compared to the previous technology, 5G improves connection efficiency, stability, and speed. The first smartphones capable of managing the 5G connection are already on the market and according to a study conducted by Statista the 5G connection will reach almost 2 billion users by 2024. The fifth generation of connection will therefore allow a large number of users to take advantage of an immediate, “seamless” user experience, and to obtain faster downloads.Thanks to these features it will be possible to develop apps able to offer to the user increasingly immersive and interactive experiences. This possibility, combined with new developments in the field of virtual reality opens up new scenarios in entertainment, engineering and many other areas.
MORE INTEGRATION WITH THE INTERNET OF THINGS
The Internet of Things, or IoT, is the technology that allows different devices to communicate. According to data released by the 2020 Internet of Things Observatory of the School of Management of the Politecnico of Milano, “the Internet of Things” grew by 24% compared to 2019, for a value of 6.2 billion for the Italian market. Moreover, according to the research conducted by GlobalData, the IoT market will reach 318 billion by 2023. Given the increasing use of devices, wereables, sensors and domotics, it can be safely stated that this interconnection between devices will be one of the most relevant trends of the next period that software houses can’t ignore when developing apps. On the other hand, giants like Google are already moving in this direction, so it is good to keep up the pace.
VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY
Virtual and augmented reality has contributed a great deal to innovation in app development in recent years and the number of sectors exploiting these technologies is expected to increase in the future. According to Statista, the global market for AR and VR technologies will reach around 209 billion in 2022. These encouraging figures have underlined the importance of integrating these technologies into mobile applications. The sectors in which they are applied are diverse: from healthcare to retail, from education to travel, where VR and AR could significantly improve the user experience.
BEACON TECHNOLOGY
Beacon technology, the innovative BLE-based technology that is revolutionising many fields, from marketing to social media, is one of the trends for app development in 2021. Beacons are indoor localisation solutions. They are active sensors based on BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology that have the ability to connect and transmit data to mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. However, these mobile devices must be equipped with an app to read the communications transmitted by the Beacons. To date, in fact, there are ‘standard’ apps (especially for the Android world) capable of deciphering Beacons of various kinds, but the potential of this technology is maximised mainly by the implementation of dedicated applications. This means that there are many opportunities for developers. This is not only because the demand for ad hoc apps is growing, but also because Beacons are making their way into a growing number of sectors, from the health sector to the cultural one.
WEARABLES
Closely related to IoT is the field of wearables, those devices that allow to monitor vital parameters and report notifications of other devices. The increasingly affordable price and the ease of use of these devices are points in favor that will push software houses to refine the development of apps that are meant to interact with wearables.
FOLDABLE DESIGN
Software houses have to keep an eye also on trends related to smartphones’ (and not only) design: in recent times, smartphones with foldable screen have made their appearance on the market, which will need apps able to make the most of their characteristics.
MOBILE E-COMMERCE, MOBILE PAYMENTS AND MOBILE WALLET
Another research conducted by Statista shows that most online purchases are made from mobile. The numbers show that more than 70% of online purchases are made from mobile and this percentage is set to rise: the same research estimates that by 2021 mobile purchases will reach almost 73%. This ever-growing trend is bound to affect the focus of software houses, which will increasingly improve the app development aspects related to mobile e-commerce. It should also be added that, beyond purchases from e-commerce platforms, an increasing amount of transitions are made from mobile. Mobile payments are an ever-growing trend, accelerated by the ease of use of mobile wallets, which allow to manage money from an app and offer the possibility to integrate additional security systems thanks to the possibility to use facial recognition to approve transitions. In summary, everything related to the development of apps related to purchases, transitions and management of money from mobile will see further development in the coming years.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS AND CHATBOTS
The implementation of artificial intelligence will surely be one of the crucial points that software houses cannot but dwell on. Increasingly sophisticated speech recognition technologies, “educated” to learn dialect and voice inflections, will allow an even more intuitive use of apps and devices. In fact, we are moving towards what has been called conversational marketing, promoted by the development of advanced chatbots and virtual assistants that are able to manage human-like conversations. The increasingly natural and effective responses of artificial intelligence will allow the user to obtain ever more precise information and ever more efficient assistance. In addition, it should be emphasised that virtual assistants and chatbots might be able, one day, to carry out the same tasks that apps now perform. This means that maybe, in the future, artificial intelligence would have the potential to replace apps.
BLOCKCHAIN
Blockchain technology will also be applied more and more in the world of app development, especially with regard to data security, transitions and online purchases. The functioning of the blockchain system allows in fact to reduce intermediaries and this offer greater protection to data.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS?
The aforementioned innovations are some key points that software houses will need to take into account when developing apps. The world of apps is growing and expanding, but it is also highly competitive. That’s why incorporating emerging technologies into the development of mobile applications will become increasingly important to stand out. For any business wishing to enter the market today, considering the relevance of mobile apps and smartphones is a must. People’s lives are increasingly linked and dependent on this communication channel. Mobile is the present and the future.The need to be constantly updated is in fact necessary to keep up with the innovations brought by technology, that’s why it is essential to rely on the software houses like HT Apps that are able to deal with increasingly advanced and sophisticated apps, tailored to every need.