Here are the most important mobile app development trends to watch out for in 2018

Mobile is becoming a main stream and businesses from all industries are relying on apps to meet customer demands. Mobile app development has changed a lot in the recent years and we can expect to see many improvements in 2018. New markets will be created, as apps will become faster and do things that they couldn’t do last year. Mobile apps are no longer restricted to social networking, internet marketing and e-commerce, but are reaching out to improve the life of each and every individual.

 

Mobile apps of today are transforming the technology world, as more and more people are engaged through mobile phones. You must have a website or mobile app for making your business to grow, regardless of the industry you belong to.

 

With every passing year, we could see the apps reaching next level of creativity, resolving problems efficiently in real time. This would not have been possible without latest technological advancements like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, etc. Thanks to the machine learning frameworks and Chatbot development tools that are helping developers to build innovative apps.

 

The mobile app development industry is dominated by lifestyle apps, gaming apps, social media apps etc. A lot of companies are using mobile apps for branding and marketing.

 

To get ahead of your competitors, you should get acquainted with the latest trends in app development. Below is the list of the best mobile app development trends that determine the future of app development.

 

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT

Today, every component of technology sector is employed with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. According to sources, the AI market is expected to experience a growth of more than $50 billion by the end of 2018. The market for wearable gadgets continues to explode, as more and more features are getting introduced in smartdevices.

 

With the increasing demand of IoT solutions, IoT is revolutionizing businesses processes significantly. In this regard, mobile apps have become a key part in the success of IoT. Mobile apps will make most out of AI and IoT technology in the coming years, making them adaptable to consumers.

 

2. Augmented Reality (AR)

The term Virtua Reality (VR) redefines the world. While the year 2017 witnessed obsessive gaming trends such as Pokemon Go, we can expect the year 2018 to dominate other sector as well. The impact of your content can be bolstered with AR videos and graphics giving your app with new reality. Amazon Go is considered as the best VR app and is leveraging AR technology to disrupt retail sector.

 

Augmented Reality is the combination of real world with virtual reality. The AR tools can be used in a productive way in different sectors such as retail shopping, hotels, schools etc.

 

3. Cyber security

Whether it is mobile app of IoT, cyber security is an important aspect of technological advancement. The latest shift from Objective-C to own coding language is a key reminder for developers to integrate cyber security in app development. As the technology advances, hackers will get new opportunities to do unethical activities.

 

Mobile security is going to be a key focus for app developers to cut back the risk of data leakage. More authentication and data encryption will demand a controlled and secured mobile functionality. The business of mobile security is going to inflate at its most in 2018.

 

4. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

AMP is nothing but a stripped down version of HTML that accelerates the speed of mobile pages. This allows developer to create apps with fast loading speed and high performance across mobile devices. This initiative allows a higher performance to web content as well as the ads running on the site.

 

Google’s AMP enables an isolated search index for mobile app pages, aiding the mobile apps to load faster.  Speed and performance are the two important factors for mobile web. In this regard, AMP has benefitted mobile app developers, marketers, publishers and owners with great visibility on search engine result pages (SERP) and boost downloads. AMP is expected to be one of the important mobile app development trends in 2018.

 

 

5. Cloud based technology

Cloud technology is something that every app should be incorporated with. The cloud technology presents a number of benefits such as – streamlining the operations, reduction in equipment and hosting cost, enhanced storage capability, increased productivity etc. adaption of could technology is a must, if you want your app to function seamlessly across multiple platforms.

 

A cloud driven app can be accessed over the internet by different types of computing devices. Developers won’t have to go through the hassle of developing apps separately for iOS, Android and Windows — as app can be accessed easily on any internet-enabled device with browser. This technology eliminates the threat of data loss and is cost effective even in high demand.

 

6. Focus on enterprise and smart apps

It is predicted that by the year 2019, more than 60% of software interactions take place through mobile apps. There will be an increasing demand for enterprise apps by the end of 2017. For many business users, apps will go from mobile-first to mobile only.

 

Smart apps give you control over many thing such as – home light, locks and other security features right from your mobile device. Apple has already released their smart home mobile app that would allow users to integrate objects like – smart TV through a single tap on mobile screen. This mobile app trend is going to be a great move in 2018.

 

7. Chatbots

Chatbots are already helping you do things like – buying online stuff, organizing daily tasks, book tickets and many more. Every tech giant is investing thousands of dollars into creating Chatbots with human touch. Whether it is Google’s Allo or Microsoft’s Azure Bot —- all are meant to help developers to build a fully functional bot.

 

Chatbots are related to artificial intelligence and deserve to have their own category — as they became mainstream ever since Facebook Messenger opened up its own platform to build third-party bots.

 

8. User developed apps

There are hundreds of low code or no code tools available today that help users to create fully functional apps with ease. A person with zero technical expertise can also create an app within a few weeks. However, these tools cannot deliver custom functionality that is needed for complex apps. Today, businesses no longer need to spend months or years to wait for development team to roll out new app.

 

Some of the tools like Google’s App Maker allow businesses create apps that provide business functionality like project management, customer support and CRM.

 

9. Mobile payment integration

Mobile payments are evolving a lot in the recent years, as more and more brands are stepping into the industry to deliver what businesses and consumers want from services and apps that let users pay through their phones.

 

There has been a significant increase in mobile transactions in the recent years. The emergence of integrated payment technology has helped many businesses deliver a differentiated experience, making the payment process in a fast and easier way.

 

Conclusion

The above 9 mobile app development trends will have a strong affect in 2018. Companies are hiring AI and AR experts to shape mobile app development with dedicated apps. Better security and data storage has become mandatory for mobile apps. AMP and cloud based apps are constantly increasing, while poorly designed mobile apps are disliked by users.

 

Competition in mobile app development is becoming tougher day by day with the ever changing demand of users.With huge advancements in mobile app development, we can expect the next generation mobile apps to make our lives much easier.

 

Companies need to stay up-to-date with the changing trends to encourage users to use their apps. Make sure that you are on the top of game, as several innovations gear up to disrupt the market in 2018.