In order to be successful in any business, you’ve got to always keep your finger on the pulse.
Stay updated with industry trends in addition to researching your competitors. It’s no secret that our world is moving in a mobile direction.
That’s why every business, regardless of the industry, needs to stay updated with new mobile trends. This is especially important for business + write for us companies with a mobile presence, such as an app or mobile site.
Whether you’re a mobile app developer or you run a local pizza shop, it’s important to stay educated in the mobile space.
This statement holds true for those of you who don’t have a mobile app as well. That’s because you should be thinking about mobile application development if you’re not already in the process.
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But with so many channels of information at your fingertips, it can be difficult to determine what trends are legitimate and which ones are just a fad or fake news. That’s what inspired me to create this guide.
As an industry expert in the mobile space, I’ve narrowed down the top 17 mobile technology waves for the coming year. Here’s what you need to know.
- Android Instant Apps are on the rise
Android app developers or people who have an app available on the Google Play Store have probably heard of Android Instant Apps.
These are native apps that don’t require installation and run instantly, hence the name.
This technology is now available to all developers. So whether you’re an existing Android developer or a new one, anyone has access to this type of development.
Android Instant apps are revolutionary for both developers and users. Now a user can run an app and test it out without needing to download it first.
This works on the newest Android devices. It’s supported by devices from Android 5.0 to Android 8.0, or API level 21 to API level 26.
Having a smooth Instant App will be necessary to get users to download your app. If they don’t have a good experience when they’re trying it out, they probably won’t install it.
This new technology also poses some new questions. Will Apple follow this trend and create a similar feature for there app store?
As of now, this feature is strictly for Android devices. But I’ll be interested to see how this plays out over the next year. You should keep an eye on this as well.
- Mobile artificial intelligence
In 2024, we are one step closer to robots taking 2020 Youtube Rewind over the world. I’m kidding, of course.
While we’re not quite there yet, we are seeing more and more advances in artificial intelligence, especially in the mobile industry.
Some AI software that you might be familiar with include:
Siri
Cortana
Alexa
Google Assistant
But now regular mobile apps are using voice recognition software and AI to enhance the user experience. Voice recognition also improves hands-free use. Some mobile app accessibility is also linked to AI.
Artificial intelligence is used to bridge translation gaps with voice recognition. Understanding the user’s voice will help developers and marketers learn more about these people.
As a result, you’ll be able to target users better and generate more revenue with relevant advertisements.
- Mobile security
Businesses need to start prioritizing mobile security to protect user information and make sure that all transactions are safe.
That’s because some users are hesitant to use payment apps for reasons related to security and distrust.
Businesses who rely on mobile payments need to put these concerns to rest in the coming year.
56% of consumers in the United States believe that mobile payments increase their chances of falling victim to theft and fraud.
Only 5% of these consumers believe that mobile payments reduce theft and fraud chances. An additional 13% of US consumers don’t think it makes a difference.
With so many companies going mobile and relying on mobile payments to turn a profit, I expect mobile security to be a top priority for these businesses.
Companies will come up with ways to ease the minds of their consumers. As a result, I’m expecting there to be a shift in the perception of mobile payments in the coming year.
Consumers will feel safer about making these transactions.
If you’re one of the companies that offers a mobile payment option, you need to address these security concerns ASAP.
- Geofencing and location-based services
It’s no secret that mobile apps are tracking the location of their users. In fact, users are giving them permission to do so.
Whenever you download and use a new app, you’ll get a notification that requests permission to access your location. Here’s an example of what this notification looks like on iOS devices.
You can’t even use some apps unless you share your location with them. For example, if you’re using a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, you won’t be able to get connected with a driver unless the app knows exactly where you are.
But now location-based services are trending in a new direction. Companies that don’t need your location are still requesting it.
They are using it to improve their marketing efforts. In fact, 70% of apps share user data with third-party services.
It’s easier to target users from a marketing perspective if you know their location. For example, businesses are using geofencing to make more money.
If someone with an app downloaded to their device walks into a certain geofenced area, they’ll get a push notification from the app with some kind of promotion based on that location.
We’re going to see an increase in this type of marketing strategy in 2024.
- Mobile applications for small businesses
Mobile applications are no longer just for the giant companies anymore. Any business in any industry needs to have a mobile app. It doesn’t matter how big or small your company is.
Small business owners are recognizing this trend and starting to develop. In fact, roughly 50% of small business owners plan to develop a mobile app.
55% of small businesses say that they’re developing an app to increase sales. While other businesses site an improvement in the customer experience and staying competitive in a specific market as the reasons for development.
Regardless of the reason, small business apps are still on the rise.
- Augmented reality will be incorporated into more apps
More mobile apps will adapt to augmented reality in 2024.
These types of apps incorporate the real world with the app. Pokemon Go is a perfect example of an augmented reality app. Here’s an example of the game.
The sidewalk, grass, benches, trees, sky, people, and power lines all exist in reality for the image above. If you were to take out your camera, you’d see all of this on the screen.
But this type of mobile tech adds elements to your device that aren’t actually there, like the fictional Pokemon character above.
Pokemon Go was downloaded 752 million times and generated more than $1.2 billion in revenue. There are more than 5 million daily active users playing this game across the globe.
It’s safe to say that this was a huge success. Because of this, more companies are going to try and use augmented reality apps to drive downloads, engagement, and revenue for their business.
- Apps built for transportation are evolving
Transportation apps are changing.
We’re already familiar with mobile tech like Uber and Lyft. People even use car sharing apps like Turo or Zipcar to get around.
There are apps for train schedules, buses, and planes. Everything that I’ve just mentioned is something that we have grown accustomed to in the past several years.
But now we’re seeing even more companies starting to appear with a mobile application for unique modes of transportation. I’m referring to apps like Limebike and Bird.
