A recent study by App Annie showed that half of the world’s population has smartphones. This means that the market for mobile applications has room to grow and the number of users. The main task of the creators of the application is to prepare a product that meets the needs of the audience.
The main trends in 2021 are the development of social networks, chatbots, the Internet of things, mobile commerce, and 5G technology. Let’s dwell on each in more detail.
Social networks
Due to quarantine and distancing, people have become more likely to communicate online through social networks. The developers experimented with new formats, but not all of them resonated with the audience. As an example, you can recall the Clubhouse – after a couple of months, the project became uninteresting to people, although the subscribers grew almost exponentially in the first days.
There are more requirements for social networks: people are tired of imposing services that flash in the feed or pop-up while reading or chatting.
Chatbots
As we know, some time ago companies called their customers to clarify information or agree on an order. Nowadays, people are extremely negative about conversations, preferring to communicate with a bot. The technology is widespread in food, shopping, and transportation applications.
Here are some examples of chatbots: Siri, Alice, Google Assistant. A person trusts artificial assistants to order a taxi, buy tickets to a theater or cinema, and book a table in a cafe. The main advantages of chatbots are that they do not get tired and are ready to help you 24/7.
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) has evolved along with the advancement of the mobile industry. The technology offers to combine all devices into one ecosystem for the convenience of data transfer. IoT systems operate in real-time and consist of a network of smart devices and a cloud platform.
For example, the Internet of Things allows you to reduce the cost of cargo transportation in the logistics of transport companies, and in an urban environment, it records and transfers information to management companies on costs and depreciation of buildings. If we talk about a single consumer, the Internet of Things helps a person to make online purchases, turn on lights and music, and much more.
When the pandemic hit, app developers turned their attention back to the smart home concept using the Internet of Things. More and more smartphone users are controlling home electronic devices using applications. And this area continues to evolve.
Mobile commerce
As for mobile commerce, since 2020, it has been experiencing rapid development: what used to take a decade happened in just two or three months. More and more sellers are launching online projects, making every effort to develop their business on the Web. Statista.com has conducted research and found that global online trading profits will rise to $ 6.54 trillion by 2022, up 85.27% from 2019 revenue.
At the same time, consumers give preference to those online stores that offer fast delivery, preferably free. And in order to meet customer requirements, companies are modernizing their logistics processes – which again brings us back to the Internet of Things.
5G
Separately, it is worth noting the 5G technology: thanks to it, it is possible to connect up to 1 million devices (not only smartphones but also cars, CCTV cameras, etc.) per square kilometer. Already, 5G is having a big impact on mobile app development. The number of 5G connections in the world is projected to grow to 1.1 billion by 2025.
More and more developers, companies, and applications themselves are emerging. What are the future prospects for the development of the mobile applications market? The growth will continue, and the competition among services with similar functions will increase – someone will bet on interesting additional products, and someone will be promoted with the help of advertising.
Hybrid monetization models such as in-app ads and in-app purchases will continue to gain traction in the business world. Market experts predict that embedded ads will be the main driver of mobile market growth in the coming years.
