Given the ever-increasing use of smartphones in today’s society, it comes as no surprise that mobile app development is the new worldwide focus for any company or organization that wants to compete and be successful these days. Each coming year has been bigger and bigger for mobile apps, and 2017 was no exception. Many companies realized the necessity of mobile apps as opposed to them just being optional investments like in the days of old. This realization was brought about by the fact that mobile is the best way to increase sales and meet customer demands.

2017 saw a number of around 254 billion free apps downloaded worldwide, which is an exponential increase from 2012’s 57.33 billion downloads; this alone proves that mobile development is one of the fastest growing sectors in the industry.

While for the most part, gaming, social media, lifestyle and Google apps are leading the mobile app market, Large and mid-sized companies alike are using apps for various purposes such as marketing, branding, customer engagement, etc.

We know that the future of mobile app development is as strong as they come, but we don’t know for sure what form that future is going to take. Below are some current app industry trends that may shed some light on where that future is bound to look like.

Mobile Payments:

M-Commerce is the term used for online shopping through mobile app, and while most online shops still require payment through credit/debit card or internet banking, more and more shops are shifting to payments through Apple Pay and Google Wallet; this will be an efficient way for companies to harvest data and provide in-depth analysis about clients. At the same time, it is more comfortable payment method for customers as opposed to the other options.

Internet of Things (IoT):

The internet (IoT) is a reference to physical devices now connected to the internet, collecting and sharing data. This idea of increased connectivity is becoming increasingly popular in the application development sector because now not only are apps required for smartphones, but their requirement also extends to other devices such as smart televisions, etc. given the need for connectivity on different platforms.

Although IoT still has a long way to go, it is here to stay, and it is a trend that is going to be a hot topic in the years to come. Analysts predict that by 2021 IoT is going to grow to $661.74 billion from 2016’s $157.05 billion at Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33.3%; this is a direct impact on the mobile app trends seeing as how smartphones control IoT devices.

On-Demand Applications:

On-demand applications such as Food delivery and Taxi Services are a hot trend in app development these days given the ease of lifestyle and overall convenience that they offer. They make our lives more comfortable because they provide timely services, have multiple payment methods, are available whenever we wish, and most of all, they are convenient.

This is where companies like us, CabStartup, come in. We facilitate the on-demand industry by providing interested companies with white label solutions that they can use to run their businesses and ultimately make things easier for the customer. Therefore, given the popularity of on-demand applications, it is safe to assume that this trend is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Cloud-Based Applications:

Mobile App developers are investing in cloud-based applications because through them it is easier and faster to gather data without impacting the user’s phone’s internal storage. With Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, etc. more and more apps will be cloud driven. Cloud-based applications are highly intriguing for enterprises since they can offer better data security that alleviates some concerns that enterprises have with other data security methods.

Globally, by 2019, cloud apps will driver ninety percent of total mobile data traffic, according to Cisco VNI Global Mobile Forecast (2015 – 2020). With a CAGR sixty percent, mobile cloud traffic will increase by eleven times.

Health Applications:

With approximately 1.7 billion mHealth apps downloaded on iOS and Android by 2017 and over 100,000 mhealth applications in the market, it is apparent that this is a smart trend that is growing smarter and will make a home in the market.

In the old days, mHealth apps would only book a doctor’s appointment or show the number of steps a person has taken, but now we have Electronic Medical Records (EMR) apps. They keep a complete record of the user’s medical history, keep a check on medical issues such as cancer, Asthma, etc. and handle medical bills.

Currently, EMR is limited to patients, but will eventually evolve to facilitate doctors as well and allow them to view patient history, accept appointments, etc.

Conclusion:

The above-mentioned trends in mobile app development are only but a few of many exciting and popular trends which prove that Mobile Apps are the next big industry that every player in the market should keep an eye on. Mobile application development is in its Golden Age right now, and this age is not going to end anytime soon.