Last several years show us that mobile applications stay in urgent need. They are wizard assistants in everyday life for users. World goes mobile. There are many unique apps ready to help with communication, taxi ordering, dating, pizza delivery, sport and other services. Mobile app can be the main source of income. Mobile technologies can be additional and even main way of reaching the customer in some fields. It also helps to meet customers’ needs, calculate them and make decisions.
This year we understand how important are mobile technologies and apps for users. Smartphones became faster and powerful than in past period. And they still evolve.
The latest rules and changes in guidelines for mobile apps were established during the presentation of iPhone X. Summarizing, we can trace some insights: Android starts to support Kotlin, iPhone reinvent smartphone one more time. All new features are explored by developers in order to create much better mobile applications.
As you know mobile shopping rules retail market all over the world. You may have heard that App Annie reports about the biggest mobile shopping day. It was the Black Friday. Cyber Monday also have rich mobile traffic. Of course, mobile traffic is going to grow up. It is better for customers to press several icons on device and be ready to receive goods than be waiting for open hours cold night in November. The leaders of m-commerce are users from South Korea, they spent hours on mobile shopping more than other customers.
During winter holidays let’s think about trends in mobile app development we are going to meet in 2018.
First of all, VRG Soft team of Android and iOS developers bets on Mixed Reality and neural networks. Because these are real trends in mobile development in 2018 with priority level. Take a glance view at VRG Soft list of trends (Part I).
1.Cloud-based Apps
Cloud – based Apps is not actually a 2018-year trend, but it is one of the most used technologies nowadays. More and more applications appear to be based on cloud support and Cisco researches that cloud-based apps will take the 90% of total mobile data traffic by 2019 year. The major benefit of using a cloud-based Apps is that such applications can download and upload data files directly from/into your device. Customers love this kind of apps because of their space efficiency. As well, cloud technology is safe and protected enough, so users can be sure about their devices.
2. Application Security
More and more people think about the security of their smartphones, and devices at all. Services, technologies and apps give you a great opportunity to save all data files in your smartphones. Mobile App Developers work harder and more efficient to guarantee a protection of their apps. It appears that more apps with built-in security features get very popular among the customers.
3. Lazy loading
So why is it called lazy loading? Lazy loading is a concept where the on–demand objects are prioritized comparing to unnecessarily objects. Remember the thing when the article opens too long, and you are bored to wait, so you just close it and go to the next one. Sure, you are one of us. This things are happening when the image loads for too long and so the user can’t see the whole article. A VRG Soft cares about your time, so we use this programming practice very often.
4. Accelerated Mobile Pages
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is another upcoming trend that should save your time. With accelerated pages technology websites and applications load faster on your mobile devices. The most significant and notable factor for mobile development is speed, so this trend appears in the right place at the right time. From the SEO point of view, this step transforms all mobile app development approaches.
5. Interactivity
Everything that moves, is scrolled, lighted and so on is getting the eyes of users. Just remember yourself. So why interactivity is so important for our pages? Easy-watching and structuring the application into a small blocks of information. You no need to wait for your page loading with the interactive page. Just imagine the perfect application you’ve never seen before. All items, blocks, buttons, screens, everything that you need to see is created with interactive page. Here it is. Incredible result for user eyes.
6.VR/AR
VR and AR are good for gaming and entertaining, it also fits for education purposes and marketing strategies. Modern devices support these applications and their number will be increasing as front-runner of gaming industry. Famous games RealStrike or ZombieGo get more users and change impressions of the game experience.
Touristic industry provides clients with opportunity to see areas or hotels in VR before visiting and booking. VR mobile app is a must have for modern museum. Such applications give an additional value to customers. VR technologies were implemented by VRG Soft team for VR Guide – a mobile application for previewing different interiors in the city you would like to visit.
7. Artificial neural networks
2017 starts from launch of the Tensor Flow, an open-source software library for Machine Intelligence that use data flow graphs. Among the users of Tensor Flow version 1.4 are Google, Snapchat, Coca-Cola, Intel, Uber and other brands.
Neural networks help to translate words, to show ads for target audience, provide search by images or photos. The example of using of the neural networks in mobile арplication development can be process of face detection.
Chatbots are also in trend as it is a part of automatization and robotics in service in order to optimize business processes. Bot could help customer with some services, consult users or check their actions.
8.IoT
Internet оf things and wearable technology is still trending. For many users it is rather helpful to use mobile application to lock/open the door or off/on the electric teapot. These physical devices and things powered by people with the help of mobile applications are new standard of service and next level in development.
Wearable technologies are good for medical and health care industry. The possibilities of wearables are endless. The market is going to reach 13 billions next year and including not only smartwatches and fitness trackers, but also VR technologies and IoT.
9. Mobile payment
2018 is going to be the year of mobile payments because users are ready to use smartphone as wallet for financial transactions. Mobile form of payments allows customer to use mobile device in order to pay for goods and services.
Near 50 % payments on USA market made in mobile way and don’t forget about Chinese customers the real funs of smartphones and mobile payment.
Mobile payment trend will expand in few years. It is easy for user so business is going to provide customers with opportunity to pay in mobile way and new payment forms.
10. On demand mobile application
Apps help businessmen to deliver and support their services in mobile way. Customers can hire personal or book services with just 2-3 tabs using on–demand mobile apps. It can be application like Uber taxi for booking taxi, Beauty Chance – mobile application for finding beauty specialist or booking beauty service like haircut or manicure or sport club/wellness mobile application for viewing own schedule of training.
On–dеmand apps and services (ODMS) are booming nowadays. It occupies events, health, beauty, transport, tickets, home services and other markets. Huge amount of the on–demand mobile app services deliver perfect experience for the customer and make the process of booking service simply. Today customers prefer to have each service in their smartphone thanks to Uber revolution. Customers expect to have every service in phones and feel free to pay for goods or services with their phones.
