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2019-09-027 min read
Introduction
I’m pretty sure now you can’t imagine your life without your smartphone. Checking time and weather, making calls, communicating via socials, reading news, calculating, taking photos, listening to music, playing games and these are just the essential things your device provides you with. The avalanche of technologies have covered the globe and it is vital not to get lost among all the innovations.
Do you remember looking for what’s new on your phone today in the morning? 78% of all users in developed countries check their smartphones within an hour after waking up. For the most part, these are text messages and instant messaging (IM). On average, users check their gadgets up to 40 times a day. So you have nearly 40 opportunities a day that your potential customer will use the services of your company.
There are 2.7 billion smartphone users around the world. It means that more than a third of world population use what the mobile development can offer. It’s a really vast area with a lot of potential consumers.
Before you start doing something, at first you usually look for what others choose and prefer. Especially when it comes to technologies. There may be several reasons for that: some people are more experienced, or some of them have tried a few different things and have a range to choose from. Of course, there’s no accounting for tastes, and your opinion may differ from others’. But this article may come in handy if you decide to develop mobile app for your business or to improve the existing one, as long as engaging more consumers brings you better revenue.
Here are some trends in the modern world of mobile technologies:
Cross Platform Development
People buy different smartphones. They are operated by different systems. You want more people to download your app. The solution is simple – cross platform development.
The apps available for only one operating system are becoming a thing of the past. Because earlier it would cost the company a pretty penny to launch a program on different platforms. Congratulations, with modern tools now there’s no need to build 2 completely different apps for different operating systems.
Artificial Intelligence
Typing long texts, expecting “opening hours”, waiting for the answer in the customer support service… Do people still have time and wish for all of that especially when in your smartphone there are such functions as chatbots and digital assistants.
Artificial intelligence has really penetrated the world of mobile technologies. Smart digital assistants are becoming irreplaceable companions. Amazon has Alexa, Apple has Siri, Google has Google Assistant, Microsoft has Cortana, and Samsung has Bixby. I suppose, at least one of these names must be familiar to you.
AI improves hands-free use via implementing voice recognition. Understanding the user’s voice is also an instrument of providing translation.
The other implementation of AI software is to help developers and marketers learn more about the user. As a result, investigating the target users preferences and choices can help in getting more revenue, especially when it comes to e-commerce sector.
Location-Based Services
Your smartphone knows where you are. As well as some apps, if you give them permission to track your location. Each time you download a new app, you’ll get a notification, in which you will be asked to allow access to your location while using the app.
There even exist some apps that you can get use of only if you share you location with them. For instance, if you’re searching for a rideshare service in an app like Uber or Lyft, you won’t be able to get connected with a driver unless the application has access to your exact geo-location.
However nowadays there are more apps requesting you location even if they don’t need it. The reason is that 70% of all your smartphone applications share your data with third parties. That’s how you receive advertisements and push-up notifications from businesses located nearby.
Mobile Payment Services
Still carrying a lot of cash in your wallet? The number of customers who have used the contactless payment system has increased at least twice during the past year, and in some countries it has increased by 4-5 times.
Bank apps, PayPal, Venmo, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay: a few clicks have substituted bothering with paper money. You can rarely find an online service that cannot be paid for via smartphone.
The rise in the popularity of such payments lays in the convenience, time-saving and security. Or in other words people like everything that can help them avoid long lines.
Transportation Apps
Using maps is good, but with the development of mobile technologies, people tend to choose digital maps over the paper ones and transportation apps over memorizing bus schedule.
It is beneficial not only for the public transport users, but for drivers too. Some transportation apps become guides ready to help you reduce travel time, cost, and vehicle emissions.
You may think that not many businesses can implement this technology, but I can tell you that some of them went further and created different approaches to using this technology. What I mean here is the developers of electric vehicles like Bird or Limebike. With the help of apps users can easily lock and unlock the scooter, or even locate it in the area.
There’s still a place for creativity and maybe even your business could implement this useful technology.
Augmented Reality
We always strive for something better. Sometimes it’s very difficult or even impossible to improve things, that’s where augmented reality comes into play. Take, for example, face filter options on Snapchat or Instagram. Such apps really bask in popularity nowadays.
The other very handy and frequently used app that uses AR technology is Google translate. It can translate text in an image from one language to another, allowing you to read signs, packaging, and even memes in other languages.
Due to the popularity of AR-powered apps (just think of the sensation that PokemonGo brought to the world) , more and more businesses try to implement this technology into their mobile products.
Biometrics
Don’t want other people to see what you store on your device? Please meet biometrics technologies. They are used to boost mobile security. Examples of apps using this technology include:
- fingerprint recognition;
- voice recognition;
- facial recognition;
- signature recognition.
There exist different functions of this tech. Sometimes you may be required to use your fingerprint to conduct online payments. Some schools worldwide are already using this technology to identify their student correctly in class attendance.
Keep your finger on the pulse
The range of technologies is doubtlessly wide. It’s up to you which of them you want to implement in the mobile development of your business application.
The process of technology development never stops. What is popular now may be improved or replaced by something new. Remember that always staying tuned for more news in this field will help you to analyze your customer preferences and as a result gain more profit.