Mobile App Development Trends in 2019 – The Expectations
In the recent years, online traffics generated by mobile devices have been gradually surpassing other channels (e.g. laptops/desktops). Mobile app development is constantly evolving and changing, with bigger and better apps being introduced to the app market play on a daily basis. In 2018, we have witnessed a significant shift from native to cross-platform development and the rising in popularity of Progressive Web Apps. Additionally, latest advanced technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, AR, VR and blockchain also contribute to keep mobile app development growing stronger.
The advancement of those technologies are coming to a stage where mobile apps can be developed for real-life purposes by incorporating directly such technologies in to the applications.
Here are some of the highly expectations for app development industry in 2019:
Multi-purpose apps
it can be said that there’s virtually an app for almost every single category and app ideas on the app market place these days. So, instead of focusing on the development of new apps based on existing and old concepts, more and more organizations are now spending a considerable portion of their mobile development budget of integrating additional features their into existing central app. For example, a number of ride hailing apps have incorporated new features into their applications which allow users to play game, order food, goods delivery service in addition to ride hailing. This keep users engaged with the app beyond its main purpose of just ride-hailing. We expect to see this trend getting more recognition and adoption in the year 2019.
Wearables devices and apps for healthcare
Smart watches and wearables devices have also been gaining the mainstream adoptions from public users. In 2018, more than 100 smart watches and wearables devices combined were sold world-wide [1] and this trend is expected to keep going strong in 2019. As a result, apps that are used to monitor the fitness tracking results by these devices are also anticipated to grow with better analytics and recommendation features.
AI offering personalized experience
As mentioned in the previous blog post, AI technology in the form of virtual assistance such as Siri, Google Assistance, and Amazon Alexa can all help assisting users to complete repetitive tasks more efficiently. Business organizations are likely in need to improve their app by integrating AI technology into it.
React Native and more cross-platform development
One of the most common problems for business organizations when developing their mobile app is having to write their code twice (in order to make their app available on both iOS and Android platforms). As a result, the process might take longer to complete and causing additional, unnecessary bugs and errors. Fortunately, such issues can be avoided by using cross-platform frameworks such as React Native or Xamarin. This solution still has some limitations as app performance could be lagging in some cases. However, in 2019, we can expect to see more of cross-platform development with better app performance and features.
The increase adoption of Chatbots for customer service operations
More and more businesses are using chatbots to compliment with their customer service personnel team. The advancement of progress in machine learning and AI have resulted in the growing availability of chatbots solutions at a very budget cost. Chatbot can quickly answer customer’s enquiries in real-time, substituting for customer service team during the time when they are unavailable or replacing them entirely in many cases. In 2019, offering chatbots will become an effective strategic move for many businesses. Additionally, it’s very likely that many businesses will also focus more on developing a chatbots solution instead of maintaining their mobile app.
Blockchain-based Apps
Blockchain has been considered as one of the most innovations of the past recent years. Apart from the association with crypto currency, blockchain with its decentralization and transparency nature has the potential to provide many useful practical applications for various industries. Among these are various use-cases of blockchain technologies in education, healthcare, and fintech. Blockchain will continue to be a hot trend in 2019.
Android App Bundle
With the adoption of cloud technology for app development, apps today are taking a lot less storage space on users’ mobile devices. Additionally, Google has just introduced Android App Bundle, a new method and an improvement allowing app developers to package and release their app in smaller sizes[2]. With dynamic delivery (beta), app users can choose to download certain dynamic features as they need instead of having to download and install the entire app.
Android App Bundle provides many benefits for businesses as Android apps will be optimized for specific device configuration. This result in a smaller size app for Android users by eliminating unused code and resources required by other Android devices.
End-note
The mobile app development market is constantly changing and evolving with the incorporation of innovative advanced technologies such as Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, AR/VR, and Blockchain. Regardless of the changes, each mobile project is one of a kind and requires a unique approach. If you are looking for a solution that is most suitable for your project, the best way is consult with an expert who can provide you with practical advice. Contact us today, we’re happy to help.
Reference:
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/461548/wearable-tech-sales-worldwide-by-category/
- https://developer.android.com/platform/technology/app-bundle/
